# 6 week old with huge amounts of mucus - does this sound like reflux?



## ashley1972 (Jun 25, 2005)

My 6 week old has huge amounts of mucus and phelm - I noticed it starting around 3 weeks old and it has not improved. She snorts and gargles and occasionally has labored breathing because of the volume of mucus.

The ped said it sounded like reflux but she doesn't spit up too much - maybe just 3 or 4 times per week. She is not sick, its not a cold and she is generally a happy baby. We sleep with a humidifier in the room and I've been using saylene spray and a bulb syringe which the ped tells me to stop using since it inflames the nasal passages making it harder to breathe...

He says to elevate her bed but I'm not sure how much - she is in a positioner and I put a little inclined wedge under her but it only goes up about 3 inches at the highest point.

Doc wants to give it until her two month check-up and see if she has improved. If not he is advising me to eliminate dairy. He says that one-third of reflux is caused by dairy allergy.

Does this sound like reflux to you? I'm confused because she isn't spitting up very much. If it is caused by dairy allergy is that something she'll grow out of or is that a lifelong allergy? What else could all this mucus be?

TIA


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## letniaLynne (Jun 2, 2006)

Does not sound like reflux to me but it does sound like a dairy allergy since it can cause much mucus. It would not hurt to eliminate dairy from your diet for a few weeks to see if it helps. I would not wait until your babe is 2mths old since it does sound like a severe case. eliminating dairy from your diet is an easy thing to do, I would just do it now verses letting your babe suffer if they don't have to.







It can't hurt to try the elimination of dairy.

As for the longterm prognosis of a dairy allergy some kids can grow out of it and others are stuck with it forever, no way to tell. My DD1 has a dairy intolerance and she is 2.5 now. I keep hoping she will grow out of it but she has not yet.

good luck.


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## matey (Sep 15, 2006)

Same as pp, doesnt sound like reflux, but Take out the dairy. As far as I am concerned, dairy is pure evil. Taking it out of my life has only resulted in positives for the whole family,


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## megsy (Jan 18, 2008)

It actually sounds like silent reflux to me. My oldest had exactly what you described and once we finally did the barium swallow to confirm and got on meds, our lives improved drastically. Reflux can absolutely cause an increase in mucous production.


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## ashley1972 (Jun 25, 2005)

Oh wow, thanks for the replies.

What is the barium swallow? Megsy do you remember what meds your son was on? And did you have to eliminate dairy or anything else?


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## Sonneva (Jun 12, 2008)

My daughter had the same thing. turned out to be a dairy/egg allergy. The mucus cleared up within two weeks of me cutting dairy and eggs out of my diet.


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## allborntogrow (Dec 31, 2007)

My son is two weeks and about three days ago basically the exact same thing as the OP happened. I thought he had a cold. I do drink a lot of milk and eat eggs . . . but I have been eating and drinking that since he was born. Is it possible that it is a dairy allergy and it didn't show up until two weeks?


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## ashley1972 (Jun 25, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *allborntogrow* 
Is it possible that it is a dairy allergy and it didn't show up until two weeks?

That is absolutely what happened with us - although
i haven't confirmed that its a dairy allergy it seems likely. the pediacrrician really thinks its reflux which MAY be caused by dairy allergy.


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## allborntogrow (Dec 31, 2007)

We have a DR. appt today so I'll ask our Ped . . . maybe he will have a different or new idea! I'll share when I return.


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## ashley1972 (Jun 25, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *allborntogrow* 
We have a DR. appt today so I'll ask our Ped . . . maybe he will have a different or new idea! I'll share when I return.

Yes, please do - I'd love to hear any other opinions. I really don't want to give up dairy but seems like all is pointing that direction. Today is day one with no dairy and its hard...


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## allborntogrow (Dec 31, 2007)

Just got back. The Doc says it's perfectly normal for a two week old, and that the loud, snorty breathing isn't anything to be concerned about, or even the few boogers I suctioned from his nose. He also said it can continue for a few weeks, so your babe might still be doing the same thing.

So who knows? I would not want to give up milk either!!! You could always just try and if things don't improve, then you know it's just normal baby phlegm.


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## megsy (Jan 18, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ashley1972* 
Oh wow, thanks for the replies.

What is the barium swallow? Megsy do you remember what meds your son was on? And did you have to eliminate dairy or anything else?

Well, he's 6.5 now so I'm sure they're not doing barium swallows any longer to confirm since reflux is such a common dx ... but who knows. Anyway, he had to drink this white chalky substance and they did a video-type xray to watch how his stomach handled liquids. We saw the reflux happen ... it was pretty cool to watch actually.

He was on Zantac. And then we moved to a Zantac/Reglan combo. He stayed on it for a few months and then was fine.

We did prevacid with the twins.

This newest baby seems to have a touch of reflux but it's not bothering her (no incessant, uncontrollable crying like with the other three) so I'm not doing anything for it. I actually think we'll do the chiro route before meds should the reflux escalate.


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## amberskyfire (Sep 15, 2007)

Mine had it really bad and she did not have reflux or allergies. My midwife said it was normal for some babies to be really phlegmy in the first month or two and sure enough, it went away entirely by 3m. I can't say your baby is the same, though. I hope you figure out what it is


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