Tag Archives: Gastro-oesophageal reflux

Gastric acid is good for your bones.

Posted on 17 June 2019 by Keith Barrington

We’ve known for a while now that suppressing gastric acid production in preterm infants increases Necrotising Enterocolitis and also systemic sepsis. Presumably this is because the intestinal microbiome is deranged by allowing the survival of pathogens as they pass through … Continue reading →

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You can’t diagnose reflux with a laryngoscope!

Posted on 23 December 2016 by Keith Barrington

I have seen in several places, and heard other neonatologists from elsewhere make comments about, a very high frequency of the diagnosis of serious reflux by ENT surgeons. Almost every time a consultation is requested, for almost any indication, the … Continue reading →

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Toxicity of reflux medications in infancy

Posted on 2 December 2016 by Keith Barrington

Before I leave the topic for at least a few days, I thought I would discuss data about the toxicity of reflux medications in older children. Most of my ‘toxic placebo’ comments have been about studies in preterm infants, and … Continue reading →

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Anti-reflux medications in preterm infants; a whole cornucopia of toxic placebos.

Posted on 2 December 2016 by Keith Barrington

I have written frequently about this on my blog in the past, and even written a book chapter about the subject (in the book titled “Nutrition for the Preterm Neonate” edited by Sanjay Patole). I recently mentioned the subject in my … Continue reading →

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It doesn’t make much difference how often we feed babies

Posted on 29 September 2016 by Keith Barrington

Over the years there have a number of studies comparing two different feeding regimes. Most recently there has been a comparison of 2 hourly vs 3 hourly feeds and a comparison of feeds every 3 hours compared to 4 feeds … Continue reading →

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Outcomes of babies with surgical anomalies

Posted on 1 June 2016 by Keith Barrington

Neonatologists basically invented the field of outcomes research; many of my colleagues from around the world have closely examined the outcomes of very premature and extremely premature infants for many years: well before people in other fields were doing so. Outcome … Continue reading →

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PPIs are toxic

Posted on 4 October 2015 by Keith Barrington

PPIs could mean “public-private initiatives” which are highly toxic, as recent experience in the UK and in Quebec has shown, but in this case I mean proton pump inhibitors. Stark CM, Nylund CM. Side Effects and Complications of Proton Pump … Continue reading →

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Neonatal Updates

Posted on 11 June 2015 by Keith Barrington

Deshmukh M, et al. Effect of gastric lavage on feeding in neonates born through meconium-stained liquor: a systematic review. Archives of Disease in Childhood – Fetal and Neonatal Edition. 2015. When I first went to one of the hospitals I … Continue reading →

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Acid suppression doesn’t work, and it’s not safe. pHunny how we got here.

Posted on 6 December 2013 by Keith Barrington

Maybe it’s not pHunny at all. A good quality review article about the use of acid blockade for treating what are sometimes called ‘symptoms of reflux’. Rosen R: Gastroesophageal reflux in infants: More than just a pHenomenon. JAMA Pediatrics 2013. … Continue reading →

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GE Reflux… again

Posted on 22 November 2013 by Keith Barrington

Esomeprazole is one of the Proton pump inhibitors that is quite effective at reducing gastric acid production. This RCT of 51 infants (preterms to 1 month of age) randomized babies that had symptoms that were interpreted as being due to … Continue reading →

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