Ask the nursery staff to show you how to burp your baby during and after feeds. To help prevent reflux keep your baby's head elevated about 30 degrees or more during feeding and for one to two hours after a feeding. It is now recommended that healthy infants sleep on their backs because of an increased risk of SIDS with a stomach position. But, if your baby has or might have reflux, your physician may recommend a different sleep position so ask what sleep position is recommended. Babies with oral facial clefts usually require special nipples and instruction from the nursery staff on how to feed orally.
Some babies eventually learn to suck and swallow, progressing to bottle or breast feeding.
Others eventually have a gastrostomy or G-tube placed abdominally to prevent the trauma of tube insertion. Some children are fed both orally and by tube. Reflux, a frequently found GI problem in children with trisomy 18 or 13, may respond to medication prescribed by a doctor. Referral to a gastroenterologist may be needed if reflux persists or is significant. Some children with reflux or other GI problems may need consideration of surgical correction.