Preterm infants born before 32 weeks gestation experience more symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux in the first 6 months of life than infants born at later gestational ages

In this study of 582 infants less than 6 month old, we found that infants born prior to 32 weeks gestation experienced more symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux (GER) than infants born at later gestational ages. While full-term infants experience improvement in GER symptoms over the first 6 months of life, infants born at 32 – 37 weeks do not show this same improvement. Family history of allergy was related to an increase in GER symptoms. Additional research is needed to understand the mechanisms and development of GER symptoms in infants born before 37 weeks gestation.

Authors: Britt Pados, Grace Briceno, Victoria Feaster, & Katherine Gregory

Publication information: Pediatric Medicine. 2021; 4: 12. doi: 10.21037/pm-20-100

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