Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/x0ty9N1p3D4   Newborns and infants have very sensitive developing respiratory and gastrointestinal channels.  When parents have brought them to my pediatric ENT office, I found that their breathing issues were usually due to  airway irritation from refluxed feedings and dryness.  These observation became so common, that I began to offer 3 tips to every parent of a newborn or young infant.   1. Never Put Your Baby To Bed With A Full Stomach. 2. Wash Your Baby’s Nasal Cavities with Aerosol Saline After Every Meal. 3. Keep Your Child’s Bedroom At A Comfortable Humidity.   ONE:  Never put your baby to bed with a full stomach.  Newborns and infants under a year of age have developing and poorly functional esophageal sphincters or gates.  Any fluids or foods in the stomach and the stomach acids they induce will easily back up, reflux, into the upper esophagus, the throat, the nose, and fall down into the airway.  The fluids, food particles, and acids are all irritating to linings and prod