Northside mum becomes expert on complex reflux disease

A SPECALISED book written by a Northside mum that deals with the complex issue of reflux in babies is proving to be a bit hit with parents and medical professionals around the world.

Reflux disease results in repeated vomiting, spitting up, coughing and other respiratory problems but it’s difficult to detect in infants. However, without treatment it can have devastating consequences, as Finglas mum Cherie Bacon-Byrne found out when her daughter, Raven, was born almost three years ago.

“She pretty much started screaming when she was three days old, and didn’t stop for nearly two years,

? says Cherie.

“She sounded like a baby withdrawing from crack cocaine.

“We were in and out of hospital trying to get to the bottom of it and eventually they found it was GORD (gastro-oesophageal reflux disease).

?

Babies with reflux often cry for up to 14 hours a day, which can have a distressing effect on parents and families. Marital break-ups and mental breakdowns are not unusual and Cherie’s own relationship suffered as she tried to cope with a seemingly impossible situation.

“We were being told by the hospital that nothing could be done,

? she recalls.

“But I think any parent’s natural instinct is to do whatever they can when their baby is in pain.

?

Medics often won’t treat children with reflux because most eventually grow out of the condition in two or three months. However, Cherie discovered that many doctors simply don’t fully understand Reflux, and some variations of the condition can last for years.

“A lot of GPs will admit they haven’t a clue, but there’s a huge global epidemic of reflux happening right now,

? she says.

Left without answers and struggling to cope with her hospitalised daughter’s illness, Cherie decided to carry out her own research. She discovered that Raven was allergic to baby food and had protein intolerance and eventually found a diet that her daughter could tolerate if administered under medical supervision.

“I begged them at the hospital to give her the food that she’d be OK with,

? Cherie says.

“Eventually they gave it to her and she got better literally overnight. The vomiting, diarrhoea and screaming all stopped.

?

Cherie decided to set up a support group on Facebook that has swelled to over 3,000 Irish members.

She realised that many parents were asking the same questions so she decided to gather together everything she’d learned from her research and write a book called The Reflux Bible.

“I ended up self-publishing it and it just flew,

? she says.

“I learned very quickly that there was more information out there that everybody needed to know so I wrote a second edition a few months later.

?

Cherie is now a recognised expert on Relux. Public health nurses and GPs are recommending The Reflux Bible, which is endorsed by two scientific editors, to parents with children suffering from reflux, along with a smartphone app that includes videos demonstrating how to feed babies who have the condition with a specialised diet.

“What I think is good about it is that it gives a bit of hope,

? says Cherie.

The Reflux Bible is available at Eason’s in Omni Park Shopping Centre or online at www.therefluxbible.com. The smartphone app is available for download from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.