DIETARY-TREATMENT FOR REGURGITATION-RECOMMENDATIONS FROM A WORKING PARTY

Regurgitation is a common manifestation in infants below the age of ly , and is a frequent reason for counselling of general practitioners an d paediatricians. Current recommended therapeutic management starts wi th parental reassurance and dietary measures, followed by prokinetics. In this paper, the efficacy, safety and nutritional implications of t he dietary treatment of regurgitation are evaluated. Industrially prep ared thickened feeds may contain cereals of fibres; some have a low li pid content and are casein-predominant. Milk-thickened agents can also be added to regular infant feeding. Formulae claimed as ''anti-regurg itation formulae'', or positioned as such, should be considered as med ical foods or therapeutic diets, and only be available on medical pres cription. It is proposed to limit the ''anti-regurgitation'' (AR) labe l to those diets which have been proven clinically effective on regurg itation and which are nutritionally safe.