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Indigestion happens when people eat too much, or too fast or when they eat the
type of foods that do not agree with their body. Heartburn typically happens just
after your experience indigestion. While the term heartburn may sound scary it
does not need to be and it obviously does not mean there is anything wrong with
your heart. The burning sensation during heartburn is caused by stomach acid
moving up your esophagus and into your throat.

Heartburn is also known as indigestion and can be very distressing to a child as
they are not fully aware what is causing their problem. They are just reacting to
the pain involved and this is especially true of any infant experiencing
indigestion. This type of indigestion is also called acid indigestion and the
best cure for it is to simply prevent it happening in the first place.

There are 5 things you can do to help your children fight or prevent heartburn
and acid indigestion.

1. Make sure your kids eat smaller meals and avoid fatty, greasy foods as much
as possible. Also make sure that they do not rush their food - asking them to
chew each mouthful of food 10 times is one way to do ensure this. Also try to
reduce the amount of chocolate and citrus fruits they eat; eating too much of
either can easily cause indigestion.

2. If your child already has indigestion then you could consider giving them
antacids to help with the problem. While these provide a rapid way to soothe
indigestion, they are only effective for short periods and do not have the
ability to treat any damage to the esophagus. There are also liquid antacids
available which float on the liquid in the stomach after a meal. The alginate (a
type of gum produced from seaweed) molecules in the medicine bond to increase
the surface tension in the stomach, which diminishes the potential for reflux
that occurs after a meal.

3. You could also give your kids over-the-counter H2 receptor antagonists
medicines. These reduce the amount of stomach acid being produced so therefore
prevent heartburn ever happening instead of just trying to cure it.

4. Proton pump inhibitors are your next option. They not only limit the acid
produced by the stomach but they can also help heal the esophagus.

5. Last but not least are promotility agents that take effect in the esophagus
and/or the stomach to help improve the motility of the food in the digestive
system. These medications can have significant side effects so it's best to
consult with your doctor before giving them to your kids.

Indigestion in infants is temporary and to be expected. As your children grow
older and if they are still experiencing ongoing indigestion and heartburn make
sure you take them on a visit to the doctor. Prevention is always better than
cure.