Child with severe gerd?

My 7 yr old daughter has severe Gerd and is currently on prevacid. She has been on many medications including zantac and many pain meds. I was told there is new evedence that ppi's like prevacid are liked to higher risk of hip fracture as adults. My daughter has been on prevacid for over a year. I was wondering if anyone has heard of this since her specialist said nothing about it and i am having trouble finding anything online about kids taking it. Pleas help she has been through enough and neads not to have even more long term affects.

Incompetence of the lower esophageal sphincter allows reflux of gastric contents into the esophagus, causing burning pain. Prolonged reflux may lead to esophagitis, stricture, and rarely metaplasia. Diagnosis is clinical, sometimes with endoscopy, with or without acid testing. Treatment involves lifestyle modification, acid suppression using proton pump inhibitors, and sometimes surgery.

Certain foods and lifestyle are considered to promote gastroesophageal reflux:
Coffee, alcohol, and excessive amounts of Vitamin C supplements are stimulants of gastric acid secretion. Taking these before bedtime especially can promote evening reflux. Calcium containing antacids are in this group.
Foods high in fats and smoking reduce lower esophageal sphincter competence, so avoiding these tends to help, as well. Fat also delays emptying of the stomach.
Having more but smaller meals also reduces the risk of GERD, as it means there is less food in the stomach at any one time.
avoid eating for 2 hours before bedtime
avoid soft drinks
avoid chocolate and peppermint
avoid spicy foods
avoid acidic foods like oranges and tomatoes (however, they are okay when fresh.)
avoid cruciferous vegetables: onions, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, brussel sprouts
milk and milk-based products contain calcium and fat, so should be avoided before bedtime
Please see the web pages for more details on Gastroesophageal reflux disease, Lansoprazole (generic name) Prevacid (brand name) and Ranitidine (generic name) Zantac (brand name).

It is my understanding that if older females are on it for an extended period of time it can cause bone density problems. That should not be a factor for a child. It is something that they watch for in older women because we have bone density problems to begin with. I am on a medication right now that the doctor wants me on for the next 5 years. I went and got a second opinion and the second doctor told me that if I stay on it for more than a year that it can cause irreversible bone loss.

I would not worry about it with a 7 year old but if it is still concerning you then call the pharmacist that filled the prescription for you. A pharmacist knows more about medications and there side effects than most doctors so I always ask the pharmacist.

Good Luck with your daughter and her Gurd. I am raising a grandson who was hospitalized for it at 3 months old. He is 3 now and seems to have out grown it. I hope your daughter does too.

Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) occurs when stomach contents reflux, or back up, into the esophagus during or after a meal. The esophagus is the tube that connects the mouth to the stomach. A ring of muscle at the bottom of the esophagus opens and closes to allow food to enter the stomach. This ring of muscle is called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). The LES normally opens to release gas after meals. With infants, when the LES opens, stomach contents often reflux into the esophagus and out the mouth, resulting in regurgitation, or spitting up, and vomiting. GER can also occur when babies cough, cry, or strain.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) does not close properly and stomach contents leak back, or reflux, into the esophagus. When refluxed stomach acid touches the lining of the esophagus, it causes a burning sensation in the chest or throat called heartburn. The fluid may even be tasted in the back of the mouth, and this is called acid indigestion. Occasional heartburn is common but does not necessarily mean one has GERD. Heartburn that occurs more than twice a week may be considered GERD, and it can eventually lead to more serious health problems. Anyone, including infants, children, and pregnant women, can have GERD. Doctors recommend lifestyle and dietary changes for most people with GERD. Treatment aims at decreasing the amount of reflux or reducing damage to the lining of the esophagus from refluxed materials. Avoiding foods and beverages that can weaken the LES is recommended. These foods include chocolate, peppermint, fatty foods, coffee, and alcoholic beverages. Foods and beverages that can irritate a damaged esophageal lining, such as citrus fruits and juices, tomato products, and pepper, should also be avoided. Decreasing the size of portions at mealtime may also help control symptoms. Eating meals at least 2 to 3 hours before bedtime may lessen reflux by allowing the acid in the stomach to decrease and the stomach to empty partially. In addition, being overweight often worsens symptoms. Long-term use of antacids, however, can result in side effects, including diarrhea, altered calcium metabolism (a change in the way the body breaks down and uses calcium), and buildup of magnesium in the body. Too much magnesium can be serious for patients with kidney disease. If antacids are needed for more than 3 weeks, a doctor should be consulted. For chronic reflux and heartburn, the doctor may prescribe medications to reduce acid in the stomach. These medicines include H2 blockers, which inhibit acid secretion in the stomach. Currently, four H2 blockers are available: cimetidine, famotidine, nizatidine, and ranitidine. Another type of drug, the proton pump (or acid pump) inhibitor omeprazole inhibits an enzyme (a protein in the acid-producing cells of the stomach) necessary for acid secretion. The acid pump inhibitor lansoprazole is currently under investigation as a new treatment for GERD. Other approaches to therapy will increase the strength of the LES and quicken emptying of stomach contents with motility drugs that act on the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract. These drugs include bethanechol and metoclopramide.
Hope this is of use
Matador 89

I have not heard of any ill side effects like that, my son has had GERD since he was born (preemie) and with all the specialists he has seen, no one has mentioned long term problems like that. I do know what you mean though, it's hard to find info like that on kids!