[Gastroesophageal reflux in nursing children: normal or pathology?].

We researched and analyzed how widespread regurgitation is among breast-fed and bottle-fed infants and the influence of regurgitation on their health later in life(up to age 3). We observed 146 infants. Sixty-eight percent regurgitated from 2 to 7 times a day. The highest regurgitation frequency was noted during the first three months of life. Regurgitation frequency then decreased. However it increased again at 4.5 to 5 months, about the time that solid foods were being added. We found that regurgitation frequency was higher in bottle-fed infants than in those who were breast-fed. After following these infants into their second and third years, we found that 5% of those 2-3-year olds who regurgitated as infants had gastro-intestinal disorders.