Our Services
Relief for feeding challenges, reassurance for parents
The following are some of the conditions that we assess at the Baby Feeding Institute. For further reading please visit our education resources for more information on these conditions and much more.
Reflux
Reflux is the medical term for what happens when some of the stomach contents come back out of the stomach and up the oesophagus (the tube from the mouth to the stomach).
Reflux is very common is very common in babies and affects at least 4 out every 10 babies up to 1 year. It usually gets better on its own without any intervention or treatment.
When reflux happens, a small amount of the acidic stomach contents can sometimes come back up towards the throat. This can irritate the lining of the oesophagus, causing discomfort or pain.
If reflux causes discomfort or pain on a regular basis, or if it causes other problems, for example, poor growth in babies, healthcare professionals call it acid reflux, gastro‑oesophageal reflux disease, or GORD for short. These babies often require medical treatment.
Colic
Colic is a diagnosis of exclusion when no other cause can be found for an infant with excessive and frequent crying. Typical onset is in the first weeks of life, with resolution usually around 3-4 months, 6 months in some cases.
At the Baby Feeding Institute we take a holistic approach to your babies crying. We assess your baby’s feeding habits. We assess for medical conditions that might be at play. We also look at interventions to date and ensure they are appropriate.
Allergies & Intolerances
Babies can either be allergic or intolerant to milk. Because some of the symptoms of milk allergy and milk intolerance are similar, they can be difficult to diagnose.
A milk allergy involves an immune reaction to one or more of the proteins present in milk, whereas an intolerance does not involve the immune system.
If your baby has had a severe allergic reaction to cow’s milk it is important that you attend a specialized allergy clinic.
Breastfeeding Support
Dr Alan O’Reilly is an International Board certified lactation consultant and is happy to assess your baby’s breastfeeding and latch as part of your assessment. Breastfeeding issues can often take some patience and time to see improvement. Mothers will generally require follow on care and support closer to home.
The HSE have lactation consultants in the community that are accessed through your public health nurse. There are also many excellent lactation consultants working in private practice. The can be found at their website www.alcireland.ie.
Tongue tie
An oral assessment is performed on every baby that visits the clinic. Most babies have a tongue frenulum. If the frenulum restricts the tongues movement and causes feeding issues, then it is considered a tongue tie.
Following a detailed history and examination we will assess if your baby’s tongue frenulum is contributing to any feeding or digestive issues.
A tongue tie release can be performed on site if clinically indicated.
Sleep Habits
The Baby Feeding Institute provides information about your baby’s sleep based on research evidence from the Durham Infancy Sleep centre.
The Durham Infancy sleep presents research evidence about biologically normal sleep for human babies.
We discuss how infant sleep may vary due to cultural behaviour and expectations such as what babies are fed, where they sleep and how we interpret their needs.
The information helps us make informed choices about our approach to our baby’s sleep.
Please visit Educational Resources for further information.