Gastroesophageal reflux disease and the mother-infant relationship

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore mother-child relational quality in infants diagnosed with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). Thirty-eight mothers and infants had been assessed during feeding using the Emotional Availability (EA) system at 6 to 10 weeks infant age. EA scores were in a non-optimal range. While this study is exploratory, given the small sample size and lack of a concurrent comparison group, this study on mother-child interactions and GERD suggests that further inquiry is warranted, both in research and in practice.