Your daughter may well have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) since this condition occurs in children as well as in adults. Some of the symptoms described by your daughter do fit GERD, including nausea, regurgitation of clear fluid, a feeling that something is present in the throat, and having an upset stomach. However, not everyone with these symptoms is diagnosed with GERD; many have dyspepsia (a vague discomfort in the upper abdomen or chest that may be described as gas, a feeling of fullness, gnawing, or burning) or other functional symptoms that are not related to GERD.
GERD is usually the result of a relaxed lower esophageal sphincter that allows stomach contents, including acid, to regurgitate into the esophagus and sometimes as far as the mouth. Treatment usually includes blocking acid production and lifestyle and nutritional measures that reduce the amount of reflux. Your daughter should be seen by a gastroenterologist, who can make a proper diagnosis and start appropriate treatment, either for GERD, if it turns out to be that, or for another condition.
Last Updated: 01/15/2007
Digestive health expert Mark Babyatsky
answers your frequently asked questions on digestive health symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, medications, management, and resources. Dr. Babyatsky is a gastroenterologist, professor of medicine, and chairman of the Samuel L. Bronfman Department of Medicine at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York.