Reflux in Babies (UK): Normal Sick, Silent Reflux, or Time to See the GP?
Nearly every parent ends up with milk on their shoulder. For some it's a dribble after the odd feed. For others it's every feed, a baby who arches and cries halfway through, and a growing pile of muslins. The questions on parenting forums come in a few versions: is this normal? Is it "silent reflux"? Is my baby just overfed? Or is something actually wrong?
The short answer: bringing up milk after feeds is common and usually harmless. The NHS says reflux usually starts before a baby is 8 weeks old and gets better by the time they're 1, and that a baby who is happy, healthy and gaining weight often doesn't need to see a doctor. Hold your baby upright during and after feeds, burp them regularly, and keep them sleeping flat on their back. Get an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if the sick is green or yellow or has blood in it, if it's projectile, or if your baby is refusing feeds or very distressed.
Why babies bring up milk
A baby's stomach is kept closed by a ring of muscle, and in young babies that muscle isn't fully developed yet. So milk can come back up the food pipe (the oesophagus). As your baby grows, the muscle gets stronger and the reflux stops. That's why it's so common in the early months, and why it usually fades by the first birthday.
Signs of reflux
The NHS lists these symptoms of reflux:
- bringing up milk, or being sick, during or shortly after feeding
- coughing or hiccupping when feeding
- being unsettled during feeding
- swallowing or gulping after burping or feeding
- crying and not settling
- not gaining weight, because they're not keeping enough milk down
What is silent reflux?
Silent reflux is when a baby has signs of reflux, such as being unsettled, gulping or coughing at feeds, but doesn't bring milk up or get sick. It's the same thing without the evidence on your shoulder. That makes it harder to spot, and it's why so many parents go round in circles wondering whether it's reflux, wind, colic or teething.
Normal, worth checking, or urgent?
| What you're seeing | What to do |
|---|---|
| Small amounts of milk after feeds (often called posseting); baby happy and gaining weight | Very common. Try the tips below; no doctor needed unless something changes. |
| Unsettled, gulping or coughing at feeds, little or no sick | Could be silent reflux. Try the tips below, and talk to your health visitor or GP if they don't help. |
| Not improving after trying the tips; reflux that starts after 6 months; reflux still going after their first birthday; not gaining weight or losing weight | See a GP. |
| Green or yellow sick, or blood in it; projectile vomiting; blood in their poo; a swollen or tender tummy; refusing feeds | Urgent GP appointment or call 111. |
The full urgent list from the NHS is further down.
What helps
The NHS suggests these, in this order:
- asking your health visitor for advice and support
- getting advice on your breastfeeding position, or on how you're bottle feeding
- holding your baby upright during feeds, and for as long as you can afterwards
- burping your baby regularly during feeds
- making sure your baby sleeps flat on their back, not on their side or front
- not raising the head of the cot or Moses basket
The last two surprise people, because tilting the cot or propping a baby on their side looks like an obvious fix. It isn't a safe one. The NHS says to always put your baby on their back to sleep, reflux or not, and its reflux advice says specifically not to raise the head of the cot.
Reflux or overfed?
It's one of the most common reflux questions on UK parenting forums, and with bottle-fed babies it's a fair one to ask. You don't have to settle it on your own before trying anything, because the NHS's bottle feeding advice helps either way:
- Hold your baby semi-upright for bottle feeds, with their head supported so they can breathe and swallow comfortably.
- Give them plenty of time. Babies may take short breaks during a feed, and sometimes need to burp.
- Follow your baby's lead, and don't worry if they don't finish the bottle. The NHS says forcing them to take more milk than they want can be distressing and can lead to overfeeding.
- Don't add extra formula powder.
- Never prop up a bottle and leave your baby to feed on their own.
If you think your baby is taking a lot, compare it with our milk amounts by age, then talk it through with your health visitor before cutting feeds back yourself.
What a GP might do
If the tips above don't help, the NHS says a GP or specialist may first check for cows' milk allergy, which can cause similar symptoms. After that, the options include:
- for formula-fed babies, a thickening powder to mix with formula, or a formula that's already thickened
- if that doesn't help, or your baby is breastfed, medicines to ease the distress of reflux and reduce stomach acid
- very rarely, an operation, usually only if other treatments haven't worked or the reflux is severe
You'll see Infant Gaviscon and "anti-reflux" formulas recommended all over parenting forums. Ask your GP, health visitor or pharmacist before trying any remedy or switching formula. Not every option suits every baby, and if it turns out to be a milk allergy, the approach is different altogether.
When to get help
See a GP if your baby:
- isn't improving after you've tried the tips above
- first gets reflux after they're 6 months old
- is older than 1 and still has reflux
- isn't gaining weight, or is losing weight
Ask for an urgent GP appointment or call NHS 111 if your baby:
- has green or yellow vomit, or blood in their vomit
- is projectile vomiting
- has blood in their poo
- has a swollen or tender tummy
- has a very high temperature, or feels hot, cold or shivery
- keeps being sick and can't keep fluids down
- has diarrhoea for more than a week, or signs of dehydration
- won't stop crying and is very distressed
- is refusing to feed
And call your GP or 111 about anything else that worries you. You know your baby.
What to write down before an appointment
A GP or health visitor will want to know how often your baby feeds and how much, when the sick happens and roughly how much comes up, whether they're settled between feeds, and how their weight is going (the red book has their weigh-ins). At 3am none of that sticks. A few days of logged feeds, with a quick note when one comes back up, turns "it's every feed" into something you can show: perhaps it's mostly the big evening bottle, or the feeds taken lying flat. CubTrack logs feeds and nappies on the free tier, each feed can carry a note, and your partner sees the same timeline for free.
Related reading
- How much milk should a baby drink?
- Formula feeding guide
- Combination feeding: breast and bottle
- Cluster feeding explained
- Baby poo colour guide
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my baby has reflux?
The NHS lists bringing up milk during or shortly after feeds, coughing or hiccupping when feeding, being unsettled during feeds, swallowing or gulping after burping or feeding, crying and not settling, and not gaining weight. Many babies have some of these and are perfectly well.
What is silent reflux in babies?
It's when a baby shows signs of reflux, such as discomfort, gulping or coughing at feeds, but doesn't bring up milk or get sick. The self-help tips and the reasons to see a GP are the same as for ordinary reflux.
When does reflux in babies stop?
The NHS says reflux usually starts before 8 weeks and gets better by the time a baby is 1. See a GP if it first starts after 6 months, or is still going after their first birthday.
Can I raise the head of the cot for reflux?
No. The NHS says not to raise the head of the cot or Moses basket, and to make sure your baby sleeps flat on their back, not on their side or front.
Is my baby overfed or is it reflux?
It can be hard to tell, and the same steps help with both: hold your baby semi-upright, take feeds slowly with breaks, follow their lead, and don't push them to finish a bottle. Your health visitor can watch a feed and help you work it out.
When should I worry about my baby being sick?
Get an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if the sick is green or yellow or has blood in it, if it's projectile, if there's blood in their poo, if their tummy is swollen or tender, if they have a very high temperature, can't keep fluids down, are very distressed, or are refusing feeds.
Should I change formula for reflux?
Speak to your GP or health visitor first. The NHS says a GP may check for cows' milk allergy before anything else, and may suggest a thickener or a thickened formula for formula-fed babies.
Symptoms, self-help, warning signs and treatments checked against the NHS pages on reflux in babies and on bottle feeding in October 2026. This is general information, not medical advice; speak to your health visitor or GP about your baby. CubTrack is made by OakFox Limited.
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