Natural History and Familial Relationships of Infant Spilling to 9 Years of Age

Spilling in infancy is very common, but the majority of children settle by 13 to 14 months of age. However, those with frequent spilling (>90 days) are more likely to have GER symptoms at 9 years of age. In addition, a maternal history of GER was significantly related both to infant spilling and to GER at 9 years, suggesting that a genetic component may be involved. Physicians should consider studying children with a history of frequent infant spilling to determine whether this group is at increased risk for GER disease.