Gastroesophageal reflux in children. Clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and therapy.

Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is a common occurrence during infancy. Most children have physiologic reflux that is of little consequence and requires minimal intervention. Pathologic GER, characterized by irritability, apnea, poor weight gain, or respiratory compromise, often requires diagnostic evaluation and aggressive treatment. A framework to help the clinician to understand the pathogenesis, natural history, diagnostic testing, and therapy of this disorder is presented in this article.