Updated: Sept 03, 2023
If your baby suffers from infant reflux, then you’ll know that the process of introducing solids may be more fraught with anxiety than for many other parents.
This, of course, is because you just don’t want to risk a new food causing a flare up of the condition in your little one.
Interestingly, we have received two e-mails this month from parents who have found papaya to be helpful in easing their babies’ reflux symptoms – so we thought it would be a good idea to mention it here to see if anyone else had experienced similar results, or would care to give papaya a try and see if it helps their little one.
There is actually a good reason why papaya might be useful in relieving reflux – and that’s because it contains an enzyme called papain.
Papain has a soothing effect on the stomach, has anti-inflammatory properties and is considered to be an excellent aid to digestion.
In addition, papaya offers many other benefits, as it’s rich in a range of nutrients including vitamin A, vitamin C, minerals and fibre.
The parents we discussed this with had begun serving mashed papaya after every meal – one family was serving it by itself and the other family was mixing it with pureed pear.
In both cases, these parents noticed a big improvement in their babies’ symptoms – one even slept through the night for the first time!
We can’t promise that papaya will help soothe your baby’s reflux, but it’s certainly worth a try! If you do decide to give it a go, we recommend checking with your doctor first.
Ripe papaya does not need cooking for babies from 6 months+ … simply peel, de-seed then mash with a fork or puree with a blender.
Try serving it as a dessert after meals and please do let us know your results – good or otherwise!
Learn more about introducing solids foods to a baby with reflux
rina
Monday 14th of August 2017
My 3 months baby has been having colic problems. I have introduced pawpaw - just a few spoons until she is satisfied, then she plays happily and sleeps soundly - no more crying.