It seemed such a godsend, didn’t it? Omeprazole for severe infant reflux. A massive improvement on the previous advice to elevate the head of the cot and nurse upright.

But since it first appeared in guidelines, there have been studies, reports and opinions cautioning against the overuse of PPIs citing everything from them being ineffectual to their potential to predispose the child to allergy.

Now it looks like there is yet another reason why we need to think again before prescribing a PPI for the distressed infant with reflux and their exhausted parents.