Cardioesophageal Relaxation in Infants

A DISTURBANCE of the normal closing mechanism of the cardia, causing frequent vomiting in infants, is a condition rarely described in the medical literature. It may at times lead to severe symptoms and sequelae, but mild cases are probably not as rare as the scarce reports in the literature would indicate. Early discovery and proper evaluation of this condition may not only shorten its course but may also prevent the occurrence of severe sequelae. It might, therefore, be of value to report three such cases, particularly since one of our cases, due to its severity and its unusual features, may be of special interest. The disturbance of the normal closing mechanism of the cardia was first reported in 103 adults by Robins and Jankelson, 1 in 1926, and termed by them cardioesophageal relaxation. In 1945, Berk 2 presented a case of severe cardioesophageal relaxation in an adult patient and discussed