Introduction: GERD in infants may be understood as a psychological problem. Objective: To describe the psychological characteristics in families of children with GERD. Materials and Methods: 11 children (2-24 months) from the Hospital Infantil Club Noel in Cali, Colombia were included. Results: 6 girls, parents's age (18-41 years old); parents living together between 0-13 years; 6 with mternal step brothers; 5 living in common-law marriage and 3 married and living together, respectively; 7 were non planned pregnancy; all were wanted pregnancy; 8 had serious illnesses background and hospitalizations; 6 mothers were self defined as anxious and nervous; 3 with mothers in a psychiatric treatment; 6 with nursing from mother and one never had it. Discussion: The observation of children with GERD and their families has allowed us to begin the understanding inherent to the illness and all those fears, expectancies and defenses thar are characteristic of it. Thus, the emotional conflict due to the loss of control of the external world, its regularities and predictions is evident, and this leads to the anxiety increase when facing the physcical illness of the child. During the semistructured interviews carried out with the families of the children with GERD, recurrent characteristics that allude to a series of manifestations proper of the person when is threaten by factors on which does not have control have been found. In that sense, a series of defenses that are conveniente at that moment for bearing the pain and the incapacity that the child's illness represents are observed. Among the most remarkable defenses are: negation, dissociation, intellectualization, projection and regression, manifestations which main component is the loss of control and the inability to provide the child the protection s/he requires. Therefore, the knowledge that the pediatrician has about the psychological capabilities of both the child and the family, as well as the recognition of the emotional threat that the illness implies to the parents will result in an extra support in order to protect the health and make the process a little more tolerable.