How to ease gas pain in babies
Why gas pain in babies?
The most common reason for gas pain in babies is that when babies swallow air during feeding. Baby can swallow air if they latch onto the breast incorrectly, or if they nurse or drink from a bottle in certain positions. Minor digestive problems or constipation may also lead to gas pain in babies.
Gas discomfort upsets almost every baby to some degrees and it affects both breastfed or bottle-fed babies. While the gas problem is common and can afflict a child at any age, it is particularly bothersome in newborn or young infants between one to four months of age, as their immature gut is developing.
Overfeeding can cause a problem if a baby's tummy can not cope with too much feed at once.
New foods can also make baby gassy as his gut learns to process them. An excess of high sugar food, like juices, can also cause a baby to have looser stool or gas.
What are the signs of gas pain in babies?
- stomach looks swollen
- Baby will lift the legs continuously or pull up the knees toward the chest.
- Crying while passing the gas or soon after.
- baby will arch his back due to pain.
- Baby will pass gas or belching.
- Squirming or grunting in babies
- Clenching the fists and straining
- Baby will not eat or sleep well.
- Excessive burping can indicate that your baby will s swallowing too much air from feeding or crying.
- Spitting up (while typically completely normal) can sometimes the signs of gas build-up.
- Excessive flatulence can indicate your baby's digestive tract is still maturing.
Prevention and treatment of gas pain in babies:-
- Check feeding position:- when you are nursing or bottle-feeding, try to keep the baby's head higher than his stomach.
- Burp your baby:- one of the easiest ways to prevent gas pain in babies is to burp the baby during or after the feed.
- Tummy time:- let your baby spend time on his tummy while he is awake and you are observing. Gravity's gentle pressure can help to pull out the trapped gas.
- Tummy massage:- while your baby lying on his back, gently rub his tummy in a clockwise motion and then pull your hands down the curve of baby's belly.
- bicycling baby's legs:- while your baby laying face up, slowly pump both legs back and forth as if riding a bicycle.
- Try Asafoetida:- add about two mustard grain-sized bits of asafoetida your warm water and feed to the baby if he has gas. Or apply the same mixture to the abdomen around the umbilicus.
- Massage with mustard oil:- giving massage with warm mustard oil can also relieve gas pain.
- Raising the head:- elevate the baby's head above the stomach. Holding them in an upright position for burping.
- Giving gas drops:- Simethicone gas drops help the babies during the gas problems.
- Gripe water:- for more than one hundred years, gripe water has been a trusted remedy to treat gas pain in babies.
- Make a small dough of flour then apply some mustard oil and roll it over the baby's abdomen around the umbilicus. It helps to pass out the gas.
- In formula feeding, when preparing water add some fennel seeds and boil it. Use this water to prepare formula milk.
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