Gas in newborns and babies under one year old is a common condition

Gas in newborns and babies under one year old is a common condition, which every mother has faced at some point or the other in their child's growing years. According to lactation specialists, gas is produced when a newborn feeds for the first time, either breast milk or baby formula. The components of milk are such that they produce gas in the process of digestion. Nevertheless, some babies are more susceptible to have gas problems than others.

For a mother, dealing a gassy baby with discomfort symptoms is very painful. There are virtually many factors responsible for presence of gas in the baby's digestive tract, out of which the main reason is the immature digestive system of the baby. To be more precise, the digestive system of a baby is not fully developed, hence gas formation to some extent is quite a common case. However, understanding the main causes and profound symptoms is imperative to help relieve a gassy baby.

Gassy Baby: Causes and Symptoms

While feeding, a baby can engulf air bubbles due to the suction created during breastfeeding or bottle feeding. Another cause for gassy baby is maternal diet; it is found that nutrients and gas causing agents pass from the breastfeeding mother to her baby. Hence, if a mother's diet is enriched with foods that cause gas, such as cabbage, legumes, dairy products, etc. the risk for developing gas in babies is higher. Also, too many citrus fruits and acidic food items cause stomach irritation in the baby.

Babies who are between 3 - 6 months old are prone to gas pain and related problems. Some of the most noticeable gassy baby symptoms are sleeping problems, irritability, fussiness and crying for a longer time, without any apparent reason. Usually, such irritation signs are manifested after feeding. Other symptoms that indicate gas in babies is abdominal bloating, distended stomach and frequent passing of gas. While massaging a gassy baby's tummy, bubbles can be felt in the stomach and abdominal area. Know more on fussy baby at night.

Gassy Baby: Remedies and Cure

Baby crying to some extent is natural, after all it is the only way for your child to express verbally for any uncomfortable reason. However, strenuous crying causes engulfing of air, which in turn exacerbate the condition of a gassy baby. So, how to calm a gassy baby? Practicing a proper baby feeding habit is one way to get rid of gas in babies. Following are some effective methods regarding how to relieve a gassy baby:

• Speaking about gassy baby breastfeeding tips and tricks, burping the baby and patting his or her back at regular intervals (after every 3 - 5 minutes) is a sure way to reduce gas accumulation in the digestive tract. Read more on breastfeeding tips and and tricks.
• For bottle-fed babies, the nipple size should be accurate; otherwise a larger nipple size causes a baby to feed very fast, while a smaller one leads to intake of more gas.
• Consider gentle massaging over the baby's tummy with a massage oil. This will help relieve gas bubbles from the digestive system. Learn more on infant gas relief.
• Laying the baby on his or her tummy for a while also aids in expelling gas. However, keep a close eye over the baby to ensure that he or she is comfortable and safe.
• In case of any suspect that gas in a baby is caused by diet intolerance, the mother should strictly watch her diet. Eliminating lactose, peanut and soy one by one and then, monitoring baby's tolerances is an effective way to help a baby relief from gas caused by food intolerance. Know more on breastfeeding diet.

Following proper baby care will definitely help in improving gassy baby symptoms. There are several products formulated for alleviating gas in babies. However, it is to borne in mind that anything other than mother's milk or baby formula may cause unusual side effects. Hence, never indulge in providing herbal remedies or therapeutic formulation without consulting a qualified pediatrician.

By Ningthoujam Sandhyarani
Published: 5/20/2010