What to Know About Baby Gas and How to Treat It
For some babies, even normal amounts of gas can cause abnormal discomfort. These babies may have an increased sensitivity to distension (the stretching of the intestines), says John Rosen, M.D., a pediatric gastroenterologist at Children's Mercy, in Kansas City, Missouri. Kids (and adults) experience sensations from intestinal pain fibers in different ways and have individual pain thresholds.
Common Causes of Gas In Babies
There are several reasons why you may have a gassy newborn or infant, including:
- Swallowing too much air. This can happen while baby is feeding or crying.
- Having an immature digestive system. Immature or underdeveloped digestive systems are unable to break down food. This causes it pass through too quickly, resulting in gas.
- Hypersentivies. This can be formula or food, in baby's' diet or the nursing parents.
Gassy Newborn? How to Relieve Gas in Infants and Young Babies
If you have a gassy newborn (or even an older infant), there are several things you can do to help relieve their discomfort. Start by placing your baby on a flat surface, belly down. Lift them up slightly on their stomach and gently massage their belly, or place your baby on their back and "try moving their legs and hips around as if they were riding a bike," Dr. Brown says. Often these kinds of motions break up bubbles and give gas an extra push to work its way out. "You can also try a nice, warm bath to relieve the discomfort," Dr. Brown adds.
If you're still faced with an unhappy infant, you might want to consult your pediatrician about trying some gas drops or to see if a formula change or diet-modification for a breastfeeding parent is needed. "Some babies are said to respond well to over-the-counter anti-gas drops containing simethicone," Dr. Shu says. Another option is to consider what might be causing the excess gas—such as taking in too much air while feeding or eating gas-producing foods—and see if you can reduce the bubble intake from the get-go.
