The Biggest Issue For A Mother! Your Baby Suffering From Excess Gas

Is your baby having sleepless nights. Sleeplessness is usually caused because your baby has gas pains and is discontent. Below are the 10 most frequently asked questions and answers on this issue:

1) It said that gas pains known as infantile colic in medical terms is seen in 10-30% of infants under 3 months. It usually begins at 3-4 weeks after birth and it can continue until 3 months of age. It rarely continues up to 5-6 months.

2) What causes a baby’s to have pain through excess gas?

There are many theories about the cause of the pain. Most is thought to be because the baby’s nervous and digestive systems are underdeveloped and therefore they are more sensitive to stimuli. Gas passing through the digestive system of the intestine is thought to be caused by excessive contraction and so causes colic pain. Food allergies, food intolerance and abnormal peristalsis (bowel movement) can cause excessive flatulence and hypersensitivity. Also stress of the parents and environmental factors (noise, hot or cold climate, or when the baby’s diaper remains wet for a long time) can affect the feelings of babies and make them cry for a long time.

3) Due to the Mother’s diet during pregnancy the baby may experience colic?

According to some studies carried out in babies of mothers who experienced psychological stress during pregnancy, often experience colic. Mostly in the nutritional studies it’s understood that not in the womb but while breast feeding mother’s diet can affect the baby when it includes beans, lentils, kidney beans and wheat or such like foods and should be avoided.

4) Does the baby’s nutrition cause colic? Is more gas produced when babies are breast fed or those given formula milk?

There are a variety of conflicting scientific studies on this issue. Mostly there is the same rate of colic in breastfed and formula-fed infants. The advice is to give one breast at each feed as the milk produced at the beginning of a feed has more lactose and so can cause gas to be produced. The advice to mothers of formula -fed babies with colic pain is to use a lactose free formula. It is certainly not advised to stop breastfeeding and change to a lactose free formula.

5) How do you know that a baby’s crying is due to gas pain?

It is typical for a colic baby if it suddenly starts crying with a high pitched cry. When asleep or nearly asleep and the baby wakes suddenly crying and continues for 2-3 hours this is an indicator of colic. Crying causes the abdominal muscles to become hard and swollen and as a wards the stomach (takes legs towards the stomach? I don’t know how to say) and clench its fists in pain. The baby’s body is curved like a bow and reacts to each pain spasm. The baby acts as though it is very hungry will suckle on the breast but then stop very quickly. This pattern can continue for a few days and often at the same time particularly in the evening. If the baby is crying in the morning until the evening it is unlikely to be due to colic pain.

6) How can we stop the baby’s colic pains?

The baby’s head should be kept at a higher position then it’s body while feeding and trying to make it sleep and the gas must be removed after each feeding. Babies should not be fed too frequently and there should be at least a 2-3 hours interval between each feed. It is recommended that the Mother should refrain from smoking and they should reduce their caffeine intake in coffee, tea, cola and caffeine drinks. Lactase addition to breast milk, removing the cow’s milk or other nutrients that can cause allergy (soy, peanuts, eggs) from the diet can be suggested. An abdominal massage, a warm bath, pacifier use, a trip in the car, and any rhythmic sound vibration such as a vacuum cleaner or hairdryer can  be useful in some infants to help them relax and go to sleep.

7) Can the baby be given any medication to cure or reduce colic and if so what?

Changes in the diet an precautions mentioned above are often sufficient. However, pharmacological treatments can be tried. The most commonly used medication with no systemic side effects is the drug simethicone. Probiotic drops (e.g. lactobasillus reuter) specification according to simethicone have been identified in some studies more effectively mitigate. Such drops may also be obtained from the pharmacy called.

8) How to wind your baby?

The baby must be sitting up right and their back must be patted in the form of massage  after feeding ech feed. Rub the back gently with your palm and the gas should be expired.

9) Other things apart from medication which can help with gas extraction?

Body massage and soothing movements can be useful in some infants. Vegetable essential oils (apple oil, caraway oil, peppermint oil, olive oil) is usually applied to the abdomen locally. Oral anti-spasmodic medication it is believed to be known to relieve pain by reaching nerve endings absorbed through the skin with a massage of this oil. Tea (chamomile, fennel, lemon balm, mint, cinnamon, ginger, cumin, sage, thyme) 2ml per kg can be orally given each day,  after 7 days of treatment the baby should be more relaxed.

10) Can gas pains can be confused with other diseases? How can any diagnosis be differentiated ?

Gas pains need to be distinguished from other problems such as constipation, anal fissure, intestinal problems and infection only with a medical examination. Any pain can be assocaited with fever and infection so a simple physical examination and laboratory tests involving ears and the urinary tract for example can help diagnose other serious conditions, (e.g. meningitis). If the  baby is underweight and not developing a rare heart disease can be caused by malnutrition or it can point to neurological and other metabolic diseases.In short, babbies with gas pains(colic) should be taken to the doctor at least once for a detailed inspection and control must be done on a monthly basis. If not done the Parents will be negligent in the care of their baby.