How To Help Newborn With Belly Ache

Gassy Baby Signs And Symptoms

All babies, of course, pass a little gas. But look for these signs and symptoms of baby gas that’s more than just the usual:

• Your baby cries and is fussy for an hour or so a day. This can be a sign of a normal amount of newborn gassiness that comes with having a tiny, underdeveloped digestive system. But you should still check in with your pediatrician if it happens every day and doesn’t seem to be getting better.
• Your baby seems unhappy most of the time. This can indicate that you have an especially gassy baby who needs a bit more help. Gas that causes significant upset often indicates a problem beyond normal newborn gassiness.
• Your baby isn’t eating or sleeping well. Trouble with sleeping or eating can have a whole range of causes, but infant gas may be one of them, especially if there are other signs. Talk to your doctor for a proper diagnosis.
• Your baby gets red in the face when he cries and seems like he might be in pain.
• Your baby squirms as though he’s uncomfortable and pulls his legs up to his chest, especially during bouts of fussiness.

Infant gas has several possible causes:

• Swallowing air when feeding or crying, which is very common and normal among new babies
• An underdeveloped digestive system, which allows food to pass through too quickly so it doesnt break down completely
• Hypersensitivities to certain types of formula or foods in Moms diet, or possibly food allergies

Pay Attention To Your Diet

When you’re nursing, your baby is getting what you eatand dairy is a common culprit for a baby upset stomach. “Fruits, green veggies, especially broccoli and Brussels sprouts, and garlic can also make a baby uncomfortable,” Dr. Alt says. But don’t eliminate healthy foods unless you’re sure they’re a problem.

Is Formula Causing The Issue

Lots of bubbles wind up in formula when you mix it with liquid. Its best to let the bubbles dissipate before giving it to your baby by letting it sit for a few minutes before feeding. If this combined with an anti-gas bottle doesnt help, consider switching your formula of choice to a gas-friendly formula.

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Coffee Upsets Baby’s Tummy

Coffee wakes you up and gets you ready to take on the day . Unfortunately for tired, nursing mamas, this go-to morning drink might actually be contributing to our baby’s tummy aches and fussy demeanor. Drinking coffee regularly leads to an accumulation in your baby’s system, and can cause sleep disturbances, gas, and irritability – particularly earlier on in life. Young babies cannot break down and properly process the caffeine in your breastmilk. Some alternatives to coffee that will give you some of that much needed energy would be licorice or chai tea.

What Can Help Babys Stomachache

When a baby has a stomachache or stomach pain, it can cause significant discomfort, making it difficult for the baby to sleep or rest. Knowing the cause of the pain can help determine if the child requires medical attention or if home remedies and soothing strategies would suffice. Home remedies can help ease a babys pain and would be enough if the stomach pain is not caused by anything serious. However, sometimes medical treatment may be required as well, especially if the baby doesnt seem to be getting better. Hence, it is advised to consult a pediatrician to understand the cause and care required for the baby.

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Upset Stomach In Baby

Babies that have an upset stomach or gas will appear to be quite uncomfortable. However, they do not need medical attention. It is advised that parents contact their babys doctor if they notice that their baby looks ill. Reflux, food intolerance, colic, constipation, an intestinal blockage or a stomach bug are some of the common causes of gas and stomach pain in infants. There are a number of home remedies that can help ease the symptoms of a stomach upset and help your baby feel better. Parents are supposed to talk these home treatments over with their childs pediatrician before they use them so as to be sure that they are appropriate.

What Causes Upset Stomach In Baby

Does your baby seem to be unusually fussy? It could be that she has a tummy ache. Pay attention to when your little one seems uncomfortable. Is it is almost immediately after feeding? You should also be very keen to notice other symptoms that your baby might have such as vomiting, diarrhea or fever. Use this information to help you and your little ones doctor, if necessary, to figure out what is going on. Below are some of the most common conditions that cause stomach pain in babies.

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Find The Right Formula

Choose an easy-to-digest formula to ensure it won’t upset your baby’s tummy. “For babies with gassy tummies, hard or pasty stools, or digestive upset with formula, it may be helpful to try a formula that has the milk proteins partially broken down already, which for some babies can make them easier to digest,” suggests Amy Lynn Stockhausen, M.D., an associate professor of general pediatrics and adolescent medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. “These are often labeled as ‘gentle,’ and often also contain less lactose than regular formulas. For some babies, it may also be useful to look for a formula that contains probiotics, as some recent research suggests that probiotics can be helpful to aid in digestion for fussy infants and are generally considered safe in this context.” Before you make these changes, however, it’s important to discuss the matter with your baby’s pediatrician.

Food Nuts Or Milk Allergies

Younger babies also get stomach pain. This is because of the food that the mother ate. Mothers diet also can be a reason for stomach pain in babies. This is called food intolerance. Foods that cause an allergic response in babies include cows milk, eggs, nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy, and fish. Some kids are lactose intolerant which means their body cant digest milk easily. This creates loose stools and pain in stomach.

What Should You Do:

• If your baby has a stomach problem after eating a particular food then he has a food allergy.
• Talk to your paediatrician about this if you feel the child is fussy after a particular meal.
• If you are breastfeeding, watch for mothers diet and eliminate the product accordingly.

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Causes Symptoms And Treatment Of Babys Upset Stomach

Categories Kids and family

A babys upset stomach is something every mother has experienced at least once.

Even though this is a common issue, where your infant is concerned, its normal to be out of your mind with every sign of trouble.

Naturally, you want to help your little ray of sunshine as soon as possible. To do that, you need all the possible intel about a baby upset stomach.

Well, thats exactly what Im going to share with you today the causes, symptoms, and treatment of a babys upset stomach.

Recurring Stomach Pain In Children

Burning in upper abdomen that worsens after eatingWhen a mixture of food and acid flows back through a weak valve at the top of the stomach , it causes heartburn and a barfy taste in the back of the throat. Heartburn typically doesnt affect young kids, but becomes more common as puberty approaches, notes John Howard, a paediatric gastroenterologist and professor at the University of Western Ontario.

For occasional attacks, try a glass of milk or an antacid like Tums, but if they occur once a week or more, consult your doctor. Avoiding big meals, cutting out carbonated drinks and not lying down immediately after eating may also help. Rather than subjecting kids to invasive tests, Howard usually prescribes a medication to suppress stomach acid productionif it works within two or three days, that proves the problem is heartburn.

Cramps in lower abdomen During a period, theres a surge of prostaglandins which can trigger uncomfortable muscle spasms or cramps in the uterus.

So how do you help your daughter cope? Cramps respond marvellously to over-the-counter ibuprofen, says Issenman, adding that the medication blocks the action of prostaglandins. Many parents also seek natural remediesfrom boosting dairy intake before a periods due to giving herbs like black haw or cramp bark.

Under six months old diarrhea extreme fussiness

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Food Sensitivities In Babies And Children

In a young infant, food sensitivity may manifest itself through colicky symptomsanything from unnatural, persistent fussiness, to inconsolable, ear-piercing screams that may go on for hours at a time. The baby might develop unexplained view rashesa possible giveaway that the breastfed infants gastric system is reacting to foods that his or her mother eats to ingredients in formula, in the case of a bottle-fed baby or to foods from a complementary diet, if the baby has begun eating solid foods.

In an older child, the list of possible indicators that the child has food sensitivities is quite a bit longer it includes such symptoms as headaches, stomachache, runny nose, sneezing, loose stool, chronic cold, chronic ear infection, constipation, view rash, asthma, irritability or lethargy.

Take A Look At Your Diet

Were all for carne asada and a side of guac, but you might need to hold off on Taco Tuesdays for a while if you feed baby breast milk.

Again, under the guidance of a doctor or dietitian, you can explore whether something in the breastfeeding parents diet is transferring through breast milk and irritating babys stomach.

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Other Ways To Reduce Gas

Helping a baby maneuver her body can also help rid the stomach and intestines of trapped gas. For example, giving your infant tummy time is one way to put pressure on this trapped air and facilitate the burping or passing of gas 2. Allowing your baby to lay on her back and kick her legs, or giving her a tummy massage may also help. Infant simethicone drops, an common anti-gas remedy which breaks up gas bubbles in the gut, can also be tried, however its effectiveness in treating fussy or colicky babies has not been established.

Consider A Different Formula

If you feed baby with formula, you may be able to quell their belly pain by switching the, well, formula of their formula. Numerous formulas are made specifically for babies with sensitive tummies.

Another alternative: Try using warm water when mixing up babys bottle. This can help the formula dissolve without the need for shaking, which can create air bubbles that lead to gas.

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What Can Help A Babys Stomachache

There are several home remedies and soothing strategies to help ease a babys stomach ache, which varies with the cause of the stomachache. If the baby doesnt show any signs of improvement, its advised to seek medical attention right away. Some common causes of stomachache and their remedies include:

Colic:

Commonly occurs in babies under 3 months of age. The exact cause is not known, but its believed to be because the intestines tighten causing pain. The baby cries more in the late afternoon or evening and cries for at least 3 hours for 3 days a week or more and this lasts for at least 3 weeks. The baby also tries to pull the legs to the chest and passes a lot of gas.

• Remedies to help the baby:
• The baby may be swaddled in a blanket
• The baby may be held while walking and rocked
• Using a pacifier can help

Gas:

Gas may often be associated with colic. Gas may arise because of swallowing air, problems with digestion, difficulty in digesting breast milk when the mother eats certain foods.

• Remedies to help the baby:
• Breastfeeding mothers may consult with a doctor regarding an appropriate diet
• Discontinuing foods that cause digestive problems

Constipation:

• Remedies to help the baby:
• One to two teaspoons of prune juice may be given to babies over 6 months of age
• Avoiding milk and cheese because they can cause constipation
• Keeping the baby physically active because moving around helps relieve constipation

Acid reflux:

Antibiotics & Stomach Cramps In A Baby

This author has been verfied for credibility and expertise

Antibiotics are medications used to treat or prevent bacterial infections. The drugs are usually prescribed to babies to treat bacterial infections such as middle ear infection, sinusitis, bronchitis and pneumonia. Antibiotics can cause unpleasant side effects in babies, according to Children’s Hospital Colorado 2. If your baby develops stomach cramps during antibiotic therapy, consult your doctor.

If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, seek emergency treatment immediately.

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What Can I Do To Help Prevent Gas In My Breastfed Baby

Check and adjust babys latch

If your little one is not latching deep enough, they may be swallowing more air. A painful latch or a clicking sound made while baby is feeding may indicate their latch needs adjusting,13, 14 Shallow latches are often remedied with a new breastfeeding position along with some minor latch corrections. If youre able, get in touch with a lactation consultant who can help with proper technique.

Note that if every position is painful even after corrections, call your babys health care provider to check for other causes, such as tongue-tie or flat / inverted nipples.

Have questions about your little ones latch? Chat live with our Happy Baby Experts for free breastfeeding support. Chat now!

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Help baby deal with your strong let-down

If you find your breastmilk sprays out forcefully during the first few minutes of a feeding, causing baby to cough, clamp down, or pop off the breast, you may have a strong let down or oversupply.25 Trying to drink milk so fast often causes baby to also take in quite a bit of air.

Here are some tips to help your little one handle your overactive let-down:

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Is babys gas caused by food?

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