It's normal for babies to have gas and fart excessively as their digestive system is still developing. But, if your baby experiences pain or discomfort while farting, then it can be a result of some digestive problems. That's why it's best to consult a pediatrician during such times.
"Newborn digestive systems are immature, so they produce a lot of gas, and this is normal. Infants also take in a lot of air while feeding and crying, which produces more gas," says Samira Armin, M.D., a pediatrician at Texas Children's Pediatrics in Houston.
Signs of a gassy baby include spitting up, crying, drawing legs up, and a reduced appetite. Usually, gas will pass; talk to your child's healthcare provider if the symptoms don't go away. Some babies have food allergies or sensitivities, lactose intolerance, or eat too quickly.
Gas is a normal part of the gastrointestinal (GI) system, and we all have gases in us from time to time. For breastfed babies, gas might be caused by eating too fast, swallowing too much air or digesting certain foods. Babies have immature GI systems and can frequently experience gas because of this.
Also, babies with colic may burp frequently or pass a significant amount of gas, but this is thought to be due to swallowing air while crying, and is not a cause of colic. The face may be flushed. The abdomen may be tense with legs drawn toward it.
Passing gas through the mouth is called belching or burping. Passing gas through the anus is called flatulence.
Nope! It takes a while for those bubbles to work their way through the body and out that end! A fart is probably the release of air from an earlier feed or part of the normal digestive process.
As babies drink formula or breast milk, farts in the first few days can be a good sign that their guts are waking up. As time goes on, some liquid in the intestines may remain undigested, and the normal gut bacteria “eat” the food. The bacteria produce gas as a byproduct of their eating. Thus: A fart is produced.
When a baby has trouble sleeping due to gassiness, it may be tempting to place them on their side or stomach to see if that helps their digestion. However, to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), the best sleeping position for a gassy baby—and every baby—is on their back.
Gassy Foods
Common culprits include beans, broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. Bloating, burping, and passing gas are normal. But if your baby is gassy or has colic, avoid these foods for a few weeks to see whether they relieve the symptoms.
Using a pacifier.
“Almost all babies will find some baby gas relief by sucking on a pacifier,” O'Connor says, because the sucking action releases endorphins that will soothe them.
Tummy time.
Placing a baby on their stomach while awake helps to relieve gas pains. By gently increasing the abdominal pressure, tummy time pushes gas bubbles up and out. Tummy time is also a great way to strengthen the head and neck muscles needed to reach early motor milestones.
Babies who have digestive disorders will generally show symptoms in the form of fussiness, flatulence, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, to dehydration. Entering the age of 6 months and over, baby's nutrition is not limited by only breast milk.
Babies usually experience gas troubles almost right away, even after only a few weeks of life. Most infants grow out of it by around four to six months of age—but sometimes, it can last longer. Most infant gas is simply caused by swallowing air while feeding.
Can Swaddling Help with a Baby's Gas? Yes. If your baby is younger than 2 months, you can help them release gas by swaddling them. In addition to applying gentle pressure to their stomach, swaddling relaxes baby, which may help them calm enough to lull them to sleep.
At nighttime, there's less movement and the gas can build up and get trapped. Additionally, babies tend to feed close to bedtime, and air introduced during this feed can become trapped. Also, our digestive systems are still very active at night and the results of digestion can be… gas!
Gas is particularly common during the first 3 months of life when your little one's digestive tract is still maturing. You may even notice it's worse at night. 3 Most of the time, gas is from swallowing too much air, but there may be other reasons your little one is gassy.
Other things that can cause gas include normal baby stuff like crying, sucking on a pacifier or simply getting the hiccups. Anything that causes baby to swallow excess air can trigger gas.
“It's normal for your baby to be gassy from time to time,” Boone said. “Gas is only a problem if it results in increased fussiness. There is little need to address it if it isn't resulting in discomfort or fussiness.”
To help prevent the milk from coming back up, keep your baby upright after feeding for 10 to 15 minutes, or longer if your baby spits up or has GERD.
Support your baby's head and neck, make sure their tummy and back is nice and straight (not curled up), and rub or pat their back gently. You don't need to spend ages burping your baby, a couple of minutes should be enough.
You can also incorporate the use of a pacifier to help with burping in this position too. If your baby is really having a hard time burping, sucking on a pacifier while you gently pat or rub their back in this position can help get a stubborn bubble up and out!