Crying and pain from gas is a common problem in infants. Gas is sometimes confused with colic, a condition in which an infant may cry for up to five hours three or more times per week. Colic can cause gas pain, however, and infants may appear to be in great pain as they try to expel the gas. Physicians and baby-care experts recommend several ways to help relieve newborn gas pains.
For Breastfeeding Moms
Foods that breastfeeding moms eat can find their way into breast milk and cause tummy troubles for newborns. The Mayo Clinic advises breastfeeding moms to try eliminating dairy products, spicy foods or caffeine from their diet to see if it makes a different in their newborn's gas problems. They also advise breastfeeding mothers to empty one breast completely before offering the other, to give the infant "hindmilk" that is richer than the "foremilk" that first comes out of the breast. Mothers should also try offering smaller amounts more frequently.
For Bottlefeeding Moms
Moms who bottlefeed their newborns should try changing the bottle to one with a softer nipple that has greater flow and to use bottles with liners that deflate as the newborn feeds. You may also need to change formulas to one that is more easily digested and produces less gas.
Extra Burping
If gas causes abdominal pain for your newborn on a regular basis, you should take extra time for burping to help relieve the gas. You may need to burp the infant, set the baby down for 5 to 10 minutes and then try burping again. This can give the newborn time to bring up the gas so it can be burped out.
Tummy Massage
Targetwoman.com recommends a very gentle tummy massage to help move the gas in the newborn's intestinal tract so it can be more easily expelled. An alternate method is to place the newborn on his or her back and move the legs gently in a "bicycling" motion to help the gas to be relieved. When old enough to hold up his head, you can try placing the infant on a blanket on the floor for "tummy time," which will help compress the intestinal gas so it can be expelled.
Medications
You may wish to talk to your pediatrician about simethicone drops for infants. Simethicone helps the small bubbles join into a larger bubble that can be expelled more easily. Probiotics, substances that promote "good" bacteria in the intestines, are also sometimes prescribed for newborns with severe gas problems. There are also "natural" drops containing dill that can help reduce gas in infants. Consult with your pediatrician before using any of these products.
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