Why are babies prone to flatulence? Five major factors to pay attention to

Some babies have poor digestion and will experience bloating. So, why are babies prone to bloating?

Why is the baby prone to bloating?

(1) Related to immature gastrointestinal function

During infancy, the baby's digestive system is not yet fully developed. In addition, since the baby lies down all day, food can easily accumulate in the baby's small stomach, which can easily lead to bloating.

(2) Incorrect feeding method

Some mothers, due to lack of experience, always wait until the baby is so hungry that he cries very hard before feeding the baby. Because the baby is too hungry, he will eat very quickly and forcefully, which can easily inhale air into the stomach and cause bloating.

(3) The pacifier you choose is not suitable

The size of the nipple and the hole should be selected according to the baby's age. If the hole is too large, the baby can easily suck in air and milk; if the hole is too small, the baby will suck hard because he can't get enough milk, and it is easy to suck in air in the process, which will cause flatulence.

(4) Incorrect breastfeeding posture

Some mothers have incorrect feeding postures. They do not let the baby hold most of the areola, or do not put the nipple completely into the baby's mouth, which can cause the baby to swallow a lot of air and cause bloating.

(5) Eating foods that cause bloating

For babies who are exclusively breastfed, mothers should check their diet to see if there are any gas-producing foods such as whole grains (such as sweet potatoes, taro, cereals, etc.), vegetables (such as beans, potatoes, onions, cabbage, etc.), fruits (such as apples, peaches, etc.). If so, then you have to pay attention to your diet.

If the baby has already started eating complementary foods, parents should check whether the baby's diet contains the above-mentioned gas-producing foods.

What to do if your baby has bloating

1. Eat a balanced diet

If the sugar content in breast milk is too high, the sugar will ferment excessively in the baby's stomach, which can easily cause the baby to have intestinal gas. At this time, the mother should pay attention to limiting her sugar intake. In addition, breastfeeding mothers should try to avoid eating foods that are easy to cause baby gas, such as beans, corn, sweet potatoes, cauliflower and spicy foods.

2. Develop eating habits

Don't let your baby be hungry for too long before feeding. If your baby is hungry for too long, he will suck too quickly and swallow a lot of air. So you should feed your baby on time, and after feeding, burp your baby to expel the gas from the stomach and intestines through the esophagus.

3. Abdominal massage

Moderate massage can promote intestinal peristalsis and exhaust, thus relieving the baby's bloating. To do this, wash your hands, then use your palms to gently massage the baby's belly in a clockwise direction, centering on the baby's belly button. Massage for about 5 minutes each time. Your hands should be warm and the force should be moderate, otherwise your baby may feel uncomfortable.

4. Seek medical attention immediately if you have abnormal bloating

If the baby's belly is swollen and hard, and the baby looks very uncomfortable and in poor spirits, and usually vomits or wheezes, it is even worse. Parents should pay special attention and take the baby to the doctor for examination and treatment as soon as possible.

5. Home care

It is also helpful to use wind-repellent oil on the abdomen and cover it with a warm towel. These help gastrointestinal motility and gas discharge to improve digestion and absorption function.

How to reduce the chance of your baby having bloating

First, try to avoid eating foods that easily cause bloating. For breastfed babies, if the child's symptoms are still intermittent during the mother's diet, it means that breast milk is not the cause of the child's bloating. However, if the mother's bloating is alleviated after the mother's diet, then the mother should stay away from foods that cause bloating for a while.

Second, if your child is fed with formula milk powder, you can try to change to another brand of milk powder. If your child cannot absorb lactose, when choosing milk powder, you should pay special attention to the nutritional formula of the milk powder on the outer packaging, and try to choose the formula milk powder that does not contain lactose, soy or is hypoallergenic. Of course, changing milk powder may not necessarily produce immediate results, and you still have to wait about two weeks to see the effect.

Third, don’t wait until your baby is so hungry that he cries loudly before feeding him. If the child cries loudly, parents should first calm the child down.

Fourth, the feeding posture should be correct. When feeding, the baby's face should be facing the breast to ensure that his mouth covers the nipple and areola. When feeding with a bottle, if you hear a "cooing" sound or see milk flowing out of the corner of the baby's mouth, it means that the baby may not be holding the nipple tightly. You can place the baby's head at 45 degrees and tilt the bottle accordingly so that the nipple is always full of milk. In addition, the size of the nipple hole should also be appropriate to the baby's age.

What to eat when baby has abdominal distension

White Radish Porridge

[Scope of application]: Babies who can eat complementary foods.

[Ingredients]: 1 white radish, 50 grams of rice, and appropriate amount of brown sugar.

[Method]: Wash the white radish and rice separately. Cut the radish into slices and cook for 30 minutes before adding the rice. (If you don't eat radish, remove the radish and then add the rice.) Cook until the rice soup is thick, add an appropriate amount of brown sugar and bring to a boil.

【Effects】: It can open the chest, relieve gas, and strengthen the stomach. It is effective for babies' indigestion and abdominal distension.

Lean meat and radish soup

[Ingredients]: 30g lean meat, 100g white radish, 5g celery, 5g ginger, 10g carrot, 5g bean sprouts

[Preparation]: Chop the lean meat into puree with a knife, peel the white radish and cut into medium shreds, cut the celery into sections, peel the ginger and cut into shreds, peel the carrot and cut into shreds.

Heat water in a pot, add white radish and carrot shreds when the water boils, cook to remove the bitterness, remove and set aside. Heat oil in another pot, add peanut oil, stir-fry ginger shreds and minced meat, add chicken broth and bring to a boil, add carrots, white radish, celery, bean sprouts, add salt, MSG, and sugar and cook until the flavors are absorbed.