Gas in infants is extremely common and is typically caused by swallowing air during feeding. According to BabyAdvice.com, normal infants pass gas up to 20 times each day, and most experience no discomfort or pain when doing so. If your baby has excessive gas and seems uncomfortable, is bloated, spits up excessively or shows signs of delayed growth, it may indicate a potentially serious problem that requires treatment. You can get rid of most cases of infant gas by altering the way you feed your baby or by using home remedies to help your baby pass gas more easily and with less discomfort.
Step 1
Track your own diet if you are breastfeeding to determine if it is contributing to your baby's gas. Eliminate foods that may be causing gas, such as dairy, beans, cabbage or high-fiber fruits. When they occur along with excessive gas, symptoms such as eczema, wheezing or bloody stools may point toward a milk allergy, while gas and diarrhea may indicate lactose intolerance. Discuss these symptoms with your doctor before changing your diet.
Step 2
Reduce the amount of air your baby swallows when bottle-feeding by using a curved bottle with collapsible liners, and by holding your baby upright during feeding. Excess air swallowed during feeding can lead to gas.
Step 3
Express some milk out yourself before attempting to breastfeed if you are engorged, as this will help you baby latch better, which will decrease air swallowing. Lie down during feeding to slow your baby's sucking, to also help decrease air swallowing.
Step 4
Burp your infant frequently during feedings and again when she is done eating. Do not let your baby fall asleep while nursing or drinking a bottle. Burp your baby only for a couple of minutes after feeding. Burping more than two to three minutes is usually unnecessary.
Step 5
Keep your baby upright for as long as possible after feeding to allow swallowed air to leave the body before moving deeper into the digestive tract. Moving your baby around is also beneficial and can help release trapped air.
Step 6
Buy over-the-counter gas drops containing simethicone. These drops work by relieving pressure and pain and helping gas to pass more easily. Drugs.com explains that the liquid drops can be mixed with formula, water and breast milk to make them easier for an infant to swallow.
Step 7
Give your baby a warm bath or abdominal massage. The Nemours Foundation recommends lying your baby across your lap, belly down, and then gently rubbing her back for several minutes. BabycareAdvice.com states that a warm bath may help gas expand and leave the body, but cautions against using massage and a bath at the same time. Doing so may overstimulate your baby. Do not massage your infant's abdomen if she has hiccups or has just finished eating.
Step 8
Speak with your baby's pediatrician about changing formulas if home remedies and gas drops fail to relieve her symptoms. Do not change formulas or stop breastfeeding without consulting a doctor.
Things You'll Need
- Bottles with collapsible liners
- Over-the-counter simethicone drops
