Is your newborn baby excessively gassy? It’s a common concern for new parents. According to pediatricians at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Dr. Julie Kardos and Dr. Naline Lai, gas is a normal part of life for all babies, especially in their first couple of months. In fact, all newborns experience gas as their digestive systems adapt to life outside the womb.
Having spent nine months developing in a fluid-filled environment, newborns are suddenly introduced to air with their first breath. When they cry or feed, they inevitably swallow air. Some of this air is released as burps.
Gas expelled from the other end, known as farts, originates from a different process. As babies consume breast milk or formula, their digestive systems begin to process nutrients. In the initial days after birth, farting can actually be a positive sign that their digestive tracts are starting to function. As feeding continues, some undigested liquid may remain in the intestines. Normal gut bacteria then break down this food, producing gas as a byproduct. This gas then needs to be expelled, resulting in a fart.
Regardless of its origin, gas can cause discomfort as it tries to escape. Newborns are still developing the ability to effectively expel gas and are unaccustomed to the sensation. This can lead to them drawing their legs up, grunting, turning red in the face, waking suddenly from sleep, or crying intensely until they finally release burps or farts.
Gas is a Normal Part of Baby Life
If your baby is feeding well, gaining weight appropriately, and having soft, mushy stools that are green, yellow, or brown (importantly, not bloody, white, or black), then these gas-related behaviors like grunting, straining, turning red, and crying are generally harmless. They don’t necessarily indicate a digestive problem or a milk or formula intolerance. While understanding that gas is normal can be reassuring, Dr. Kardos and Dr. Lai acknowledge that it’s still difficult to watch your baby seem uncomfortable.
Tips to Help Relieve Baby Gas
If your baby seems bothered by gas, here are some helpful strategies to try:
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Feed your baby before they become excessively hungry. When babies cry intensely from hunger, they tend to swallow more air. A frantically hungry baby will gulp their milk or formula quickly, leading to increased air intake. If your baby is wide awake, crying, and it has been at least an hour or two since their last feeding, try offering a feeding sooner rather than later.
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Burp your baby after each feeding. If you are breastfeeding, try burping your baby before switching to the other breast. This gives them a chance to release swallowed air. It’s generally best to avoid interrupting a feeding solely to burp. Your baby will naturally transition from active, nutritive sucking to a gentler, comfort sucking or pull away from the breast when they need to burp. For bottle-fed babies, hold them upright for a few minutes after feedings to encourage burping. You might also experiment with different bottle nipples and bottle shapes. Different designs can work better for different babies, helping to reduce gulping and sputtering, which contribute to air intake. If a burp seems stuck, try laying your baby down for a minute and then picking them up again to try burping again.
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Pay attention to your baby’s position. Unlike adults, babies cannot easily change their position to help move gas through their system. They may need a little assistance. Here are some positioning tips: Feed your baby in as upright a position as possible. When your baby is on their back, gently pedal their legs in a cycling motion with your hands to help expel gas from below. If your baby is awake after a feeding, you can place them on their tummy for a short period.
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Increase tummy time. Provide your baby with plenty of tummy time throughout the day while they are awake and supervised. Tummy time helps to put gentle pressure on their abdomen, which can aid in the release of gas.
Common Questions & Answers About Baby Gas
As primary care pediatricians at CHOP, Dr. Kardos and Dr. Lai have addressed numerous questions from parents about newborn gas. Here are some frequently asked questions and their expert insights:
Q: Will changing my diet as a breastfeeding mother or switching formulas help reduce my baby’s gas discomfort?
A: There’s no definitive, universal link between specific foods in a breastfeeding mother’s diet and gas production in her baby. However, some breastfeeding mothers might observe that certain foods seem to trigger gas in their babies. It’s important for nursing mothers to maintain a balanced diet and not eliminate too many foods, as they need a variety of nutrients to produce healthy breast milk. If you are formula-feeding, you can try switching formulas for a week to see if it makes a difference. If there’s no improvement in your baby’s gas, it’s best to return to the original formula.
Q: Do gas drops actually work? And are they safe for babies?
A: If you find that simethicone gas drops, which are FDA-approved and widely available, seem to help your baby’s farting and gas discomfort, you can use them as directed on the product label. They are generally considered safe for infants. However, if you don’t notice any improvement, there’s no need to continue using them.
Q: Can probiotics help with baby gas?
A: Unfortunately, there isn’t strong scientific evidence supporting the use of probiotics specifically to treat gas in infants. Probiotics may be beneficial for other pediatric conditions, such as reducing the duration of acute diarrhea. While generally considered safe for healthy infants, probiotics have not been shown to effectively alleviate gas in babies.
The Good News: Gas Discomfort is Temporary
It’s important to remember that the discomfort associated with gas is temporary. Gas discomfort from both burps and farts typically peaks around six weeks of age and significantly improves by the time your baby is 3 months old. By this stage, even babies who were previously quite fussy due to gas tend to become much more settled and comfortable.
