Foods That Cause Gas in Babies

You do all that is possible to make sure your baby is in the best of health. Even a small discomfort, pain or tear, makes us run the globe to comfort the baby. Most often, a baby is troubled by gas. It leaves him / her feeling uncomfortable and fussy. It is absolutely normal for babies to have gas. All babies have gas, in fact a few have more than others. One major cause of gas in the stomach is the food that he eats. And it starts right from his first intake of food, that is breast feeding, and later can be caused by the solid foods that he consumes. There are many factors that can cause gas, most often this gas is momentary and passes out through the digestive system.

Foods Causing Gas in Babies
The first meal of the baby is breast milk or formula. When nutrients, proteins and lactose contained in the milk or formula gets digested, newborn gas is produced as a natural byproduct. The tender digestive system, lack of certain digestive enzymes, further makes babies more susceptible to gas. There are certain food allergies and foods causing stomach upset as they contain hard to digest compounds (e.g. sugar, carbohydrates), which later builds up in gas.

• Milk Products: Milk and other dairy products like cheese, ice cream, and yogurt, produce certain enzymes that can lead to gas. In case of breast feeding, these foods eaten by the mother can be passed to the baby, that can cause gas. Lactose intolerance (allergy) is also one reason for gas in babies. If the baby cannot digest lactose (a natural sugar found in milk and milk products), gas may arise as a symptom to this allergy. Some babies with lactose intolerance are able to consume small amount of milk and similar, but some babies can be too sensitive for the same.
• Fruits: If you are breast feeding your baby, do not follow a diet which is very high in fresh fruits, as the sugar and fiber in these foods may be difficult for the baby to digest. Experts advice a limited consumption of acidic and salty foods when breast feeding. Fruits like oranges, strawberries, citrus fruits, tomatoes are high in acidic content, that may irritate the baby and cause traces of gas. Also, the absorption of certain sugars like sorbitol found in fruits like pears, peaches, apples, prunes, etc., slows digestion.
• Vegetables and Other Foods: There are certain foods that cause flatulence in babies. The indigestible compounds in these foods then go down the large intestine and are consumed by the natural and good bacteria, where the bacteria give off their own waste product, which is gas. Vegetables that can cause gas are: carrot, onion, cabbage, cauliflower, asparagus, brussels sprouts, beans, broccoli, artichokes, and white cabbage. Legumes like chickpeas, soybeans and nuts, beans, and peas are also more likely to cause gas. Other foods like dried fruits, noodles, oats, wheat, potatoes and corn, a diet containing soda, chocolates, caffeine, garlic, onion, peppers, spicy food, etc., can also lead to gas.

Other Causes
Though food covers the major causes of gas in the stomach, there are other factors that can leave your baby fussy with abdominal pain, flatulence and gas.

• Swallowing Air: Breast feeding, bottle feeding, and using pacifiers, can allow air bubbles to enter the baby's stomach. This usually happens due to the suction created during these processes.
• Hyper-lactation Syndrome: This is also a possible reason for gas. Due to abundant milk supply from the nursing mother, she may produce more fore milk (milk that is drawn first during feeding). The baby tends to quickly gulp the flow of milk, and also more air. The baby in this case feels hungrier often. This in turn continues the problem of gas making it more fussier.
• Stimulation: Babies too get disturbed by over exposure to noisy and errant environment like TV, telephones, visitors, errands and other such experiences. Just like adults face intestinal issues when over stressed, babies also get affected by an annoying environment. Excess stimulation leads to increased fuss and flatulence in babies.
• Crying: All babies cry. And it is not necessary that they cry only when in pain. Since crying is the only mode of communication for them, it may mean they are hungry, warm, cold or lonely or even need a diaper change. This crying also causes babies to swallow more air. This air can cause gas and pain in babies abdomen.

Symptoms of Gas in Babies

Now that we know about most foods that cause gas in babies. Let us also look at the symptoms related to flatulence in babies. They are listed below.

Burping / belching	Abdominal bloating	Flatulence
Constipation	Diarrhea	Vomiting or spitting up
Abdominal pain	Crying	Sleep disturbances

Tips for Relief
These are simple remedies you can follow at home for a quick relief to your baby from gas troubles.

• Burp the baby both during nursing and bottle feeding. This will reduce the amount of air in the stomach. However, it is not fully effective.
• Give your baby a small dose of sugar water. It will soothe the pain.
• You can give a warm compress. Using a warm cloth diaper (it should not be too hot), give a warm compress to your baby's tummy.
• A soft massage on the tummy will help relieve gas. You can use some oil to massage the baby's tummy gently.

In case of severe symptoms, these temporary remedies will not help. If altering diet and food, and all the above methods don't help, it is important to visit a pediatrician to determine the underlying cause, and proper treatment for infant gas.

Your baby's health is as precious as your feeling of being a parent. Make sure you are aware of that foods that cause gas in babies. Give him another reason to giggle... let him have a healthy tummy!