Remedies for Baby Gas

Causes

• Ingesting too much air when bottle feeding is a common cause of gassiness in babies; this is often associated with a child gulping or feeding too quickly. If your child is breastfed, not latching onto the nipple properly and ingesting air can cause gassiness.

  If your child is formula-fed, he may have an aversion to the particular brand that you are using.

  If your infant is breast fed, certain foods that you eat can cause your baby to have gas. Jan Barger provides a list of foods that commonly result in gassiness for breastfed babies: "dairy products [...] milk, cheese, yogurt, pudding, ice cream or any food that has milk, milk products, casein, whey or sodium caseinate in it. Other foods, too---like wheat, corn, fish, eggs or peanuts---can cause problems."

Symptoms

• Determining if gas is the cause of your child's fussiness is often a difficult task; babies will cry for many reasons. However, infants who experience pain from gas will usually exhibit telltale signs: clenched fists, excessive crying and kicking his legs are all symptoms of gas---especially if they occur after feedings.

Remedies

• If your child has an aversion to the brand of formula that you are using, try switching to a different formula. Nestle, Enfamil and Similac all have product lines specifically designed for infants with gas.

  Because certain foods might cause gassiness in breastfed babies, you should consider removing them from your diet. If you decide to eliminate any of these foods from your diet, give your baby at least a week to exhibit changes in gassiness; some of these foods will remain in your system for about a week.

  Mylecon is a popular over-the-counter medication for babies with gas. Natural remedies are also available. You should always consult your pediatrician before giving your baby an over-the-counter medication; he may be able to prescribe medications that are the most appropriate for your child.