How to Help a Baby or Toddler with Gas

Gas in formula-fed babies can happen for several reasons. Probable causes range from sensitivity to milk-based formula to simple swallowing air when taking a baby bottle. 

When the gas in an infant becomes a concern, you may start by looking at a new formula at the first sign of discomfort. Though some formulas are designed with ingredients to help with gas, it is not always necessary to make the switch.

We recommend speaking to your baby's qualified practitioner before changing formulas. Your little one’s doctor may want to try other measures first to see if your baby's symptoms improve.

Excess air ingestion during bottle feeding is one of the most common causes of gas in newborns and can be easily prevented. If your baby doesn't have a secure latch with the nipple or the flow rate is unsuitable, the chances of swallowing air while feeding increase.

Here are some recommendations to help relieve gas during and after bottle feeding:

🍼Use an anti-colic nipple designed to guide air away from the nipple

🍼Choose the flow rate that is appropriate for your baby’s feeding skills

🍼Watch the latch on the nipple so air is not entering through the side of their mouth

🍼Hold your baby, so their head is higher than their tummy

🍼Burp your baby more than once while feeding

Like parents who provide their babies formula, breastfeeding parents should only consider gas in their infant a problem if it is excessive or accompanied by other worrisome symptoms. 

It is common for parents to hear that certain foods in the breastfeeding parents’ diet are the cause of gas. This information may be continually repeated in breastfeeding circles, but it is certainly not found in research. 

Certain foods can cause some digestive worries in babies- especially in newborns. However, there is no list of foods that should be avoided.

The good news is most babies are fine with any safe food that mom eats during breastfeeding, so there is no reason to avoid any particular food to prevent gas unless you find an obvious reaction that causes an unusual amount of tummy distress in your little one.

Experts caution that breastfeeding mothers should not restrict their diet unnecessarily. Food avoidance can be a barrier to breastfeeding, causing some parents to discontinue breastfeeding early or not start at all from the (often unfounded) belief that they will have to cut out certain foods.

Eating a varied, nutritious diet is vital for breastfeeding mothers’ health and well-being. If your breast-fed infant has painful gas, talk to a pediatrician, dietitian, or lactation consultant before removing foods from your diet.

Breastfed babies can experience painful gas if their feeding or holding positions are incorrect. If your baby has a poor latch, there are some obvious signs to look for.

🤱Babies who do not make sucking sounds as they nurse

🤱Breastfeeding for more than 30 minutes with no signs of fullness

🤱Bruised, cracked, and/or sore nipples

🤱Poor weight gain

🤱Pulling off the breast repeatedly

If you are concerned that your infant’s latch may cause gas in your little one’s digestive system, contact a lactation consultant or your pediatrician for advice.

Just like infants, it is normal for kids and toddlers to have gas pain. Unless your child is experiencing more than minor discomfort and complaining a lot, it is generally not a cause for concern.

When gas is a cause of concern, you should not restrict your toddler’s diet unless you have talked with your healthcare professional first. At that time, you may try eliminating certain foods together to see if their symptoms improve.

Keep a food diary to look at which foods may cause gassy tummies. Write down what your child eats or drinks.

Then record when your child gets gas. If you notice that the same food causes gas each time, avoid it and see if it goes away. Here are some foods that can cause gas and gas pains to help get you started.

🥛Artificial sweeteners

🥛Carbonated drinks

🥛Cow's milk (in cases of lactose intolerance)

🥛Eating too fast, so they don't swallow excess air while eating

🥛Fruit juices with a high sorbitol content

There are various treatment options for babies and toddlers with digestive pain and discomfort. Home remedies and special nutrition are often remarkably effective at improving gas-related symptoms.

When your infant is fussy and displaying signs of abdominal discomfort, you can help ease this time.

Start with gently massaging the tummy. Lay your baby on their back and rub in a clockwise motion to help move the gas out. Another straightforward way to help make sure your little one finds relief is to gently grasp your baby's ankles and rotate their legs in a bicycling motion.

Placing a baby on their stomach while awake helps to relieve gas pains as well. Tummy time pushes gas bubbles up and out by gently increasing the abdominal pressure. Tummy time is also a wonderful way to strengthen the head and neck muscles needed to reach early motor milestones.

Gas pains are typical for both toddlers and adults. Gas builds up in the intestines during the day, so they often pass more gas at nighttime.

During the day, monitor your child's diet and have them eat smaller meals, slowly, if possible. Incorporate plenty of physical activity during their day as well.

If your gassy toddler can't sleep at night, offer them small sips of water, and have them walk around a little to move gas through the digestive tract.

When formula-fed babies are uncomfortable, it can be hard to pinpoint the exact cause of their distress. Babies can have double the trouble with gas in their digestive system. 

Their immature digestive system produces a lot of gas as it breaks down food, and babies also take in extra air from eating, crying, and even sucking on a bottle. In some rare cases, the baby's gas may be caused by a virus. 

Extremely common and expected among newborns when feeding on bottle or breast or simply crying. 

When your baby’s digestive system empties too quickly, there can be uncomfortably copious amounts of slowly digested food. This can cause symptoms of gas and bloating. 

Constipation in infants can contribute to abdominal pain and bloating. The longer your baby’s stool stays in your colon, the more time bacteria must ferment what's there, resulting in more gas and bloating. European baby formula is specifically tailored to help babies struggling with gas due to constipation.

Acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) can sometimes cause excessive gas and inflammation. Hypoallergenic formulas with organic thickeners can help to soothe gassy tummies caused by acid reflux.

Babies with difficulty digesting lactose cannot fully absorb the sugar in milk (lactose). As a result, they have diarrhea, gas, and bloating after eating or drinking dairy products. 

In search of the closest breastfeeding alternative or breastfeeding supplement that soothes the gassy digestion system of an infant, an increased number of parents are turning to the gentle nutrition of European baby formulas.

This uniquely designed nutrition is made to help relieve the gas, bloating, and discomfort that many babies struggle with. Options for gastrointestinal symptoms include baby formulas that have added probiotics, lactose-free options, hydrolyzed powders, and A2 milk-based alternatives.

If your little one is constantly gassy or struggling to pass gas daily, HiPP Combiotics may be the answer.

Carefully formulated to help ease your baby’s digestion with organic, clean ingredients and baby probiotics to help balance the gut with healthy bacteria.

HiPP Comfort Baby Formula is designed for infants who cannot tolerate both cow’s milk and want to avoid soy milk-based formulas altogether.

This specialized nutrition contains proteins broken down by complete or partial hydrolysis. These protein fragments are much smaller than those in cow milk baby formulas, making them easier to digest and move through an infant’s system quicker, causing less gas, bloating, and pain.

Premibio Organic Vegan Baby Formula is a plant-based baby formula that is a safe, healthy, and sustainable choice for infants, whether vegan, vegetarian, or omnivorous. This dairy-free formula is specifically formulated for the dietary management of infants with cow milk sensitivities that may cause digestive worries such as gas and bloating.

Holle A2 Organic Baby Formula is designed with easy-to-digest cow’s milk that helps reduce colic and gas. The amount of lactose in A1 and A2 milk is the same. However, A2 milk causes less bloating than A1 milk.

Parents and caregivers are often surprised by the amount of gas their little one can produce in the first year of life. Even with the best digestive circumstances, an infant can pass gas around 13-21 times daily.

It is good to know that if your little one’s nutrition contributes to painful digestive gas, The Milky Box has best organic baby formulas to soothe and treat symptoms. Pure, clean organic nutrition without harmful or toxic ingredients.