“Being a mother is learning about strengths you didn’t know you had and dealing with fears you didn’t know existed.” (Linda Wooten)
With great power comes great responsibility. Who would know this better than a mother who sacrifices all her comforts for her little one? This article guides you through a few tips to overcome some commonly-faced problems in raising tiny tots.
Video: 6 Common Digestive Problems in Babies
Digestive Problems In Infants
1. Reflux
Newborns have a delicate machinery for digestion which evolves with time and growth. The oesophageal sphincter, a valve that prevents food from the stomach to return into the food pipe is still developing in babies, making spit ups and reflux a common digestive problem. Although it can cause quite some anguish to new parents, a known fact is that acid reflux subsides on its own between 4 to 12 months. In extreme cases, medical intervention is needed.
What To Do?
- Feed the baby in an upright position.
- Try making the baby burp as frequently as possible during feeds.
- Feed smaller portions of formula or breast milk. Increase frequency of feeding sessions to ensure adequate nutrition is still being provided. Remember, you would rather have your child finish the bottle in two sittings than throw up the entire feed in one.
- Try to keep the baby in upright position for at least half an hour after feeds.
When To Call A Doctor?
While reflux is not a serious health condition, it can deter the regular feeds and in turn hinder satisfactory meals for your baby. Most children outgrow this condition by the time they start with solids. However, do call your paediatrician if you notice any of the following:
- Loss of appetite
- Slow weight gain
- Breathing problems
- Recurrent hiccups
2.Vomiting
Vomiting is stressful for adults and naturally, traumatic for babies. Most common causes for vomiting in babies are viral or bacterial infections. While you can continue feeding milk or formula to your child to help her cope with the loss of fluids, here are a few additional things you can do to comfort her.
What to do?
Continue to feed your baby but in shorter bursts rather than long feeds. This will keep her hydrated through the day.If she starts refusing feeds, then consult your paediatrician and offer her oral rehydration remedies.
When to call a doctor?
Call your paediatrician If –
- Smaller feeds and electrolyte supplements don’t seem to give any respite and baby continues to look uneasy or dehydrated.
- Vomit carries bile stains which are greenish in colour.
- Vomit has blood stains.
- Baby has repeated, projectile, or forceful vomits.
- Vomiting is accompanied by diarrhoea, indicating a viral or bacterial infection.
3. Gas
It is natural for a baby to suck in a lot of air during initial months of feeding. With time and evolved expertise, the amount of air intake goes down. However, for an infant who hasn’t started moving about yet, the trapped-in air doesn’t find a straightforward way for elimination.
What can you do?
It has been observed that gas troubles ease as the baby turns about 3-4 months old or starts turning on her own. This development helps naturally get rid of any trapped gas in their bowels. It also helps if you:
- Massage your baby’s tummy.
- Bicycle her legs gently to help release any trapped air.
- Ensure tummy time under your supervision. Although give ample gap between feeds and tummy time to avoid any spit ups.
- If you are feeding from the bottle, ensure you use the right nipple size to reduce the quantity of air sucked in.
When to call a doctor?
If your baby appears uneasy despite trying out all the remedies you know, it would be wise to consult your doctor for any required check-ups.
4. DIARRHOEA
Diarrhoea is one of the most dreaded yet most common paediatric gastrointestinal disorders. Diarrhoea can cause babies to have frequent watery or loose motions. This can quickly lead to severe dehydration and should be addressed immediately. Rotavirus is the most common culprit for this ailment and hence, is advised as one of the vaccinations for babies in their initial months.
What to do?
Ensure that your baby stays hydrated by continuing to offer small but frequent feeds of milk or formula. Try to cut down on solids temporarily until her stomach gets a rest.
When to call a doctor?
If diarrhoea doesn’t seem to stop after a few days, you would need to consult a paediatrician for medication. However, do not wait to consult if your child;
- Seems uneasy
- Seems dehydrated with indications of dry skin and a dry mouth
- Has sunken eyes
- Is overall lethargic
5. Colic
Colic is a term for unexplained cranky behaviour in infants. Contrary to common belief, there is no concrete evidence that colic is related to gas or indigestion. Medically, a child that goes into inconsolable crying bouts of up to 3 or 4 hours, three or more times a week, typically in the evenings; is believed to be colicky.
What to do?
- Baby-wearing: The most natural way of comforting your infant is to keep her close to you. Baby-wearing is found to be one of the most helpful ways for a parent to keep a distressed baby close to you while you can get some work done through the day.
- Physical touch: Studies have indicated that colic cries may also be the child’s way of expressing extreme distress or plain simple need for attention. Research shows that crying children have calmed down much more quickly when in direct contact with a parent.
- Daily routine: Colicky babies benefit a great deal from a timely routine which helps them deal with the new world and atmosphere in a more predictable way.
When to call a doctor?
If you feel that your child’s colicky behaviour isn’t going away even after 3 months of age, it would be good to consult your doctor to discuss any investigative procedures to rule out any underlying medical conditions.
6. Constipation
Hard stools at an early stage are caused when digestive systems work hard to absorb nutrients and excrete waste. Indigestion in babies can sometimes become worse when babies start solids.
What to do?
- Ensure that your baby is getting plenty of fluids in the form of milk or formula.
- Cut down on cereals until the situation eases.
- Offer some natural laxatives such as prune juice.
When to call a doctor?
Constipation may need to be treated if:
- Your baby seems very uncomfortable while passing stools.
- Stools are blood streaked
- Your baby can’t pass stools.
7. Digestive System Abnormalities
Sometimes babies may be born with genetic abnormalities in their digestive systems which may need medical intervention and even corrective surgeries.
What to do?
While these abnormalities are rare, they need to be checked if you observe unexplained digestive issues with your little one.
When to call a doctor?
- Gastroesophageal reflux can sometimes be caused due to abnormalities of the oesophagus, which causes the stomach contents to flow back into the oesophagus. Hence, this should be ruled out if the baby has repeated reflux issues.
- If severe vomiting is observed in the baby despite medication, a medical investigation may be needed to rule out any abnormalities of the stomach.
- If you observe your infant’s vomit to be bile stained i.e. Greenish, it must immediately be reported to your doctor for verification of any abnormalities of the intestines known as Malrotation with Volvulus.
Conclusion
While there is always scope for the unexpected, it is best to always be prepared. The joy of becoming a parent is soon overcome by all the minute troubles your little one faces. Right from indigestion in babies to paediatric gastrointestinal disorders, we help you understand the most common digestive problems in babies and how to tackle them.
