Most young parents are faced with the problem that the newborn’s stomach hurts. The kid has been screaming for an hour now, pulls the legs to the tummy or, conversely, straightens them and strains. His face turns red and his fists clench tightly. Parents experience torment with the baby, trying with all their might to help him. Why does the stomach ache in newborns? In most cases, the baby is bothered by intestinal colic that occurs due to gas formation in the still undeveloped digestive tract of the baby.
How to prevent?
Most often, an attack of colic begins half an hour after eating, but sometimes the baby behaves uneasily during feeding. The main reason is the immaturity of the baby’s gastrointestinal system. Enzymes are formed in insufficient quantities, the intestinal walls are poorly contracted, this leads to food stagnation and gas formation. However, the disease can be disturbing for other reasons. Among them:
Abrupt abolition of breastfeeding and the transition to artificial nutrition or frequent changes in the mixture, which puts an additional strain on the baby’s intestines.
Another factor that causes a newborn's stomach to hurt is an incorrect nipple grip or an incorrect angle of attachment to the chest.
If the baby is breast-fed, check the nipple. If the hole is too large, the natural feeding process is disrupted, and the baby swallows air.
If the baby is breast-feeding, mom should review her diet. Cheese and milk should be excluded from the menu, and dairy products, on the contrary, will help the crumbs. Vegetables and fruits are best consumed in stewed, boiled or baked form. Any varieties of cabbage, legumes, grapes, mayonnaise, smoked meats, caffeine should be discarded.
How to help?
If a newborn’s stomach hurts, then this problem cannot be solved in an instant, it will have to be overcome. But you can try to alleviate the suffering of the baby. Here are some ways:
More often put the baby on the tummy on a hard surface. And it’s better to put the crumbs on their stomach, the mother’s warmth will help the little one to relax.
After feeding, the baby should burp. To do this, raise it vertically and slowly stroke the back.
It is not necessary to feed the child if his tummy has swollen, first you need to get rid of the jelly. To do this, press the crumbs knees to the tummy, then straighten the legs and repeat again. Such an exercise should help.
Regular massage will also help reduce pain. You should stroke the baby’s tummy clockwise, even when it doesn’t hurt.
During an attack, colic swaying on the hands will calm the baby’s nervous system.
If the newborn has severe stomach pain, then you can try to give him a tool based on simethicone. Such drugs temporarily reduce pain, reduce gas formation, are not absorbed into the bloodstream and are not addictive. Herbal teas will also help reduce pain: fennel, anise, caraway, chamomile. Usually after three to four months, intestinal colic ceases to bother the baby.
If a newborn’s stomach hurts and there is a high fever, it is necessary to consult a doctor as soon as possible to establish the true cause of the disease.