Gas in infants is a result of the normal digestive processes that occur. Normal might seem like an oddity especially considering the state of your infant but this is only because your child’s system is still getting used to a new regime of eating and digesting. Digestion is extremely complex with the multitude of enzymes that are involved in the process. Apart from enzymes is the action of bacteria in the gut. In most cases of infantile indigestion, improper enzymatic action and bacterial imbalances are the root cause of problems. There is little that really needs to be done rather than settling the stomach and allowing the child to get used to the different foods and bacteria in food.
The digestive process should also be a bit clearer to you so that you can understand how to take care of situations like this, should they arise again. With specific respect to gas, there are two areas where gas build up occurs: the stomach and the intestines. Gas will build up in the stomach as a result of alkaline material coming into contact with stomach acids. This will cause the characteristic burp that adults are so familiar with and babies have to be induced into doing. In the intestines, gas build up is a result of enzymes not being secreted in adequate quantities to break down food. This can be an actual deficiency as is the case in lactose intolerance, or can be a result of the system being overwhelmed beyond its enzymatic capabilities – the reason why when we over-eat we end up with a bad stomach and diarrhea. When enzymes don’t break down food, the bacteria that normally populate the gut will suddenly get a huge burst of nutrients to break down. This bacterial food riot then causes a gas buildup, which further causes some pain from pressure and flatulence.
Having the correct colonies of bacteria in the stomach is also crucial to digestion. There are over 500 types of bacteria that a normal human intestine has and this takes up to two years of exposure to various mediums to build up. This is the reason why gastrointestinal disturbances are quite common during the first few years of life since the bacterial colonies are still not complete. All you need to is to feed your child some probiotic foods like yogurt, cow’s milk, and lots of leafy green vegetables. Settling the stomach can also be safely done with a honey and ginger juice mixture.
answered by M W