What signs show that your baby is having stomach issues?

When your baby’s stomach is upset then every parent wishes to cure it as soon as possible. Initially it becomes difficult to realise and very tricky that what exactly is hurting your baby from inside as they are unable to express.

When a baby is born it is essential that the food they are getting, they are easily able to eat and digest that food as it is necessary for their growth. And when they are not able to eat properly then it might result in stomach aches. And it might lead to intestinal gas or even a mild viral infection.
In many cases if the baby is suffering from a general pain in abdomen then make your baby lie on the bed and allow him to rest until the time he/she feels comfortable again. And try giving some clear fluid in small proportions and avoid solid foods as much as possible.

If your baby is facing stomach issues then he/she might show one or more of the below signs –

• The baby won’t eat well and sleep well
• He/she would have trouble being still
• Baby might act fussy or grumpy
• Cry more than usual
• Would make faces which would represent pain

Some of the symptoms might be very serious for which you need to take several steps so that your baby stays healthy. These can be –

➔ Vomiting –

The most common reason when a baby vomits is due to some infection in the intestine or by any virus. Even while drinking milk it is very common in newborns that they spit up the milk. And this happens because the muscle that is present between the stomach and the esophagus is not that strong to take in all. But a large amount of spitting up of milk can be a problem. It is mostly seen in the babies who are fed with formula-based milk as they don’t have the tolerance to the formula. You should refer to your baby’s doctor if it grows and becomes lethargic.
If your baby is unable to take in food then you can try giving a tablespoon of electrolyte solutions which will act as a pedialyte or hydralyte in every 15 minutes.

➔ Reflux –

Many babies spit up all of the milk constantly after they are fed, may even choke, start coughing, wheezing and the reason behind this is reflux. It Makes the babies cry a lot. The situation of reflux is when all the food from the stomach is reverted back into the esophagus. Due to all the raw materials that come back into the esophagus, it becomes very irritated and raw, which might result in vomiting and also aspirated (breathed) into the lungs.
To help your baby with reflux you can take care of the following things:

• If the diaper of the baby is too tight then loosen it a little so that air would pass.
• Try to feed the baby in small portions and more often because meals in small portions are easy to digest and it would help to keep the baby’s stomach away from problems like refluxing into the esophagus.
• While feeding, make sure that the baby is upright and feed slowly.
• Even after feeding, hold your baby upright so that all the food gets digested properly.

➔ Diarrhea –

Diarrhea is usually caused by a virus in kids known as rotavirus. And it mostly occurs in the season of winter when the babies are between 6 and 24 months old.

During the fetal development of the baby, a green-black substance is formed inside their intestine that is sticky in touch. It is the first bowel movement of a newborn known as meconium. And till the time this substance goes away from their body, the baby may have several meconium bowel movements.

The babies who tend to suffer from diarrhea, there bowel movements are watery and very loose and happen frequently. And these watery bowel movements can lead to dehydration which is not at all safe for the health of the baby. Don’t confuse yourself with the cramps as the baby with diarrhea may not show such signs. If you are not able to identify then talk to the doctor of your baby and get him/her checked for diarrhea.

Make sure that the baby stays hydrated all the time and you can put on a hypoallergenic formula called Nutramigen or Alimentum. It helps the baby from pain and give some relief.

➔ Colic –

One of the most frustrating and stressful problems for the parents that can happen to their child is colic. It is a common problem that usually affects the babies who are 3-4 months of age. Many healthcare institutions say that colic is prolonged or excessive crying in an infant. And such type of crying in babies are very loud and even might stay for several hours. It begins when the baby is around 3 weeks old and stays upto the time the baby gets 3 months of age.

Still it is not clear that what is the reason behind colic but many think that it is due to the gas and cramps in the stomach of the baby. This issue of colic is something that improves over a period of time and till now no such medicine has been proven which can help your baby from this. But many say you should keep the baby away from all kinds of dairy products and give him/her a soy-based formula. And to take care that air isn’t swallowed by your baby then while feeding the baby make him/her sit comfortably.

Stomach aches are very common in every stage of life, so there is nothing to worry about and get serious. Of course they are painful but they have there soothing strategies too. Give your baby a massage when he/she feels uncomfortable and feel more settled. Make sure your identify the symptoms well before it gets late and get your child cured from it!