As new parents, it’s inevitable that your baby will experience tummy aches. Some babies have stomach discomfort more often than others, and there can be various reasons for this. It can be difficult for parents to watch their baby cry without being able to communicate with them – you want to do everything you can to ease the problem as quickly as possible.
In this blog post, we’ll guide you through the possible causes of tummy aches, the symptoms you should look out for, and how you can relieve stomach discomfort in babies.
Why does your baby have a tummy ache?
As mentioned, there are many reasons why your baby might have a tummy ache. However, the most common cause is that the intestines aren’t fully developed at birth, which can lead to stomach cramps. Before birth, babies receive nourishment through the umbilical cord,and suddenly they must adjust to a new type of food – either breast milk or formula. This change requires the stomach and intestines to adapt, which can lead to discomfort and crying.
If your baby has a tummy ache and passes a lot of gas, it could indicate that they have trapped wind, another common cause of tummy ache. When breastfeeding or bottle-feeding, your baby may swallow too much air due to improper latching or sucking technique, which can cause trapped wind and stomach discomfort. It’s more common for bottle-fed babies to swallow air than breastfed babies.
"If your baby experiences tummy pain in the evening or during the night, it could be a sign of colic."
Symptoms of tummy aches in babies
Here’s a list of common symptoms that could indicate your baby has a tummy ache:
- Wind
- Constipation
- Vitamin D
- Colic
- Food sensitivities or allergies
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What can you do to help relieve the problem?
As parents, you want to do everything possible for your baby. If it were possible to take on the pain yourself when your baby’s tummy causes issues, any parent would do so. Luckily, there are various techniques you can try at home to relieve your baby’s tummy ache. If nothing seems to help and the problem persists, we always recommend consulting your family doctor or health visitor so they can thoroughly check your baby.
Tips for infant colic
If your baby experiences tummy pain in the evening or during the night, it could be a sign of colic. In the case of infant colic, babies often cry for hours at a time over several weeks. It can be difficult to determine the exact cause of colic, as there may be multiple factors at play.
Colic isn’t a disease, so there’s no specific treatment. The best thing you can do is arm yourself with patience and try different techniques to soothe the crying. This might include baby massage,burping after feeding, checking the sucking technique, skin-to-skin contact, or swaddling.
Sugar water for pain relief
If your baby has a tummy ache, sugar water might help soothe the discomfort. Be mindful to give it in small amounts and always after meals if your baby is having trouble settling down.
You can make sugar water by dissolving sugar in boiled water and letting it cool. Use one teaspoon of sugar to 100 ml of water. It’s not recommended to give sugar water to babies under six months
