Child 3 months old how to remove severe swelling. Flatulence: causes of occurrence in children and help. Diagnosis and symptoms

Almost all parents face the manifestations of childhood flatulence - up to 50% of babies under 4 months of age suffer from it. It is also observed in older children (usually up to 10 years old), although the causes of the manifestation change.

Flatulence is the abdominal distension that occurs in patients whose intestines have accumulated gas that cannot escape. The phenomenon can provoke intestinal colic in the form of discomfort in the abdomen. In this case, the contractions first intensify, and then, as the gases leave, they pass.

Symptoms of flatulence often become one of the critical issues young mothers. Especially when they appear at a very early age. Sometimes this happens even before the baby is 2 weeks old. However, the older the child gets, the less likely it is to get sick. By about 6-10 years of age, the likelihood of flatulence in children is no higher than in an adult patient.

Reasons for the appearance

In childhood, flatulence is a fairly common pathology. Most of the reasons for its development in a child under one year old. At an older age, the causes of the disease change and over time begin to coincide with the factors of its appearance in adult patients.

In nursing infants

There are many reasons for the appearance of the disease in a child under one year old. The main factors that contribute to the development of flatulence include:

problems with the motility of the child's intestines;
lack of production of digestive enzymes in the baby's stomach;
unsuitable food;
imbalance nutrients(fats, carbohydrates and proteins) in the body;
overfeeding the child;
swallowing large amounts of air with food.

Among the reasons leading to bloating in infants are often the food that their mothers eat. For this reason, women should follow a special diet while breastfeeding. Any foods are removed from the diet, due to which the production of gas in the body increases. Including spicy, sour and salty foods. Flatulence also appears with strong arousal of the baby, which can cause the appearance of spasms of the smooth muscles of the intestine and a slowdown in peristalsis.

A problem also arises with a lack of the enzyme lactase, which is characteristic of premature babies. Due to the impossibility of complete digestion of carbohydrates, these substances decompose with the release of gases. As a rule, this condition is temporary and disappears after a few months.

Age 2-5 years

At the age of 1.5–2 years, the formation of the basic functions of the intestine is completed, which is filled with useful microflora. Flatulence attacks are much less common than in newborns. However, due to a change in the child's diet, painful symptoms can be observed in the future.

The reasons for the increase in gas production in a child at this age include:

the use of certain foods - starchy foods, berries, cereals, vegetables, legumes and some fruits;
leading an inactive lifestyle (a fairly common problem under the age of 2-3 years);
overweight;
violation of intestinal microflora;
lack of enzymes that improve digestive functions.

At the age of four, when a child usually begins to go to kindergarten, signs of flatulence appear much less often. However, the process of involuntary (and, especially, public) emission of gas can cause discomfort. The causes of the problem are changing slightly, and now they include consuming a lot of sweets and sodas, stress and even chewing gum. There are among the factors influencing the development of symptoms, and a passive lifestyle, and excessive weight.

Parents who notice signs of flatulence in their child should pay special attention to them. Sometimes the problem appears in children suffering from serious dyspeptic diseases such as inflammation of the pancreas, mucous colitis and helminthic invasion. In such a situation, it is required to identify this cause as early as possible, consult a doctor in a timely manner and undergo appropriate treatment.

Period 6-10 years

At the age of six, the reasons for the development of flatulence are roughly the same as those in younger patients. In this list you can find:

problems with microflora;
ingestion of air swallowed during food intake;
violation of the nutritional balance of the child;
the appearance of constipation, including psychological.

In children of seven years of age, the course of the disease is often complicated by psychological factors. Moreover, it is at the age of 7 that an age crisis begins, associated with neuroses that affect the work of the digestive system. Additional unfavorable factor is the beginning of high school. At the age of 8 to 10 years, the causes of flatulence include the same harmful products and carbonated drinks, imbalance and peristalsis, neuroses, intestinal infections and even taking certain medications.

Symptoms and principles of diagnosis

The main symptoms of the disease are usually noticeable without additional research. Most often, they can even be determined by the parents themselves - from the words of the child. The most common manifestation of flatulence is the involuntary emission of gases. Additional include:

a feeling of full stomach, leading to a child's lack of appetite - even after a lot of time has passed since the last meal;
pain in the stomach, rumbling in the abdomen and belching;
nausea and stool problems (both constipation and upset).

The gases accumulating in the body press on the diaphragm, which leads to the appearance of subcostal pain. The child feels anxious and can intuitively assume a comfortable posture that causes less discomfort. In this case, sleep disturbance occurs, general weakness and lethargy appear. When it comes to babies, anxiety manifests itself in the form of violent crying and pressing the legs to the stomach.

To determine the disease before prescribing treatment, contacting a gastroenterologist or pediatrician will help. To clarify the preliminary diagnosis, the specialist must interview the patient or parents, conduct an initial examination and prescribe a fecal analysis, fibrogastroscopy, X-ray and ultrasound abdominal cavity... As a rule, FGS and fluoroscopy are performed only in extreme cases - when there is a suspicion of serious illness.

First aid and therapy

When flatulence appears in a child, parents should provide him with first aid, which consists in the following actions:

carrying out a massage of the abdomen, in which you need to make circular movements with your hands in a clockwise direction;
inclusion in the diet of dill water or a special preparation "Plantex", created on the basis of fennel for the treatment of flatulence;
the use of a glycerin candle, which has a laxative effect, or a special tube for removing gases;

If Plantex turns out to be ineffective, they continue to provide first aid with the help of other drugs - Bebinos, Bobotika, Infacola or Espumisan. All of them relate to symptomatic remedies for bloating, preventing increased gas production, but not curing flatulence itself. Older children are prescribed a cleansing enema to get rid of constipation and the disease itself. You can use the drug "Smecta" - however, because of such side effects like constipation and nausea, they try not to give it to children.

Parents of young patients should know that flatulence should be treated only with those drugs prescribed by a specialist. It is not recommended to choose medicines on your own under the threat of an even greater increase in gas production in children. Especially if the cause is associated with problems such as dysbiosis, helminthiasis, colitis, pancreatitis and congenital bowel pathologies.

Treatment is prescribed depending on a number of factors - the age of the patient, the reasons for the development of flatulence and the degree of its severity. Basically, the problem is solved by the appointment of anti-inflammatory therapy or antibiotic therapy. And to restore the intestinal microflora, symptomatic therapy is used, involving the administration of antispasmodics and laxatives, with the help of which the production of gas in the body decreases.

Preventive measures

Prevention of flatulence allows you to prevent or at least reduce the risk of this problem and save your baby from unpleasant symptoms. To do this, the patient's parents must adhere to the following rules:

reduce the amount of foods that can increase gas production in the body - including fried, spicy and salty foods, and especially carbonated drinks;
do not overfeed the child. It is advisable to give the baby food in small portions, but more often than usual - up to 6 times a day;
teach the child to slowly take food and chew it more thoroughly;
increase the content of milk and dairy products in the diet;
do not allow the child to talk while eating;
maintain a balance of fats, carbohydrates and proteins in the body.
make sure that the child moves more often - activity helps to improve intestinal motility.

Predictions about the results of treatment of childhood flatulence can be made only after identifying the main causes of gas formation. Most often, the problem can be solved using conventional methods and prevention. In some cases, therapy is prescribed, including correction of the diet and stabilization of the intestinal bacterial balance.

Flatulence is called bloating in both children and adults, which occurs as a result of a large accumulation of gases in the intestinal lumen, which is accompanied by problematic discharge. Very often, young mothers of babies up to one year old face such a problem.

Causes colic, which manifests itself in the form of severe pain in the child's abdomen due to cramping. Typically, soreness is cramping, subsiding as gas is released. Many new parents get acquainted with this unpleasant process very early, because increased gas formation can disturb crumbs from 2 weeks and older.

It is not easy to deal with this problem, it is especially difficult for the parents of a one-year-old child, because at this age babies are worried not only about colic and bloating, but also related problems that occur against the background of the formation of the gastrointestinal tract. Further in the article we will tell you which drugs will help relieve your baby of pain and discomfort, as well as which diet will help to avoid troubles in the future for older children.

Causes of increased gas production in a child

Unfortunately, every 3-4 children suffer from increased gas production and colic, more often the ailment worries boys. Very often the problem manifests itself in the afternoon. Usually, colic stops bothering a child at 4 months, but in rare cases, they are observed in children after 6 months. The causes and treatment of flatulence can be different, it all depends on the primary source that provoked the problem. For example, the following reasons increase the accumulation of gases:

As practice shows, many pediatricians are worried about flatulence and colic in weak, premature babies, especially those diagnosed with rickets or malnutrition. Why it happens? This is because the baby's nutrition is not age-appropriate. The situation is even worse among the "artificial" (children who eat formula milk, not breast milk).

If flatulence takes on a pronounced character, it is necessary to urgently consult a pediatrician, because otherwise you can miss the beginning of the development of the pathological process, for which bloating and increased gas production is not the last symptom. In children after 2 years of age, and especially at 8 and older (when the parent cannot fully control the child's nutrition, for example, at school), factors that increase gas production occur against the background of gastrointestinal diseases. Also, the reason may lie in a large intake of fatty foods, protein, carbohydrates and overeating.

Symptoms of pathology in children

It should be noted right away that flatulence and colic do not affect the general condition of the child, but make him more anxious. Despite the fact that some doctors argue that increased gas production inhibits psychomotor and physical development, the results of blood, feces and urine tests do not confirm this.

If the baby takes in a lot of air during feeding, it is released during regurgitation, which can manifest itself in a very abundant form. When a child has lactose deficiency, he may be disturbed by frequent bloating, problems with bowel movements (diarrhea can be abruptly replaced by constipation).

Very often, the symptoms of increased gas production are described by the mothers of babies, as anxiety, constant crying, the child presses his legs to the tummy, etc. As many parents note, an attack of pain is observed no more than 15-20 minutes, after the release of gases, the child feels better. Also, with flatulence, the child experiences frequent regurgitation, hiccups.

It's a little easier with older children, because they can somehow describe their feelings. It happens that there are complaints of a feeling of fullness, soreness, many have a stomach rumbling. But all such symptoms disappear after the gases have left the intestines.

What to do with increased gas production in children

Almost every parent is tormented by the question “What to do when the child has gas accumulation? What drugs to choose or a diet? " You need to treat a child at any age in two steps:

Eliminate the cause that causes the accumulation of gases in the intestines (diet will help to correct nutrition, if the reason is gastrointestinal ailments or dysbiosis, they will help to fight).
Remove gases (you can manipulate or use pharmacological drugs).

Children with lactose deficiency are prescribed specialized mixtures that do not contain lactose. But, pay attention, if you feed your child with mixtures, strictly follow the instructions so as not to overfeed. When a mother is breastfeeding a baby, the formation of a large amount of gas is caused by the foods that the breastfeeding mother eats directly.

Therefore, it is very important to pay attention to which foods used by the mother negatively affect the well-being of the baby. As many years of practice show, the foods eaten by the mother most of all negatively affect the child:

Chocolate.
Grape.
Legumes.
Black bread.
Coffee.
Soda, fermentation drinks.
Sauerkraut.
Frequent consumption of fruits and vegetables without heat treatment.

When the baby often spits up, the mother needs to take a closer look at how the baby is applied to the breast. Sometimes it is sufficient to change the feeding position to minimize the baby's swallowing of air.

How to help a child

After the baby has eaten, it must be held in an upright position for several minutes. Thus, excess air will be released along with belching, without "taking" with itself the absorbed food. The best position for this is to turn the little one with his back to you and hold it by the tummy (you don't need to purposefully press on the belly!). You can also save the child from bloating by laying him on his back and bending his legs. The compressed and unclenched legs are lifted in turn several times. The exercise can be supplemented by pulling the handles, imitating the child's hugging itself.

Highly good result allows you to achieve a massage that mom does her warm hand(For better glide, you can use baby oil or lotion). The procedure is carried out with circular stroking in the direction of clockwise movement. Not less efficiency, according to the reviews of mothers, can be achieved by a warm diaper, which is applied to a small tummy.

As a rule, the above methods can improve the condition of the toddler and promote the release of gases. But, each child is individual, therefore, not every child is able to help this way. If you have tried all the recommendations and there is no result, use the gas outlet tube. But, pay attention, you should not regularly resort to using it, because in this way irritation of the rectum is produced. To use the tube, you need to put the child on the barrels, squeeze the legs at the knees, grease the edge of the tube with Vaseline and gently insert it into the anus by 10-15mm.

While you are inserting the tube, you need to massage your tummy with light movements. The free end of the gas outlet tube must be lowered into some kind of container, because not only gases, but also feces can escape through it. The tube is allowed to be left in the anus for no more than 20 minutes, all this time without stopping to massage the abdomen. When the procedure is completed, the tube is thoroughly washed, the child is washed and oiled.

If it was not possible not to use medications and other additional funds, you need to see a doctor. Many pediatricians recommend using a proven method - giving your baby dill water (tea made from fennel seeds) to drink. It is not difficult to prepare such tea, 1 tbsp is enough for this. seeds, which are poured with boiling water. When the drink is infused, strain it and give the little one a teaspoon to drink 3 times a day. You can store the leftover drink in the refrigerator, but it is best to always prepare in small portions fresh.

Medicines for increased gas production in children

If you do not want to fool your head with dill seeds, you can use pharmaceutical preparations, for example Plantex. Plantex contains fennel fruits and oil. With its help, you can not only get rid of excessive gas formation, but also stimulate intestinal motility, normalize digestion processes, remove intestinal spasms, relieve pain and increase appetite. It is Plantex that pediatricians prescribe for bloating, colic and as a prophylaxis for children who are bottle-fed.

Also, the child can be prescribed Espumisan, a drug in the form of an emulsion that is not absorbed into the bloodstream and does not affect the body. it is very convenient to take the substance, because the required dose can be added directly to the bottle with the mixture. Less often, children are prescribed Smecta, coal and other adsorbents that help release gas from the intestines. But, pay attention, along with gases, the body also leaves useful elements that will need to be taken in the form of tablets in the future.

If the child has been diagnosed with dysbiosis, the doctor may recommend drinking eubiotics. For the older age group of children, enzymes are prescribed that normalize and improve digestive processes. The table below shows the average cost of drugs that a doctor can prescribe.

But, please note that you should not immediately accustom children to drugs. If the problem is not too neglected, a simple one will help to achieve success. The diet should exclude sweets, soda, excessive amounts of polysaccharide from the child's diet. Bakery products it is better to select from coarse flour, exclude baking. Adjust the nutrition of your child so that he does not overeat or starve, it is best to crush daily rate food for 5-6 meals.

) is an increased formation and accumulation of gases in the intestine, accompanied by various clinical manifestations. It occurs often, observed at different ages - from infants to schoolchildren. It is not an independent disease. This is a symptom that means that a lot of gases have accumulated in the intestines, which expand its walls and cause pain or other unpleasant sensations. Most often it accompanies intestinal pathology or occurs for other reasons not related to diseases.

Causes of gas formation

Normally, in the intestine, the process of gas formation occurs constantly. This is a physiological phenomenon that does not disturb the general well-being and proceeds imperceptibly. Its reasons are different:

swallowing a certain amount of gases while eating;
digestion of food, which is a chain of biochemical reactions of the breakdown of proteins, fats and carbohydrates with the release of gases;
diffusion (gas exchange), when oxygen from the vessels of the intestinal wall, which is necessary for the normal functioning of some bacteria, enters the lumen, and carbon dioxide excreted by venous blood and excreted by the lungs;
the vital activity of the intestinal microflora itself, which releases carbon dioxide during the processing of food.

The gases formed in a healthy body improve the digestion process: increase intestinal peristalsis, help better "digestion" of food and quick bowel emptying. But sometimes a failure occurs in the mechanisms of gas formation, and the child shows signs of flatulence.

Causes of flatulence

The causes of bloating that cause poor health include various intestinal pathologies, which are divided into several groups:

Diseases of the digestive system of an inflammatory nature (pancreatitis, inflammation in the intestines - colitis, etc. /).
Non-inflammatory (dysbiosis, enzymatic disorders) - diseases associated with disorders of digestion processes.
Infectious diseases with intestinal lesions - helminthiases, protozoal infections (amebiasis, etc.), acute intestinal infections, in which flatulence is combined with diarrhea.
Congenital anomalies in the development and location of the colon - its lengthening (dolichosigma) or increased mobility.

Flatulence also develops due to alimentary (food) reasons. The most common of them are: overeating, violation of the diet, the use of large amounts of fats, carbonated drinks, foods that increase gas production (legumes, black bread, beer), an insufficient amount of plant fiber in the diet.

Intestinal colic in premature and weak children, with signs of malnutrition, occurs much more often than in healthy babies at birth.

Other factors

In addition to the above, there are other factors that lead to flatulence in infants. They are related to the nutrition of the nursing mother. Some foods cause gas in newborns:

hot seasonings and spices;
whole cow's milk;
legumes, grapes, cabbage;
black bread;
drinks with gases, etc.

Flatulence in children who are not breastfed, but artificially fed, can be caused by:

mixtures that are not adapted for the nutrition of a child at this age;
early feeding;
violation of the frequency and time of the diet;
psychogenic factors.

The mechanism for the formation of bloating and pain during gas formation is directly related to overexcitation or stress. The release of adrenaline into the bloodstream leads to vasoconstriction, which significantly reduces the elimination and absorption of gases. Stress also increases intestinal tone, as a result: peristalsis and food advancement slow down, fermentation and decay processes intensify, and, therefore, increase the amount of gas in the child. Seething, tight stomach, cramps and diarrhea appear.

Manifestations of pathology in children

Strong gas formation in the intestines leads to the appearance of a fetid odor, chronic abdominal pain, uncontrolled passing of gas (more than 20 times a day).

Increased flatulence is also manifested by an enlarged abdomen, acute paroxysmal or bursting pain in the abdomen, belching, or hiccups.

Children suffer from increased flatulence very often and at any age - this is a common problem. But most of all the troubles are delivered by bloating in newborns. At the age of about 5 months, the child's body is characterized by an undeveloped digestive system - the absence of normal microflora in the intestine. In addition, in infants, the enzyme system is undeveloped, which improves only by 4 - 5 months.

It also leads to fermentation in the intestines, resulting in bloating, spastic contraction of some parts of the intestine and relaxation of others, which is manifested by intestinal colic - sharp paroxysmal pain in the baby's abdomen. The causes and treatment of this condition are always interrelated, an understanding of their mechanisms is necessary in order to know what medicine to give a child for flatulence and bloating.

Symptoms in newborns

Generally general state in a child with increased gas production, it is not disturbed: no developmental and growth retardation is observed. Difficulties arise only with small children: a child is 1 year old and, moreover, a newborn cannot find out the complaints. But you can understand that the stomach hurts indirectly by the behavior of the baby:

the child constantly blows gas;
constantly screams, restless, is very active, does not sleep;
does not take the breast;
if you manage to feed it, it is quickly saturated.

Due to the strong gas in the intestines, the stomach puffs up even more. With regard to intestinal colic, which is the main symptom of flatulence at this age, there is a rule of "three":

appears in the third month of life;
lasts up to three hours;
finally passes at the age of three months.

Symptoms in Preschool Children

In a child 2 years old, suffering from bloating, the following reasons come to the fore:

the use of a large amount of easily digestible carbohydrates: grapes, chocolate, pastries, etc.;
sedentary lifestyle;
overweight;
fermentopathy (insufficient production of lactase, which breaks down milk sugar);
violation of intestinal microflora.

Similar reasons cause belching in a 3-year-old child, in addition to other manifestations of increased gas production. But at this age, flatulence develops much less often than children under one year old.

In a 4-year-old child, signs of flatulence appear from the first days of visiting kindergarten. This is due to a change in the diet, in connection with which the intestines undergo adaptation processes. A hard belly in a child, belching with air, frequent passing of gas leads to stress, which in turn intensifies the process of gas formation.

In such cases, it is necessary to consult a doctor in order to establish the causes of this condition and know how to deal with flatulence and bloating.

In a 6-year-old child, the causes and clinical manifestations differ little from those in the previous age category. May play a role:

expanding the diet, when more sweets and soda, raw vegetables are eaten;
wrong combination of products;
chewing gum;
great psychological stress and stress if the child starts attending school.

When a child has a hard abdomen and complaints of rumbling, pain, belching after eating, it is necessary to adjust the diet during gas formation.

First aid and treatment

First aid for bloating, which can be given to a child at home, consists of the following measures:

massage the abdomen clockwise;
give the baby dill water or Plantex, a herbal remedy for flatulence based on fennel, from the stomach;
in case of ineffectiveness - simethicone (Espumisan, Infacol, Bobotik, Bebinos), which is a symptomatic remedy for bloating, removing gases from the intestines, but not curing flatulence;
if the child has constipation, leading to pain during gas formation, you can enter a glycerin suppository;
in extreme cases, use a tube to remove gases;
in an older child with constipation leading to flatulence, it is possible to carry out a cleansing enema.

Important! Treatment of flatulence should be carried out exclusively under the supervision of a physician. Self-medication is unacceptable, since often increased gas production in a child occurs in connection with the development of serious diseases of the digestive tract (pancreatitis, colitis, dysbiosis), in the presence of helminthiasis, congenital intestinal pathology. Medicines to be taken for bloating are only prescribed by a doctor.

Therapeutic measures depend on the age of the child and the causes of the pathology. After clarifying the etiological factor (the cause that caused flatulence), anti-inflammatory treatment is carried out, if necessary, antibiotic therapy. Drugs are used to restore normal intestinal microflora, symptomatic therapy (antispasmodics for pain, laxatives, drugs that actively absorb gases).

Prophylaxis

Watch the video of Dr. Komarovsky - what to do if a child has a stomach ache:

Prevention of flatulence in the intestines, on the advice of Dr. Komarovsky, must be started long before the development of flatulence. A background correction of the event is used to avoid the accumulation of gases in the intestines in 15% of children, if certain rules are followed:

breastfeeding;
strict adherence to the diet of a nursing mother;
laying down little child on the stomach after feeding.

Older children need regular walks with outdoor games, a favorable psychological environment at home, in kindergarten, at school, avoiding overeating, dieting. Following these simple tips will prevent children from facing the problems of flatulence.

Does the baby swell, growl and ache, does he not want to eat, can hardly go to the potty, or vice versa, actively stains his pants? The child may have flatulence. What kind of problem is hidden under this name, as well as what parents need to take so that such attacks occur as rarely as possible, we will tell you today in our material.

Getting to know the concept

Causes of flatulence

What can be the reason for a child to have flatulence?

gas-forming products (all types of legumes, cabbage, apples, spinach, radish, radish, dates, carbonated drinks);
products that cause fermentation in the intestines (black bread, kvass, grapes);
dairy products (especially if the child has lactose intolerance).

Also m flatulence is a common symptom of these diseases how:

Do not forget that children swallow some air, talk while eating and drinking, which can also provoke flatulence.

Sapa Irina Yurievna, Candidate of Medical Sciences, tells : “If the symptoms of flatulence do not go away even with an appropriate diet, you should definitely consult a doctor, since gas formation is one of the symptoms of other serious diseases, such as enteritis. Enteritis is an inflammation of the small intestine, in which there is a gradual dystrophic change in the mucous membrane of this organ and a malabsorption of nutrients occurs. The main symptoms of enteritis are bloating, rumbling, heavy loose stools, or diarrhea, which are similar to symptoms of flatulence. However, if enteritis is not detected in time and is not treated, the child's function of absorption of nutrients by the intestines may be impaired, metabolic disorders, hypovitaminosis, and fermentopathy may occur. If the disease has turned into a chronic form, the process of its treatment is long and complicated, individual selection of diet and drug therapy. "

How to beat flatulence

The main problem of flatulence is a violation of the relationship between the formation of gases and their removal.

Therefore there is two main directions in the fight against this disease: follow a diet, eating as little gas-forming products as possible, and also improve the work of the intestines to remove its contents.

To comply with the diet, you need as much remove the child from the menu foods such as legumes, different types cabbage, onions, artichokes, pears, apples, peaches, whole grains, carbonated drinks, dairy products (milk, fermented baked milk, kefir, yogurt, ice cream), black bread.

And in order to establish the work of the intestines to remove toxins, it is imperative observe , however, make sure that the water he drinks is of good quality, better bottled, and not carbonated. Try to replace meat broths with vegetable broths, give up raw fruits and vegetables, give only cooked foods, do not offer your child fatty and fried foods.

Teach your baby to eat slowly, chewing the pieces of food thoroughly - this will reduce the amount of air he swallows. Try to eat fractionally - offer your child food in small portions 5-6 times a day.

Our mom- April tells : “The child is two years old, for about a month he is constantly developing gas, he complains of pain in the tummy. When we went to the doctor, he said that his son had gastritis. Now we are being treated, medications plus diet number 5, maybe we should have applied earlier, but I thought there was nothing wrong with gaziks ... "

Necessarily observe , because lack of sleep, fatigue, stress, improper nutrition (snacks on the go) can disrupt the work of the intestines and provoke flatulence. A psychologically comfortable situation, sufficient sleep, full and balanced nutrition, as well as active walks on fresh air help to cope with the problem of flatulence and improve the condition of the child.

With frequent bloating, with a child it is necessary consult a gastroenterologist , who will conduct an examination, establish the cause of flatulence and prescribe drugs that relieve bloating and spasms, as well as drugs that restore digestion.

So, for example, increased gas production in the intestines of a child is effectively stopped by the use of enterosorbents, in case of problems with the microflora, prebiotics and probiotics will help, in case of enzyme deficiency, choleretic and enzyme preparations will help, and normalize motor activity gastrointestinal tract antispasmodics will help. Also, in the treatment of flatulence in children, herbal medicine and homeopathy are widely used.

Of course, flatulence is a painful and unpleasant condition, but if the parents are patient, they will pay serious attention to the baby's menu and together with him will switch to healthy diet, a bloated tummy will bother the little one much less, but there will be more reasons for joy and fun for everyone!

Flatulence - increased gas production and the accumulation of gas in the intestines - a phenomenon common in both adults and children. It is not a disease, but it can be a symptom of any disease, or a condition caused by another cause. Normally, gas formation occurs in adults and children, but in quantities that do not cause discomfort or painful sensations - this process is invisible to a healthy body. But flatulence in a child is always accompanied by unpleasant symptoms and is a serious problem for parents. Bloating in a child is of particular concern and requires increased attention and rapid identification of the cause of this condition.

Reasons for strong gassing

Flatulence is especially common in infant, although in other age categories this is not uncommon. In childhood, increased gas production occurs due to imperfect development and functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Excessive amount of gas in the intestine presses on its walls, causing an increase in the abdomen and a sharp pain syndrome- intestinal colic. They bother the baby up to 3-4 months, then they often stop spontaneously.

The reasons leading to the development of bloating in a child are varied, but at each age they have their own characteristics.

The most common cause of flatulence in children, when treatment is not required, is not fully formed digestive and nervous systems.

In a newborn baby and up to about 5 months of age, the intestines are sterile: there is no normal intestinal microflora in it, which takes part in the digestion process and creates a balance with the conditionally pathogenic flora when dysbiosis occurs or pathogenic microorganisms enter the intestine. By the same age, the enzyme system is improving: the imperfection of the production of enzymes in the baby also causes increased gas production. All this leads to the process of fermentation in the intestines, the baby's tummy is swollen, severe pain occurs due to spastic contractions of some parts of the intestine and stretching of others due to flatulence. You need to understand these mechanisms in order to know how to help your baby with bloating.

Other reasons

There are other causes of bloating in an infant:

errors in the mother's diet: hot spices, coarse fiber (black bread), fresh vegetables (cabbage, tomatoes), legumes, whole milk, etc.;
the use of unadapted formulas for artificial feeding;
not age-appropriate complementary foods;
overeating and eating disorders;
infectious diseases;
psychogenic factor: during overexcitation or stress under the influence of adrenaline, vasoconstriction occurs, which inhibits the excretion and absorption of gases. In addition, stress leads to an increase in intestinal tone, slowing down the movement of food, and to the processes of its fermentation, decay, and, therefore, to increased gas production (during fermentation, gases with the smell of rotten eggs are formed).

In older children, the causes of flatulence are gastritis, pancreatitis, colitis, and various helminthiases. Neuroses play an important role in them.

Self-medication is unacceptable

To know what to do, if a newborn has a puffy tummy, belching with air, fever, seething in the stomach, you need to contact a pediatrician.

It is dangerous to treat an infant on your own without knowing the exact causes of this condition - you can miss a serious illness in which flatulence is one of its manifestations (for example, intestinal obstruction, dysbiosis, intestinal infection).

Clinical manifestations

The main clinical manifestations of flatulence in a newborn:

discomfort and paroxysmal pain in the abdomen;
belching, hiccups for no apparent reason;
feeling of bloating, lack of appetite;
sometimes - nausea, vomiting, in infants - regurgitation;
stool disorders - there may be alternating constipation and diarrhea;
babies become capricious, their sleep is disturbed;
the temperature remains normal.

Features of clinical symptoms in infants

In general, the general condition is not disturbed: the baby grows and develops according to his age, there is no lag in the physical and psychomotor development of the baby. Difficulties arise with the appearance of flatulence in infants who cannot complain about their condition.

The most common symptom of flatulence in infants is intestinal colic. Because of the spastic pain, the baby refuses to breast, quickly satiates if it was possible to feed him, screams, becomes restless, does not sleep.

For colic, there is a rule of three:

occur in the third week of life;
an attack can last up to three hours in a row;
disappear without a trace after three months.

One can think that this is a manifestation of intestinal colic, and not a serious surgical pathology, if:

attacks occur every evening or night at approximately the same time;
lasts 30-60 minutes (sometimes up to 3 hours);
after the gas passes, an improvement occurs (after that, the baby's tummy stops swelling);
body temperature does not rise;
the baby's mouth ceases to smell unpleasant when belching air and regurgitation.

Diseases leading to increased gas production

But if attacks of intestinal colic in a newborn are long and frequent, they can be a manifestation of:

fermentopathy (lactase deficiency);
intestinal infection;
congenital pathology of the digestive system.

Breast milk contains milk sugar - lactose. It is broken down by a very active enzyme - lactase, which is produced in huge quantities in a newborn. In some situations (for example, with overfeeding), the baby develops relative lactase deficiency: the child ate a large number of lactose, which he did not have enough lactase to process. Its clinical manifestation is a bubbling tummy.

With an intestinal infection, in addition to the fact that the baby has a puffy tummy, you can hear seething in the intestines with a complete lack of appetite - belching with a rotten egg appears, the temperature rises to high numbers. On the background high temperature all signs of intoxication are manifested: nausea, vomiting, belching, loose stools, having a rotten smell.

It is necessary to start treating a child with an intestinal infection immediately, experienced specialists should do this, sometimes, depending on the severity of the condition, in a hospital setting.

Prevention and treatment of the problem

To successfully help a child get rid of flatulence, and, therefore, from colic, you need to start prevention long before the appearance of bloating in the child and sleepless nights in the mother.

The so-called background correction helps to avoid the accumulation of gas in the intestines in 15% of infants. Background correction is:

breast-feeding;
diet for flatulence in a child, which must be followed by a nursing mother;
lay on the stomach to strengthen the anterior abdominal wall;
give dill water or Plantex for bloating;
massage the abdomen clockwise if the colic lasts a long time, preventing the child from calm down and falling asleep.

The second stage of prevention and treatment

If using these simple rules can't deal with increased gassing, you can go to the second stage of measures for colic:

Give the child a drug containing simethicone (Bebinos, Espumisan, Infacol). It is a symptomatic remedy that removes gas from the intestines, but does not cure colic.
If you have problems with bowel movement, you can give your child a glycerin suppository to relieve constipation.
As a last resort, use a gas pipe.
With severe and painful spasms, you can give the child an antispasmodic - Riabal or Viburcol. But this is possible only after appointment by a pediatrician.

Proper nutrition is the key to a healthy intestine

The diet for flatulence in infants should be followed strictly by the nursing mother, so as not to aggravate the baby's condition. It is necessary to exclude fresh vegetables, sauerkraut, legumes, carbonated drinks. But, in addition to the diet, mom needs to drink a sufficient amount of liquid - up to 2.5 liters per day. And remember that flatulence is not a disease, but an unpleasant symptom. Nevertheless, it must be fought with, making it easier for the child to feel. It is necessary to show increased attention and notice any changes in the baby's behavior. Not in all cases, the baby is naughty, sometimes crying indicates a health problem.