Flatulence in children: how to treat and prevent it?

Bloating in a child is the accumulation of a large amount of gas in the intestines. This condition is not uncommon in newborn infants and primary school-age children.

• Etiology
• Symptoms
• Diagnostics
• Treatment
• Prevention

The reasons for the appearance of such a symptom in children can be varied and will differ depending on the age category of the patient. However, in most cases, its occurrence is caused by poor nutrition.

Flatulence causes severe discomfort in the child, so it is accompanied by other clinical manifestations. The main signs that may accompany bloating are sleep disturbances, lack of appetite, excessive crying and restlessness.

In some cases, in order to establish the source of such an unpleasant symptom, it is necessary to carry out a set of laboratory and instrumental diagnostic procedures. Treatment is often conservative and consists of taking medications, adjusting nutrition, performing therapeutic massage and using alternative medicine methods.

Causes and treatment of bloating in children

Bloating in a child is the accumulation of a significant amount of gas inside the intestines. This condition is not considered rare for newborns and preschool children.

The causes of such symptoms in children are various natural factors and pathologies.

They differ according to age. But in many situations, its appearance is due to an unbalanced diet.

Bloating can cause discomfort in the baby, which is why it is associated with other clinical symptoms.

The main symptoms associated with this phenomenon are insomnia, loss of appetite, crying and anxiety.

In certain situations, in order to establish the root cause of such unpleasant symptoms, a set of clinical diagnostic measures should be carried out.

Treatment is often conservative in nature and consists of the use of medications, a review of the diet, therapeutic massage and the use of traditional medicine.

First aid for colic

If your child suffers from bloating, then it is not at all necessary to immediately give him medications. When breastfeeding, the first thing a mother should do is review her diet. The daily diet should be completely revised, making it more healthy, balanced and of high quality.

During attacks, you can try the following to improve the child’s well-being and relieve pain:

1. Place the child in an upright position, which will facilitate the release of gases.
2. Give your baby dill water, which is prepared using one percent fennel oil, sold in any pharmacy. Also, for children's colic, anise infusion is a very effective remedy.
3. Warm the tummy with a warm heating pad. This will have a calming effect, due to which the pain will gradually subside.
4. Shortly before each feeding, place the baby on his tummy, and then lightly stroke him with your palm.
5. Bath the baby in warm water with the addition of medicinal herbs.
6. If bloating is accompanied by prolonged constipation, then you need to put a glycerin suppository.

But you must understand that if the child has not pooped and the stomach is hard, then the above actions will only alleviate the pathology. They do not have any therapeutic effect. Flatulence requires complex therapy, which can only be carried out by a specialized doctor. Therefore, in any case, you cannot do without a visit to the hospital. As a rule, a special diet is selected for children and medications are prescribed to help restore the intestinal microflora.

Self-medication for increased gas formation is not recommended, since incorrect actions can greatly aggravate the situation, and not only complicate further treatment, but also lead to the development of many serious complications.

Causes

According to statistics, every 4 children are susceptible to colic. Boys are more often affected by them. Typically, such phenomena appear in children in the late afternoon.

Basically, bloating and colic in the intestines disappear in the baby at 5-6 months of age, and only in some situations are observed in children after this period.

Provoking factors for bloating:

• underdevelopment of the organs of the digestive system and lack of enzymes for the purpose of digesting food (as a result of this, fermentation of food products occurs with excessive gas formation);
• swallowing air during feeding or crying;
• feeding with unadapted mixtures;
• improper dilution of mixtures;
• overfeeding;
• lactase deficiency - a lack of a special enzyme that digests lactose (the main component of breast milk and many other milk formulas);
• hypersensitivity to cow's milk proteins;
• dysbiosis: an imbalance of important bacteria inside the intestines;
• viral diseases;
• abnormal structure and position of the large intestine (elongation or high mobility), which provokes a failure in the movement through the intestine and the intensity of fermentation;
• error during lactation: consumption of spicy, whole cow's milk, products that contribute to high gas formation.

Often bloating and intestinal colic are observed in weak, premature children, with signs of malnutrition and rickets.

A provoking factor will be a baby’s diet that is inappropriate for his age and premature transfer to artificial feeding.

In case of severe bloating and intestinal colic in a baby, consultation with a specialist is necessary in order to avoid the appearance of all kinds of pathologies that can manifest themselves as bloating, anxiety, upset bowel movements and crying of the baby.

In older children, the root cause of bloating is often diseases of the digestive system (chronic gastritis, pancreatitis, colitis).

The causes of intense gas production include excess fat, protein or carbohydrates, and overeating.

Psycho-emotional anxiety and stressful situations can provoke the occurrence of such symptoms. They can cause increased tone and intestinal spasms.

This provokes slow movement of food through the gastrointestinal tract and further fermentation with gas release.

Etiology

Bloating in children is a fairly common disorder. The peculiarity is that the younger the baby, the more often the expression of such a symptom occurs. Each age category has its own characteristics and sources of occurrence.

Causes of bloating in newborns and breastfed children:

• swallowing a large amount of air during feeding is one of the most common factors causing the appearance of such an unpleasant symptom;
• uncomfortable feeding position for the baby;
• incorrect position of the bottle or nipple;
• consumption by a nursing mother of foods that can cause increased gas formation. Such ingredients include cabbage and sorrel, radishes and radishes, mushrooms and legumes, confectionery and chocolate, carbonated drinks, raw fruits and vegetables;
• overheating or hypothermia of the child’s body;
• lack of diet;
• congenital enzyme deficiency;
• the course of intestinal infections;
• dyspepsia;
• intestinal inflammation.

The following factors can cause gas formation in a baby who, for some reason, is fed artificial formula:

• cow's milk intolerance;
• allergic reactions to any component of the mixture;
• poor quality or unadapted mixture.

In children from two to three years of age, the following reasons come first for the appearance of such a symptom:

• consumption of foods that are enriched with easily digestible carbohydrates. For example, white bread or muffins, chocolate and sweets, grapes and other ingredients;
• poor nutrition, which is based on ingredients of dishes high in coarse fiber, starch and dietary fiber. Such products include legumes, greens and grains;
• the baby is overweight;
• insufficient amount of physical activity of the child;
• disturbance of the gastrointestinal microflora.

Products with easily digestible carbohydrates

When children reach the age of four or five years, the onset of the symptom may be due to:

• changing the diet - often bloating is observed within a few days after starting kindergarten;
• consuming large amounts of sweets and carbonated drinks;
• nervous overstrain and stressful situations that can accompany a child both at home and in kindergarten;
• addiction to chewing gum - while chewing, the child swallows a large amount of air;
• incorrect combination of products;
• pathological influence of worms and other pathogenic bacteria;
• stagnant processes in the intestines;
• the course of the inflammatory process in the pancreas and other gastrointestinal diseases;
• the child is obese;
• sedentary lifestyle.

Bloating is also often expressed in those children who go to school. At the age of seven to ten years, the causes of the formation of such a disorder are:

• frequent overeating;
• eating in front of the TV or computer;
• active conversations during meals;
• eating large amounts of chips, crackers and soda;
• intestinal dysbiosis;
• indiscriminate use of medications;
• neuroses and stress;
• gastrointestinal pathologies;
• intestinal infections;
• influence of parasites or worms;
• violation of peristalsis.

Symptoms

Regardless of the origin of such factors, bloating provokes discomfort and severity of symptoms in children:

• a feeling of a full stomach when the child himself feels hungry;
• abdominal pain;
• the appearance of characteristic rumbling and seething;
• an increase in the size of the abdomen, which is often noticed by parents;
• belching and hiccups;
• unpleasant odor from the mouth;
• attacks of nausea ending with a gag reflex;
• belly hard to the touch;
• stool disorders, which is expressed in constipation, diarrhea, or alternation of these symptoms;
• high fatigue;
• decreased ability to work.

Such laboratory signs that accompany bloating are typical for children over 2 years of age. Infants and children under 1 year of age have the following symptoms:

• pale skin;
• refusal of breast or formula;
• severe anxiety and constant crying for no objective reason. It can be so intense that a baby under 1 year of age may often blush from excessive exertion;
• seething in the abdomen;
• unnatural position of the baby (knees bent to the stomach);
• frequent constipation;
• rare gas release;
• feces with a green tint, foamy consistency;
• insomnia;
• roundness of the abdomen.

The appearance of one or some of the above signs should be a signal for parents to seek advice from a specialist.

Diagnostics

To establish the triggering factors for bloating and gas formation in children, an integrated approach is needed. Thus, diagnostics includes the following activities:

• collecting anamnesis of the disease and the baby’s life;
• physical examination, which necessarily includes palpation of the anterior abdominal wall;
• an in-depth survey of the patient’s parents regarding the degree of manifestation of the main symptoms and the presence of related laboratory symptoms;
• clinical examination of blood, urine and feces. This is required in order to identify possible difficulties with the functioning of the digestive organs, the course of inflammation and the presence of pathological microorganisms inside the baby’s body;
• Ultrasound of the abdomen;
• X-ray;
• endoscopy.

When to see a doctor

Treatment of any disorder in infancy, if the child is under 1 year of age, should be carried out after consulting a doctor.

A small child cannot make any complaints, and if you are not careful about changing his behavior, you can miss dangerous pathologies.

Since there are many factors leading to intestinal bloating and hardening, the specific diagnosis should be carried out by specialists.

Particular attention should be paid to the compaction of the abdominal cavity if the baby’s body temperature rises. Only an integrated approach allows you to accurately determine the cause of the disease: laboratory diagnostics, instrumental methods.

Treatment

Treatment of bloating involves the following stages:

• Review of diet. Products that contribute to the formation of gases should be removed from the child’s menu. Portions should be small and frequent. Thus, the digestive organs can break down nutrients in a timely manner, and the excess is promptly removed. If lactase is absent, then it is necessary to exclude dairy products that contain lactose.
• Eliminating the root causes that caused bloating. Treatment is prescribed after diagnosis. Diseases that precede bloating are infections in the intestines, dysbiosis, and obstruction. This is facilitated by helminths.
• Restoration of gastrointestinal motility. This accelerates the release of gas from the intestines. Medications used: Cerucal, Motilium.
• Bringing intestinal microflora back to normal. For these purposes, the child is prescribed prebiotics and probiotics. For example, the drug “Lactrofiltrum” has a beneficial effect on the proliferation of beneficial microorganisms inside the intestines, and “Linex” contains ready-made bacteria.
• Elimination of accumulated gases from the large intestine. Espumisan is prescribed, which destroys the gas, which is then easier to remove. Enterosorbents (Activated Carbon, Smecta) will also be effective.

For a child aged 1 to 3 years, the use of medications is permitted only after the approval of a specialist. To alleviate the condition, the following manipulations will help him:

• warm the baby's belly by applying a warm heating pad;
• massage the abdomen, making circular movements with your palms in a clockwise direction;
• bend and straighten the child’s knives at the knees, pressing them to the surface of the abdomen;
• Give a child under 3 years of age a gas tube (a special catheter that is inserted into the rectum).

Herbal medicine is widely used in the treatment of bloating. It should be noted that it should be used only after consulting a specialist, as there is a high risk of allergies.

Children under six months old are recommended to drink dill water. It can be done at home.

For these purposes, you need to pour 1 tsp. dill seeds with 1 glass of water and boil over low heat for 15 minutes.

Afterwards the mass is filtered. Dill water has a beneficial effect on gastrointestinal motility, helps relax the smooth muscles of its walls and dilate blood vessels.

Children over 3 years old are allowed to use the following recipes:

• St. John's wort, yarrow and marsh grass are mixed in equal proportions. Pour boiling water in the amount of 1 liter per 3 tbsp. l. and infused for 4 hours. You need to consume 3-4 cups per day.
• Take mint leaves, anise seeds, fennel seeds, and caraway seeds in equal proportions and mix. Brew 2 tsp. mixture in a glass of boiling water and pour into a thermos for 7 hours. Drink 1 glass per day.
• 1 tbsp. l. chamomile flowers are diluted in a glass of boiling water and infused for at least 15 minutes. Used every 5 hours.
• Mix 1 tsp. dill seeds and dried thyme and pour a glass of boiling water. Infuse for approximately 10 minutes, then boil and infuse again for 15 minutes. Consume 30 g warm every hour.

In addition to the use of medications and folk remedies, one should not forget about being in the fresh air and leading an active lifestyle, since this increases the tone of the child’s body and helps to normalize all systems in the body, including digestion.

How to determine pathology

If the baby is restless, crying for no reason, parents begin to speculate why he behaves this way.

If a child has a stomach ache, then upon palpation a uniform compaction is determined. Due to the discomfort caused by the actions of the parents, the baby himself tenses his muscles. In this case, it is difficult to determine exactly where the source of pain is concentrated.

A large belly is determined visually; it differs from the normal appearance of this part of the body. You can understand that the source of discomfort is in the abdomen by the fact that the child draws in his legs, bends, and assumes the position of a fetus.

Palpation of the abdomen is carried out spirally, starting from the navel and further clockwise. In a healthy baby, the parents’ fingers are “recessed” 1-2 cm deep, the patient does not strain the stomach. Externally, in the supine position, the abdominal cavity is symmetrical and does not protrude anywhere.

Prevention

To prevent bloating in your child, you should:

• balance your diet;
• observe how much the child eats;
• carry out lactation in a calm state;
• protect the child from stressful situations;
• arrange an active and healthy lifestyle for the child;
• Keep all medications out of the reach of children.

To effectively help eliminate this phenomenon and, therefore, colic, it is necessary to implement preventive measures long before the occurrence of bloating in the child.

Bloating occurs quite infrequently, if you remember all the provoking causes.

A balanced diet and an active lifestyle are the main positive factors that help children virtually not have these problems.

What should I feed my baby to prevent bloating?

The diet for flatulence should be healthy, but the menu should be varied and tasty, otherwise the child will simply refuse to eat healthy food. It is imperative to feed him those foods that contain dietary fiber, which helps activate digestive processes. Fiber “cleanses” the intestines and reduces the concentration of gases formed during the fermentation process. But it is important to remember that fiber-rich foods should be consumed in moderation, as they increase the peristalsis of the smooth muscles of the gastrointestinal tract and, in excessive quantities, can also cause bloating. Adequate portions and volume can be prescribed by a nutritionist or gastroenterologist.

For bloating, the diet should include cereal porridges, fermented milk products, vegetables and fruits low in starchy substances and sugar, dietary meat and poultry, lean fish, and dried wheat bread. For a while, sweets are completely excluded from the menu. An allowed dessert may be white marshmallows, which contain natural apple pectin. Completely restricting your child from delicacies will be the wrong step, as he will begin to consume forbidden foods in secret.

You can start your morning with rice porridge cooked in half and half milk and water. Be sure to pack your child a separate snack that will help him wait until lunch and eliminate hunger without resorting to unhealthy chips or soda. Food should be cooked with a minimum amount of oil. It is better to completely avoid frying: cook steamed dishes, switch to boiled and stewed foods.

What foods can cause bloating in a child?

• Legumes;
• Sweet berries and fruits (grapes, banana, peaches, pears);
• Vegetables of the cabbage family;
• Fatty meats and fish;
• Fresh pastries, rye bread;
• Hard-boiled chicken eggs;
• Smoked, salted, pickled products;
• Sweeteners;
• Whole milk, ice cream.