Why is My Newborn Baby Farting So Much?
Newborn babies are susceptible and delicate. As they have come to this world, they have enormous experiences a lot of things. The systems of a newborn baby are still in the process of development and growth. This development and growth need a lot of nutrition and care.
Frequent farting of newborn babies can result from lactose intolerance, burping, formula milk, use of medicines, and bottle feeding. It is recommended to visit your pediatrician for a check-up.
The extensive use of formula foods and some other factors causes the digestive system of a newborn baby to disturb. The newborn can suffer from different digestive problems due to various reasons. All these digestive problems can cause the newborn to fart frequently.
Why is My Newborn Baby Farting So Much?
There are many reasons due to which gas becomes entrap in the stomach and intestine of a newborn. This entrap gas has to pass out, which causes frequent farting in anew born. In this article, we are going to discuss some of the reasons for frequent farting in a newborn baby.
Following are some of the reasons for frequent farting in a newborn baby
Overfeeding
Overfeeding is one of the most important causes of gas trouble in newborn babies. A newborn baby on the average drinks 2 ounces of milk after 3 to 4 hours. Parents are always worried about does their babies have eaten enough.
Parents are always obsessed if their newborn baby is taking enough nutrition necessary for his growth and development. This behavior causes overfeeding of either breast milk or formula milk in newborn babies.
Overfeeding breast, milk, or formula milk causes an overload of milk on the stomach of the baby. The immature digestive system of the baby is not able to digest all the milk. This overload of milk causes the digestive system to become upset. The excess lactose in the digestive system cannot be broken down and produce gas. This gas is entrapped in the intestine and causes farting problems in newborns.
Effects of medicine taken by mothers
Commonly all newborn babies are breastfed. Breastfeeding is beneficial for the development and growth of newborn babies. The newborn babies who are getting their nutrition through breast milk are also affected by all the medicines or chemicals taken by mothers.
If the mother of a newborn baby is taking medicines like antibiotics, not only affect mothers but also to the babies. These medicines are also passed to babies through breast milk. These medicines cause discomfort in the digestive system of babies.
The antibiotics can cause an imbalance of beneficial bacteria and pathogenic bacteria. These antibiotics can kill both pathogenic and beneficial bacteria. This destruction of beneficial bacteria, which are essential for digestion of food, cause discomfort, and entrap gas in the stomach. This excess gas in the stomach and intestines causes frequent farting problems in newborn babies.
Imbalance of microflora
Our digestive system naturally contains hundreds of microbes. These microbes are not only pathogenic but also beneficial in nature. The beneficial bacteria provide a defensive mechanism against pathogenic microbes. These beneficial microbes also help in breaking down complex food components into simple components and finally absorbing all the necessary nutrients present in food.
An imbalance or reduction in the number of these beneficial bacteria causes stomach disturbance and also causes improper digestion of food. This disturbance causes undigested food to accumulate in the stomach and becomes a reason for gas production in the stomach. This accumulated gas in the stomach passes out of the body frequently and become a reason for frequent farting in newborn babies.
Sometimes this imbalance causes an increase in the number of pathogenic bacteria, and these pathogenic bacteria cause flatulence and diarrhea in newborn babies. This flatulence causes an excess of gas to entrap n stomach, which is passing out of the body of babies frequently.
Immature digestive system
All the body organ systems are in the process of development and growth. The digestive system of a newborn baby is not developed and cannot digest complex foods. This immature digestive system is also deficient in defensive mechanisms against microbes.
The digestive system of newborn baby lacks all the necessary enzymes for the digestion of food. This immaturity of the digestive system causes improper digestion of breast milk or formula milk and produces an excess of gas in the stomach. The entrapped gas in the digestive system causes frequent farting in newborn babies.
Extra air intake
A newborn baby is on frequent feeding, either breastfeeding or bottle feeding. This frequent feeding causes the newborn to swallow excess of air. Sometimes due to overfeeding, when the baby cannot gulp much milk, swallow extra air from outside. Feeding newborn in haste also causes them to swallow extra air, which causes to entrap gas in the stomach. This excess air is trapped in the stomach and causes discomfort in the newborn.
Newborn babies use crying as a clue for expressing their emotions and hunger. They always cry when they need food, or they cannot gulp extra food. Excess of crying also causes newborn babies to swallow excess of air from outside.
This excess of air becomes entrapped in the intestines of newborn babies and is passed out of the body of newborn babies. Intake of extra air causes frequent farting problems in newborn babies. You may notice your newborn baby stretching and grunting.
Sleeping after feed
Newborn babies have a short sleep-wake cycle. They spend most time of day sleeping. Some babies prefer feeding while sleeping; others sleep immediately after feeding. This sleeping of newborn babies is another reason frequent farting. If babies sleep immediately after sleeping, they lay down, which is not an ideal position for the digestion of milk.
The upright situation is good for the digestion of food. A baby sleeps after feeding is not able to digest all milk properly. This sleeping causes disruption of GIT due to undigested milk. Undigested milk produces an excess of gas in the stomach of the newborn. Production of gas becomes the reason for newborn babies farting so much.
Formula milk
The newborn babies have an underdeveloped digestive system due to which they are intolerant to lactose. Due to this reason, they are fed on formula milk. Formula milk is rich in all necessary nutrients for the growth of newborn babies. This formula milk also becomes the reason frequent farting in babies.
The nutrient in formula milk is complex and causes an overload in the stomach of the baby. This overload of milk nutrients cannot be digested by the newborn and cause the production of gas in the intestines of babies. This gas is expelled out of the body in the form of farting. To pass out all this gas, the babies fart so much.
Lactose intolerance can result in frequent farting in a newborn baby
Newborn babies intolerant to lactose also frequently fart. This lactose intolerance causes to disrupt the digestive system of babies. This lactose intolerance causes the gas to entrap in the stomach, which becomes a reason for frequent farting.
Use of medicines
Newborn babies have an underdeveloped immune system that is not able to cope up with all infections. This inability causes frequent sickness in babies. To treat all infections, newborn babies are treated with antibiotics and other medicines.
The use of these antibiotics causes not only the discomfort of the digestive system but also generates an imbalance of natural microflora of the gut. The use of antibiotics also destroys beneficial bacteria.
This discomfort of GIT and imbalance of microflora of gut causes an increased production of gas in the stomach. This increase production of gas is the main reason for frequent farting in newborn babies.
Always burping
The burping is passing of the air bubbles through mouth or anus. The entrapped air bubbles cause a feeling of discomfort or sometimes pain in the stomach of the newborn. Frequent burping also causes constant farting in newborns.
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