It's bad when a baby has a tummy ache. Parents' hearts can turn over with pity at the sight of their crying or writhing child. However, tummy aches are not so rare at the beginning of life. Read here why this is the case and how parents can help their baby.
How babies indicate abdominal pain
Your baby may not be able to speak yet, but there are still various ways of telling you that its tummy is pinching. Babies express this discomfort through certain behaviours and physical symptoms. For example, the following signs may indicate that your baby has a tummy ache:
The baby cries and screams: It may be that the child, in particular after feeding cries or screams persistently and intensely. The crying can also sound sharper or shriller than usual.
The baby writhes, squirms and/or stretches: It often pulls its legs up to its tummy or stretches them out stiffly, as if to relieve the pain or get rid of a fart. This behaviour is often paired with loud crying in the event of abdominal pain.
The baby is restless and irritable, Some children then find it difficult to calm down and also have difficulty falling asleep or staying calm for a longer period of time.
The baby has flatulence: If a lot of air has accumulated in the tummy, the tummy may appear more distended and harder than usual. The child will feel quite uncomfortable. You can also become aware of this if the baby lets out a fart more often than usual and the child is automatically calmer afterwards and sometimes appears quite "relieved".
The baby shows an expression of pain, It may, for example, contort its face, turn red or frown.
Baby's bowel movements have changed: Constipation or unusually soft stools can also indicate abdominal pain. Sometimes bowel movements can also be accompanied by an unpleasant odour, colour or consistency.
The baby refuses to feed: A child with abdominal pain may refuse to feed or cry during feeding, which may indicate discomfort in the stomach.
The baby has to vomit: Vomiting often has other causes, such as a gastrointestinal infection, which is often accompanied by diarrhoea. In this case, very young children should be seen by a doctor.
But even without an infection, vomiting in combination with the aforementioned symptoms can indicate abdominal pain. What is meant here is genuine vomiting in a massive gush and high arch, which can also occur independently of feeding. This vomiting should not be confused with normal regurgitation or spitting up after a meal, where some milk comes back up and parents have the impression that their child is "overflowing".
All of these signs can help you recognise whether your child may have abdominal pain. However, if you are unsure or the symptoms seem severe, talk to your midwife or take your baby to the paediatrician's practice to clarify the causes and treat them if necessary.
Why babies often have stomach ache
The reasons for this very unpleasant stomach ache are usually related to the child's development and diet. Here are the most important causes:
The infant's digestive system is still immature.
All babies are born with a digestive system that is not yet fully developed. This is because the enzymes and bacteria needed to digest food have yet to develop. This can lead to digestive problems and abdominal pain. What exactly is the reason for this?
- On the still immature enzymes: These special proteins have the task of breaking down food into smaller, digestible components. In infants, these enzymes have yet to fully develop. For example, at the beginning of their lives, babies lack the enzyme amylase, which is responsible for the digestion of carbohydrates. Only after months does the little body produce enough enzymes to be able to digest food effectively.
- The microbiome in the gut is not yet fully developed: The so-called gut microbiome is the totality of all the billions of organisms (e.g. bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc.) that live in the gut and play an important role in digestion. However, a newborn baby does not yet have a fully developed gut microbiome. This only develops gradually in the first few months of life through contact with the environment, breast milk and later through solid food.
The microbiome also influences the baby's immune system. A large part of the immune system is located in the gut. However, as it is still developing in babies, the gut can still react sensitively to certain foods and microorganisms.
- On the sensitive intestinal mucosa: It lines the intestine and is not only more sensitive in infants, but also much more permeable than in older children and adults. This permeability can lead to larger molecules, which are normally digested and broken down, entering the bloodstream and causing discomfort or even allergic reactions.
- The still immature intestinal motility: This technical term refers to the intestine's ability to move rhythmically and transport the chyme further. This ability is also not yet fully developed in newborns - which can lead to slower digestion and a greater tendency to flatulence and constipation.
This information also makes it easier to understand why children are fed exclusively on milk at the beginning of their lives. The best way is of course Breast milkwhich is always optimally and automatically adapted to the infant's immature digestive system. However, breast milk substitutes are also very well suited to this. These foods are easier to digest than solid foods and provide the necessary nutrients in a form that the baby's body can process better.
And yet some babies still have difficulty passing stools regularly in their nappies. If this leads to Constipationthe child may well feel discomfort and pain in the tummy. Gentle abdominal massages can then help. A baby's tummy may also be squeezed if he or she drinks too much at once or too quickly. In these cases, smaller, more frequent meals help. And finally, it is also common for babies to be breastfed or bottle-fed. Swallow air. This air can be trapped in the stomach and lead to flatulence and pain. Burping after feeding helps. By burping, the child can get rid of some of the swallowed air.
As development progresses, baby's digestive system becomes increasingly efficient and resilient. In this natural process, his body gradually adapts to a more varied diet, which goes beyond milk-based meals after around six months. Then the child can already Complementary food when it shows interest in other foods.
Does the child perhaps have colic?
At least that's what many parents believe when their otherwise healthy baby is very restless for no apparent reason, has violent Screaming attacks and can hardly be calmed down. This is quickly referred to as "three-month colic". It is called this because the violent crying usually occurs in the first three months of life and then subsides.
Crying babies belong to the so-called regulatory disorders. This describes the fact that this pain occurs because the baby has not yet learnt to cope with the challenges of life outside the womb. It is not yet able to process the stress caused by this challenge. The baby's immature intestinal tract may also play a certain role here. According to the Medical Journal colic is also associated with the establishment of bacterial intestinal flora, which takes place in the first few weeks of life. Reflux and other physical causes can also be the cause of increased crying and abdominal pain in babies, albeit very rarely.
Did you know that you can have a major influence on your baby's development during pregnancy? Not only nutrition and health are important, but also your stress level. In the "Writing baby" workshop, midwife Katharina explains how all of this is connected and what is good for your baby.
Does air in the stomach cause abdominal pain in babies?
Especially in phases when babies cry a lot, they actually have air in their tummies. Babies swallow this air while they are crying. The crying is then not triggered by the air, but the air is the result of the crying. The best way for parents to avoid this vicious circle is to respond to their baby's crying as quickly as possible.
Abdominal pain in babies can also indicate a food intolerance or allergy.
Sometimes certain ingredients in food, such as cow's milk protein in breast milk substitutes, can cause stomach ache in the baby. Even if the mother is breastfeeding, certain foods that she eats can cause discomfort in the baby via the breast milk. The only thing that helps here is to try things out and observe.
Stress can cause the baby stomach ache.
That is why Peace and quiet The very best situation for the child (and also for the breastfeeding mother or bottle-feeding father) during feeding. Therefore, make sure that no-one can intrude on this situation and that any hectic behaviour is avoided as far as possible. The fewer upsetting stimuli, distractions and disturbances there are, the less your baby will have to process during feeding.
Incidentally, I am also convinced that tense family situations - such as stress or arguments between the parents, thick air between a sibling and the parents, etc. - cause a baby stress. This is because it senses every tension in its environment, is still extremely sensitive and not yet capable of self-regulation. This is why babies can react to stress and tension from their carers with discomfort such as tummy ache.
How you can help your baby with a tummy ache
Two very important points first:
- Firstly: Fennel tea used to be considered a remedy that helped babies and small children with stomach ache. That no longer applies today. Children under the age of four should none at all Get fennel tea.
- Secondly: Always check whether your baby's abdominal pain is accompanied by other symptoms such as fever, vomiting or diarrhoea. And even if this is not the case, it is always important to assess whether they are very severe. If in doubt, you should consult your paediatrician to rule out more serious causes or to find a suitable treatment if necessary.
But you as parents can also take several measures if your baby has a stomach ache. There are many things that can soothe the child and alleviate the discomfort. Here are a few tips:
Hold the baby, carry it, cradle it in your arms, soothe it: This is always the most important thing when a child is unwell! Physical contact, gentle rocking, soft singing and Carry can help him to relax and feel less pain as a result.
Allow to burp: After feeding, you should take the baby in your arms and stroke its back or soft tap on it. This will help your child to release any trapped air. This reduces flatulence and discomfort. Many parents also put the baby over their shoulder to do this. However, I consider this method to be problematic because it puts a lot of pressure on the stomach. This can easily lead to vomiting large quantities of milk. In addition, the baby's face is out of the parent's field of vision when the baby is placed over the shoulders. This makes it difficult to recognise if the baby has problems breathing when burping. Carrying the baby in a baby sling also makes it easier for the baby to burp the air in the stomach. This is another reason why this upright position is good for babies. Just try out what helps your child to burp.
Massage the tummy: Gentle abdominal massages in a clockwise direction can aid your child's digestion and relieve gas build-up. However, make sure that you gentle and careful to proceed.
Apply heat: A warm (not hot!) hot-water bottle or a warm cherry stone cushion on the baby's tummy can work wonders, as warmth relaxes and relieves stomach ache. However, always test the temperature on your own wrist beforehand to make sure that the heat application is not really too hot. The safest source of heat is direct physical contact with the parents. Belly to belly in direct skin contact gives your baby the right amount of warmth for the tummy and at the same time provides your baby with a nice and relaxing cuddle.
Cycling" with the legs: If the baby has burped and is still tormented by the "tummy", you can also lay it on its back and gently "cycle" with its legs. This can help to stimulate bowel movements and release gas. Liberating burps are then not uncommon.
Avoid overfeeding: Let the baby drink more often in small amounts instead of giving him large, less frequent meals. This can also help to put less strain on the sensitive digestive system.
Breastfeed/feed more upright: Experience shows that babies are less likely to suffer from air in their tummies after feeding if they do not feed horizontally (i.e. lying down), but at least in a clearly inclined position.
Adapt bottle feeding: There are anti-colic bottles or teats with a slow flow rate so that the baby doesn't swallow so much air when drinking. It's worth a try! You can also take breaks in between feeds to "burp" your baby. It is also important that the bottle milk is fed warm. This makes it easier for the baby to digest.
Do stomach aches in the baby go away if the breastfeeding mother adjusts her diet?
It is a long-disproved myth that flatulent foods etc. in the diet of a breastfeeding mum can cause stomach ache in the baby. The mother's diet is very rarely responsible for the baby's stomach ache. Only if there is a suspicion that the abdominal pain could be related to allergies or intolerances is it advisable to take a close look at the breastfeeding mum's eating habits in order to possibly adjust her diet.
All of these measures can help to alleviate baby's discomfort and improve his or her well-being. However, every child is unique. It may therefore take some time to find the best method for your child.
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