Help- 7 Month Old and Painful Gas (We Think)

I took a quick look at the replies and wanted to add another possibility. With both my kids I noticed they got painful gas based on what I was eating! The breastfeeding books talk about some of the foods that give people gas also give babies gas, but with my kids it was when I ate cheese. I had to stop having cream cheese and cheese on anything and they were better! So while carrying them on their tummies (which helped for mine also) and trying everything else, keep track of what you are eating and see if there is a pattern. The usual suspects, beans, broccoli come to mind first but track everything because it could be something else!

It may be just gas, but with being a preemie, I would call the ped. and let them know what is going on. There are a lot of different things that can cause him to screem like that, but I would call the ped to be safe. Good luck!
H.

Hi. I found that mylicon drops only work for the gas in the stomach. Once it travels to the intestines, it doesn't work. I found online (at 2 am!) a product called Colic Calm. There are a variety of products under this name but the one i bought had charcoal in it. I have to say it worked immediately about 95% of the time. You could even hear a girgle when the drops hit the gas. Good luck.

I was reading all your responses and I tried them all with my son. When it came down to it I still don't know if it was just gas or a combination of gas and colic. I didn't care when it finally stopped!!! The only thing that really helped my son was airplane(on his belly across my forearm)while walking around and around the house. As soon as I fliped him over the screaming would begin. Give it a try just be prepared to wear holes in your carpet from all the walking!!

R.

My children reacted very much the same way, especially my son. My pediatrician told us that gassy pain tends to cause children to bring there legs into their belly, where as acid/gastric reflux causes an arching reaction. My son would be screaming/crying in pain and yet trying to smile and play with us at the same time, then just start screaming/crying again. He was put on Pepcid and we noticed a significant change within 3 days. Car rides wouldn't work to calm him, nothing seemed to comfort him, except the Pepcid. We were advised to have him sleep in his carseat or bouncy chair until the medicine was working fully. Also not to lie him down within a half hour of feeding. The only difference is my son began with this his first month, but it may be possible to develop it later. I believe though that it is caused from an inability of the little flap opening of the stomach to stay closed and that this should resolve itself around the 8-10 month mark, but with your son being a preemie, he still has 3-5 months for this to happen. One other thing, my son spit up constantly with this. I had to pack at least 2-4 outfits and 6-12 bibs for even a short outing. My daughter on the otherhand, never spit up, but we are not conviced she actually had reflux (there were other medical problems that could have caused her fussiness). Anyway, you may want to discuss this with your pediatrician if the problem doesn't resolve soon with the things the other mothers are suggesting. Your pediatrician may prescribe the medicineto see if it helps, as there are no real diagnostic tests for this. Best of Luck, I know how hard it is to watch your little one in pain and feel helpless. Let us all know how things turn out.

HI,
I would call your doctor since it sound like a bowl problem that should NOT go untreated. Children at your babies age should go no longer than a few days w/o having a bowel movement. It could be dangerous to go long periods of time. I have a son that has had problems since he was very young and I know the crying you are hearing. My son has been on GlycoLax since he was an infant which works well but needs to be adjusted as his weight increases. Good Luck.

About Me: Separated mother of twin 2.5yr old boys who were born at 34 weeks. Both are doing great both developmentally and socially!!

Has he started teething yet? It could be the case. We thought my son had bad gas (I was nursing and thought I ate something disagreeable) Turned out to be his first teeth coming in. Some babies won't eat when they have mouth pain. Sucking brings blood to the area and can make it more painful. Try Motrin. (call your pediatrician first, of course) That worked for my son. It's an anti-inflammatory and pain reliever. He was always worse at night. This might be your prob. Feel his gums. You can usually feel if an area is swollen and ripe for a tooth. Good luck.

Hi Rebeka well it could be gas the drops that u can use are called MYlicon drops and i believe Little tummies has them too they do help if its just gas ....but like the other post acid reflux can do that too my youngest had it and was put on Zantac as well it does help i would try the gas drops if that dont help then i would be talking to your sons ped maybe can be reflux good luck :)

Call me crazy, but it sounds like a mild case of constipation. My daughter would have symptoms very similiar to what your describing, and turned out she was constipated. I found out that babies can be constipated even though they may seem to be going to the bathroom fairly regularly.

If you believe that it is actually gas then you should try mylicon drops ... they relieve gas pressure and pain for infants they can be found in any walmart baby section or drugstores... good luck

Hi
My son was born 10 weeks early and I remember having the same thing happen when he was 8 months old. Our pediatrician suggested watered down pear juice or watered down prune juice. My pediatrician is very conservative so we did not use the gas drops or enemas. The juice worked very well. But these are all very good questions for your pediatrician as well. We didnt start solids until about 8 months(6 months) because he wasnt developmentally ready and now at 4 he eats like a HORSE. He was also breastfed exclusively and along with the juice he was fine. Good luck and also dont be afraid to call your doctor. They get calls all the time from Moms.

Okay, I know this one, my son had it. Gas drops don't work, don't waste your money. Put some light Karo Syrup in all his bottles, not a lot, but I would say about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon full. Also, carry him upright for as long as you can during the day, like in the harness (when they are laying down gas can go not up or down, if they are upright then the gas can move somewhere). Also the vibrating chair is a godsend. Buy that and lots of batteries. Also, if possible, let him sleep in the vibrating chair because the gas can move because he is not flat. Our son had to until he was about 9-10 months then it stopped on its own. My ped. said upright is key because the gas can then go down or up if it needs too. Sounds like collic, but you should have your ped look into it, but this is what our ped. told us.
Rubbing the tummy also helps move the gas and gives bonding time as well.
Good luck, and it will pass soon. Just be warned the vibrating chair might help him sleep through the night, and that is a start the first time when you wake up it is light, and the baby hasn't cried, so be ready for that blessing.

He could be constipated. When my son was that age he did the same thing. The doctor said to use a q-tip and vasoline in his rectum. I felt like I was violating him, but it worked. Call your doctor anytime you are concerned, that's what they're there for. If it is gas, you can try moving his legs up to his tummy and back down. Do this for a few minutes. It seems to work. It's so hard when they are so little. You wish they could just tell you what's wrong. You can also try the mylicon drops. I went through the same thing. Don't worry. Most of it is trial and error. Best wishes and good luck.

Could it be teething? A friend's baby had similar symptoms and it was teething. My son also had a very difficult time teething, waking up screaming. Hyland's has a great homeopathic teething remedy and rescue remedy sprayed/dropped on your fingers and then rubbed on his forehead seemed to calm my kids. As they hit the 8-9 month mark, my children had days when they wouldn't have a bowel movement. My dr told me it was normal and if it went a week to call him. Chamomile tea helps.
I know how hard it is is to see the kids in pain.
Blessings,
G.

My son did the same thing as an infant. It turned out he had acid reflux. The doctor prescribed Zantac and that seemed to work. Talk to your doctor.

It would be worth having him checked for GERD. The arching of the back is a very common sign. Don't let them do a milk scan and then say everything's fine. Pepcid is a fairly innocuous medication.

Try Mylocon drops they work wonders for my daughter and if that does not work talk to pedi

My son had bad colic and after looking around and doing some reading I went to whole foods and bought Grip Water and I swear buy it. It has fennel in it and that helps with digestion and gas. My new doctor even told me he loves the stuff and tells others about it. I would give it a try and if it doesn't work talk to your doctor. Good luck

mylecin ? gas drops - over the counter When my son was born his muscles weren't fully develpoed and he writhed in pain. These drops were a life saver + lay him on his back and gemtly push his legs in and pull out (bending at the knee)repeatedly - this will also loosen the gas - also a lifesaver1

Have you tried mylacon drops? They are a version of tums for babies. Gerber puts out a version too. They worked very well on my daughter & she seemed to like the taste. I'm sure you can find them at any store that sells baby products(CVS - Walmart) If that doesn't work you should talk to your Dr.

Mylicon drops seemed to be the best thing for my son when he had gas problems. Try talking to your pediatrician as well. I also would use gripe water when the pains were bad because I had to give him more of the gripe water than the mylicon drops but sometimes they worked better; I was able to find some at a natural food store. Also, if medicine didn't work, I would drink a cup of tea and then hold him to me, belly to belly, and the warmth of my stomach along with me rubbing and patting his back interchangeably, seemed to help. And of course, when it was rally bad and really late at night, he was only comforable if I were standing up and walking around, but it worked!

My lil girl was the same way and we found out that she had acid reflux and she is now on zantac 2ce a day and it works wonders for her. does he lay flat in the crib if so elevating it may help him. i am the mother of 2 and still am quite nervous about handing out advice but she would arch her back and scream just like you described, hope this helps

My son does the very same thing. It is heart breaking I know! The doctor told me that I do not burp him enough after meals and the air trapped is very painful. I do try to do it better, however it has not disappear totally.

Hi! My son was a premie also with reflux and my youngest son also had reflux and colic. The crying was unbelievable. I used Gripe Water which is a homeopathic type thing (all natural and very safe). You can ask the pharmacy. It helps relieve the pain associated with gas and colic. My boys did wonderful with it. I gave it to them with every feeding. It is very safe and natural and really does work.

I also have a preemie, and it sounds just like our life was. I was told you can give gas drops and follow the directions as well as to not be concerned itf they do not move there bowels daily. For us we stimulate the rectum after 3 days, 5 days give a couple of ounces of pear juice watered down, 10 days call doctor and do enema. Also movement helps the gas so any vibrating chair/ swing is a must good luck.

Have you tried the gas drops??

Hey R.,
I went through the same thing with my son who is now 15 months old. I went to Eckard Drug Store and brought Hylands Gas Tablets. I put two in his warm bottle and they worked like magic. The directions are on the bottle and the product is all natural. I still use them to this day if he has diarhea and alot of gas. I hope this works for you like it did for me. They also have the same brand in teething tablets. My doctors said they were safe and fine to use I started using them when he was 5 months old. Let me know how you make out. Best of luck. Sincerely, I. G.

It sounds exactly like GERD to me. My son had it when he was little and he did all those things. I even rushed him to the ER one night because he cried for 6 hrs staight and wouldn't eat, they said he was healthy but I knew something was up. My ped diagnosed him shortly after that, with a little prodding from me. It often goes undiagnosed if they are not obviously spitting up a lot. My son was put on Zantac and it really helped. I also found that my son was sensitive to the dairy in my diet and once I stopped eating it he improved even more. he grew out of it by the time he was 10 mos old. Sometimes elevating the mattress with a rolled up blanket or pillow will help. It happens at night ususally bacause the acid in their stomach refluxes up to their esophagus and causes inflamation and burning. Sleeping them on a incline can help with that. Good Luck!

Hi, my son, who was also a premie, went through a similar thing. He was eventually diagnosed with GERD (acid reflux) I would talk to your pediatrician (or if you are in Pgh call Dr. Chandra - who is a pediatric gastroenterologist and absolutely a LIFE SAVER!) I would do it asap as the problem will continue to get worse. I don't mean to scare you but my son was misdiagnosed by the pediatrician and given the wrong meds which gave us terrible complications. (including several hospital stays) It was not until we went to Dr. Chandra and he correctly diagnosed him and got him on a good treatment program that we saw any relief. For the first two years of his life my poor little guy did not sleep for more than 2 hours at a time, would barely eat because of the pain and at 2 1/2 we are still struggling to get him to sleep and eat, even though medically he is going great.

Hi R.~the back arching is a often a symptom of reflux...it's so common & could be something that eventually develops-and just as quickly disappear. A close friend had 2 children suffering from reflux but outgrew it by about 18mo. Mylicon is effective if it is gas-and "gentle enough to give after each feeding". Good luck!

Hello my name is B. and I have a son who will be two in october and he had the same thing although he wasnt breast feed his was due to our water in our town had to much iron in it but before we found this issue we would use gerber gas drops worked wounders on my son and so does alittle molases in his bottle. Carry them upright and burp him/her offten. I find it more effective when ur burping to tab on the butt not the back because i feel and have experienced that it helps the burp from its source. GOD BLESS and have patiences GOD BLESS