Infant Stomach Pain: Tips for Relief and Prevention

In the problem of colic, the baby keeps crying continuously. This normally happens to babies of two to three weeks. Babies up to about 5 months can have the problem of colic. It is also known as gas pain in babies. If your baby cries continuously for two hours on any three days of the week, then it can be colic.

Why does it happen?
Nothing can be said correctly about its main reasons. Colic can occur due to digestion and air filling in the intestines, while many people also consider the baby's inability to digest some elements present in the mother's milk as the reason for this.

What to do?
At present, there is no treatment available for colic. But parents can take proper advice from the doctor to reduce the stomach pain of the baby. Usually, the symptoms of colic start improving as soon as the baby is 3 to 4 months old and the problem of colic ends in most babies by the time they are 5 months old.

(Read more - Newborn Baby, Infant and Child Health Care Tips)

Constipation is a common stomach problem in babies. This problem is mainly seen in babies who have recently started taking solid food. Constipation is a problem when the baby passes less stool than normal or passes stool only once in more than three days.

Why does it happen?
Allergies to milk in babies, lack of fiber in the diet, drinking less water and delay in passing stool are the main reasons for constipation.

What to do?
If your baby has started taking solid food, then you can give the baby food that loosens the stool. For this, you can give the baby oatmeal, apricot, pear and peas. Along with this, try to give as little as possible foods that harden the stool like banana, apple, carrot and rice. Giving more liquid and breastfeeding to the baby also relieves the problem of constipation.

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In diarrhea, the infant passes watery stools repeatedly. Due to this, children may have the problem of dehydration.

Why does it happen?
Diarrhea in infants is usually caused by rotavirus. Apart from this, diarrhea can also be caused by Campylobacter, Salmonella, E. coli bacteria. It is also common for your infant to have diarrhea due to contaminated food and bacteria.

What to do?
In diarrhea, there is a lack of water (dehydration) in your infant's body. In this situation, it is important to give water and mother's milk to the infant. Before giving any kind of medicine to fill the lack of water in the infant, consult a doctor. If you have started giving solid food to the infant, then try to give him healthy and light food in case of diarrhea.

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Most infants start spitting and vomiting after eating food. This condition is known as gastroesophageal reflux or reflux. It is common in infants, children and adults. When the part between the food pipe and stomach of your baby is not able to function properly, then your baby starts having the problem of reflux. In this, food and gastric acid start coming from the stomach to the throat.

Why does it happen?
Underdevelopment of lower esophageal sphincter (rounded device present in the lower part of the food pipe, which closes the mouth of the food pipe after the food reaches the stomach, so that food or acid cannot come back out). The underdeveloped lower esophageal sphincter is not able to close properly, due to which the food from the stomach starts coming into the mouth.

What to do?
In this situation, you should feed the baby at short intervals. Along with this, while feeding the baby or child, keep a pillow behind his head or keep his head elevated. In this problem, the doctor can give medicine to your baby or child to reduce the acid formed in the stomach, so that your baby does not have to face much trouble while eating food.

(Read more -What to do and expect in the first hour after your baby is born)

It is common for babies who have recently started taking solid food to have gas in their stomach. Babies and children can also have stomach aches due to gas.

Why does it happen?
Babies may have a gas problem by eating any new food for the first time. Gas in the baby is also a sign of underdevelopment of his intestines. Along with this, it also shows that the healthy bacteria present in your baby's digestive system are in the process of developing.

What to do?
Gas in babies and children does not indicate any serious problem. But parents can give relief to the baby from this problem by understanding the technique of massaging the baby's stomach well. For this, you can also make your baby sit with the support of the legs and massage his back lightly. Some parents also give gas reducing drops to the baby at this time, but studies do not show this method to be effective.

(Read more - The Journey of Birth: How a Baby is Born)

If your baby is having diarrhea and vomiting, then it is a problem of gastroenteritis. It is also known as stomach flu.

Why does it happen?
Stomach flu occurs when there is swelling, redness and irritation in the lining of the digestive system. Along with this, gastroenteritis is also caused by rotavirus, adenovirus, calcivirus and astrovirus. Rotavirus is considered to be the main reason for this.

What to do?
If the child is vomiting and having diarrhea along with fever and loss of appetite due to stomach flu, then your child's body may soon get dehydrated. In this situation, try to give the child an adequate amount of liquids (such as canned milk or mother's milk). This helps the child to recover.

(Read more - Baby development in the first month after birth)

Infection
Sometimes babies start having stomach ache even when they have colds and flu. Sometimes more mucus starts forming in the upper part of the respiratory system of the baby, which can go from the throat to the stomach of the baby and spoil his stomach.

What to do?
The treatment is done on the basis of infection. In such a situation, talk to your doctor.

Milk Indigestion
Due to lack of lactase in the body of the baby, he may have the problem of indigestion of milk. Lactase is an enzyme formed in the body, which is necessary to digest the sugar present in cow's milk and other dairy products.

(Read more - Home remedies to get rid of mucus)

What to do?
If this happens, do not give milk or milk products to your children for a few days.

Motion Sickness
If your baby is sick during the journey, he may have motion sickness. This is the cause of stomach problems in your baby. But the problem of motion sickness is very rare in babies under two years of age.

What to do?
If the baby has a problem of motion sickness, you should stop for short periods of time during your long journey. This allows the baby or child to get fresh air. Also, ensure that the baby has eaten some food before the journey. In case of motion sickness, consult a doctor before giving any kind of medicine to the child.

(Read more -How to Strengthen Your Child's Immune System)

Intestinal Blockage
If your baby is fine, and after a while he starts crying loudly, then this could be a symptom of intestinal blockage. There are two types of blockage in the intestines in the baby: pyloric stenosis (pyloric stenosis: the muscles connecting the stomach to the small intestine become thick, due to which food is not able to pass through it.) and intussusception (intussusception: the intestinal lining folds inwards.). Other signs of this condition include vomiting in the baby and these symptoms increase with time.

What to do?
If the baby has such a problem, you should immediately take him to the doctor.

(Read more - Common cold in babies)