Burping An Easy Exit for Excess Air
BURPING An Easy Exit for Excess Air
A s a new parent, you are bound to be on the receiving end of a lot of information. So you've probably already discovered that the issue of burping is fraught with controversy. Your grandmother insists that if your little one doesn't burp before naptime, she'll wake up with colic. Your neighbor says you should burp your baby after every ounce of formula to make sure she won't have gas pain. Your sister says that your baby will burp by herself if you walk her after a meal.
But what if your own baby seems to be following the beat of a different drummer--and almost never burps at all? What's a parent to do?
Burping is no mystery, really. Every time your baby eats, she's bound to swallow some air along with the milk. The air collects in a bubble in her stomach, which may cause some discomfort. Burping your baby helps her release the air, so she'll feel more comfortable. And after a good, satisfying burp, she'll continue eating if she is hungry.
Older kids burp because of excess air in the stomach, too. But with them, the problem is a little different. You no longer need to encourage them to burp; you only wish they would stop.
It's not hard to deal with burping, say the experts. Here's what they suggest.
Let eating stop before burping begins. Your baby will let you know when he is ready to burp, says Abraham Jelin, M.D., assistant chairman of the Department of Pediatrics and director of pediatric gastroenterology at the Brooklyn Hospital Center. '' When a baby's stomach is full and he starts to feel uncomfortable, he'll stop eating. A good burp at this point will make him feel better. If you interrupt his meal to burp him when he doesn't need it, though, you'll have a crying, frustrated baby on your hands,'' Dr. Jelin says.
Listen for ''need-to-burp'' cues. Some babies gulp their milk and swallow a lot of air while they are eating, while others are quiet, efficient eaters, notes Richard Garcia, M.D., a pediatrician and vice chairman of the Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio. '' You can actually hear the difference between one baby's eating style and another,'' he says. ''Babies who swallow a lot of air require a lot of burping. Babies who don't swallow a lot of air are very difficult to burp, and indeed, may not need to be burped.''
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| When to See the Doctor ''If your child tends to burp and pass gas after eating a cheese pizza or drinking a glass of milk, he may have lactose intolerance, a common problem. Children with this condition don't have enough of the enzyme lactase, which is needed to break down lactose [milk sugar] in dairy products,'' says Betti Hertzberg, M.D., a pediatrician and head of the Continuing Care Clinic at Miami Children's Hospital. Lactose intolerance may begin as early as infancy. It is easily diagnosed by a physician, Dr. Hertzberg says. Treatment usually doesn't require giving up foods containing lactose completely. These foods may be eaten and tolerated in small amounts, she says. Or the doctor may recommend an enzyme supplement to be given to the child prior to eating dairy foods. |
Check out the bottle. If your baby seems to be sucking in a lot of air while he eats, see if the problem is related to a nipple hole that is too large or too small, suggests Dr. Garcia. '' You can also try a few different types of bottles and nipples. One may suit your baby better than another,'' he says.
Experiment with a variety of techniques. ''A burping method that works well with one might not work with another,'' notes Dr. Garcia.
''Some babies burp more easily if you hold them against your chest and rub their backs,'' he notes. ''Others may burp better if you sit them in your lap, and lean them forward against your hand while you pat the back. Still others do well being patted while they lie down on your lap.''
If your baby tends to spit up a lot of milk after a feeding, he should be burped in an upright position, with his stomach against your chest, says Betti Hertzberg, M.D., a pediatrician and head of the Continuing Care Clinic at Miami Children's Hospital. ''In the first year of life, the sphincter muscle around the esophagus may not be fully developed, which makes it easier for a bit of milk to come up with the air bubble,'' she says. While this is nothing to worry about, burping your baby in an upright position will make spitting up less likely.
Be suspicious of gum and soda. If you have an older child who's continually burping, investigate the diet connection. ''Any food item that makes children swallow air can make them burp,'' says Dr. Jelin. The worst culprits are chewing gum and carbonated drinks, he says. If you find a link, encourage your child to cut back on the offending item.
Ignore show-off burping. Some kids learn how to swallow air to make themselves burp. ''This can become an irritating habit, one that may drive you crazy,'' says Dr. Garcia. If the burping is intentional, he recommends that you try to ignore it. ''If the behavior doesn't get a lot of attention, it will probably decrease,'' he says.
Blame it on the drip. If your child suffers with postnasal drip, the constant dripping and subsequent air swallowing may cause burping. ''If this is the problem, treat the postnasal drip,'' says Dr. Jelin.
Make mealtime more leisurely. Your child may burp excessively if he tends to bolt down his food and dash out the door. ''It helps if your child sits down to a leisurely meal and stops gobbling,'' says Dr. Hertzberg.
