Preventing and Relieving Infant Gas in Newborns and Babies

by T.A. Lawrence BSc, CIRM, CPMP

Gas discomfort is very common among infants. About 70% of babies and newborns will experience occasional or frequent bouts of the tell-tale symptoms of infant gas and it affects both breast fed and bottle fed babies. While gas pains can afflict babies at any age, it is particularly common in newborns between one and four months of age because of the immaturity of their digestive systems.

What are the Signs and Symptoms of Infant Gas?

Burping and Belching

Burping is baby's natural way of expelling gas built up in the stomach. If baby hiccups, burps, belches or spits up excessively, it may indicate that too much air is being swallowed during feeding.

Spitting Up

While spitting up could be due to eating too much or too fast, it can also indicate gas build-up. A small amount of spitting up, often accompanied by a burp, is normal during and just after baby's feeding. However, frequent or excessive spit-ups could be caused by built up gas pressure which may also cause the infant's stomach to distend painfully or even force stomach contents to reflux into the esophagus, where unprotected tissues can become inflamed, causing your baby heartburn.

Hard Distended Belly

Gas has buoyancy and trapped gas essentially acts like a cork in the intestines, causing the flow of gastric juices to slow or stop. A swollen abdomen could be a sign that gas is trapped in the intestines causing built up pressure to accumulate. Built up pressure thus causes bloating and blockage in the abdomen, resulting in pain and discomfort. Baby's immature digestive system is unable to cope effectively and baby may experience painful cramping.

Flatulence

What Parents are Saying

I love this product. From the time I brought my son home from the hospital he has been very gassy. Nothing seemed to soothe him. Being a mother of three under the age of three, I was going nuts until I tried Colic Calm. I was willing to try anything. I am very glad I chose this. I highly recommend it.

Megan L. - Smithville, TN

It truly has been a miracle in a bottle. Whenever Michaela gets fussy and acts like she has gas, we just give her a dropper full and it calms her down immediately. We are so grateful to have found your product, it has really made our lives less stressful, so thank you, very very much!!

Tammerin B. - Grand Junction, CO

This product turned out to be a dream come true! I have a 8 wk old and we have been having problems since birth with gas & acid reflux. I was desperate so I got on the internet & found this product after 2 doctors told me I'd have to wait and eventually he'd grow out of it. Since I am a new mom, they didn't take me seriously. Well I am happy to announce I walk the halls a LOT less now & it DOES work almost instantly! The gas bubbles dramatically drop off in about 5 minutes and the hiccups are gone within 30 seconds tops!!! I have recommended this to all my friends with children and am ordering my second batch now.

Latricha N. - Billings, MT

Colic Calm is the only thing that helps my son's acid reflux and intestinal gas. We are leaving for the holidays this weekend and didn't realize we were almost out of Colic Calm until today. Our Christmas would have been ruined if we had to watch our son scream and writhe in pain the entire time. Thank you again for shipping this immediately...you saved our Christmas!

Sarah B. - Murfreesboro, TN

I happened to come across your product and am so glad I did! It has been a miracle worker. It helps our daughter to relax and relieves the gas and stomach discomfort that she experiences almost instantaneously! We are proud to say that she even sleeps through the night at only 2 months old! We could not be happier. Thanks again!!

Kristyn D. - Staten Island, NY

The product is great! It has helped our son tremendously. Colic Calm eliminates his gas pains in minutes, and he loves the taste of it. My wife was skeptical but I bought it because the testimonials sounded genuine. They are! Thanks!

Adam W. - Sherman Oaks, CA

It's absolutely heart-wrenching to watch your tiny baby doubled up in pain from gas, bloating, and all the other uglies that come along with having an immature digestive system. I'm very glad we found Colic Calm, it really does work. We had tried a different gripe water but it wasn't quite as well-roundedly effective in treating all the symptoms, plus it contains Sodium Bicarbonate -- something we definitely weren't interested in putting in our child. My husband and I are now ordering our 4th and 5th bottles of Colic Calm. It's worth every penny.

Jodi D. - Kirkland, WA

We couldn't live without Colic Calm. My baby girl cried 24/7 with horrible painful gas. We found out 15.5 weeks later that she is lactose intolerant. We used Colic Calm for her gas and it was the only thing that helped and we tried everything. Now we are on lactose free formula and use it to keep her from getting constipated.

Hilary V. - Woodside, CA

Thank you, for a wonderful, natural product that does what it says it will. I bought Colic Calm for my grandson. Every time he's needed relief from gas pains, Colic Calm works almost immediately. Thank you for making my grandson his happy self again.

Katrina J. - Glen Ellyn, IL

Colic Calm was the greatest thing created for babies. My son is nine months and still gets gassy because he is just starting to eat real food. I can give him only one dose of Colic Calm and he goes right to sleep. My husband was a bit skeptical when he was smaller and I used it for the first time. Once he saw the results he became a true believer. I now tell all my friends.

Shamika C. - South Gate, CA

Colic Calm is excellent. My daughter from 2 weeks old, now 2 months, has some issues with colic. She is breastfed and this reflects on what I am eating. Thru the process of elimination, I have cut out salads and most dairy. This seems to help (just like her mother's). I was using Mylicon and that would only help a little. I started using Colic Calm and I could hear it working instantly. Her gas gets expelled easier and she is so much more comfortable. It is priceless. When I asked my pediatrician about it she was excited to know this "old fashioned gripe water is still out there". She was totally for using this, especially over Mylicon. It mayl take 20 minutes for the baby to start releasing the gas but, when they do, they will feel so much more comfortable. No more sudden wake ups from gas cramps.

Lisa M. - Brookhaven, PA

I started giving Colic Calm when my baby started suffering from gas at 2 weeks of age. It seems to be pretty close to a miracle. It works as soon as it is given and my baby loves the taste! It's great piece of mind to know that I have something that will ease his crying. Thanks!

Genni B. - Key West, FL

It is quite normal for babies to pass gas between 10 to 15 times per day. Gas can enter the digestive system through several sources including normal digestion of nutrients in milk and formula and air swallowed during feeding and crying. However, an excessive amount of gas may point to incomplete digestion of food due to newborns very immature digestive processes which have not had time to build up adequate beneficial flora (probiotics) and enzymes in the gut. Bad bacteria or yeast (candida) infections can also cause excessive gassiness, flatulence and even diarrhea which require medical attention.

Excessive Fussiness

Crying is simply how babies communicate a need. As such, crying occurs frequently and for any number of reasons; hunger, discomfort, loneliness, pain, tiredness, or gassiness. According to the Dunstan Baby Language baby will cry out with an "Eh" sound if gas is trapped in the stomach and needs to burp, whereas an "Eairh" crying sound will be uttered if gas is trapped in the intestines. With intestinal gas, you may notice baby's face turn red, knees being pulled up into the chest along with straining or grunting sounds.

If your baby cries for three or more hours per day and at least three times per week you may in fact have a colicky baby on your hands.

Restlessness or Insomnia

Any form of discomfort will make it more difficult for baby to sleep...likewise for concerned parents. Here are a few tip and techniques on how to relieve a gassy baby's discomfort.

Tips for Relieving Gassiness in Babies and Newborns

Feed Baby on an Incline: Keep the head and neck elevated above the stomach while feeding. If baby is bottle fed, tip the bottle slightly so that air can rise to the top while milk / formula sink to completely cover the nipple.
Burp After Feeding: Most pediatricians agree that you should burp your infant by holding him/her upright or over the shoulder after feeding since it can avert gas discomfort later on. Be patient as it may take a minute or so for the bubbles and gasses in infant's tummy to surface. Hopefully, you will be rewarded with one or two big burps. Note that burping is not always completely effective as many babies can experience trapped gas and hiccups despite mom and dad's best efforts.
Talk to a Lactation Consultant if Breast Feeding: While breast feeding, ensure that babies mouth is latching on properly and that each feeding is neither too fast or too slow. Ask a lactation consultant or contact La Leche League for support.
Use the Right Bottle and Formula if Bottle Feeding: The best kind of bottle will have a soft nipple that contours along baby's mouth and lips thus preventing air from flowing along with the milk/formula. The nipple should flow gradually and slowly so the baby has time to drink and does not gulp excessively. You may need to switch formula to find the one that produces the least amount of gas in your baby.
Gripe Water: For over a hundred years, gripe water has been a trusted remedy against infant gas used by pediatricians, nannies and millions of parents all over the world. The best quality of gripe water should be FDA registered for safety and efficacy, contain all-natural ingredients and be manufactured according to strict FDA regulations for good manufacturing practices (GMP) for homeopathic medicines. Colic Calm^® is the only gripe water that meets this high standard, and it works quickly; usually within five minutes or less, providing safe and effective relief.
Simethicone: Simethicone is a synthetic drug that is mass-marketed as an anti-flatulent for gas relief. However, numerous clinical studies have confirmed what many pediatricians already know; namely that simethicone is ineffective, especially when compared to the clinically proven ingredients in Colic Calm. One clinical study on simethicone showed effective gas relief in only 7% of cases while several other studies have shown no noticeable improvement compared to a placebo. You would be better off spending your hard earned money on something that works.
Probiotics: Research suggests that supplementing with a pediatric probiotic may help ease some infant gastric problems if given over a period of several weeks. If your baby has started eating solids and can drink cows milk introducing a bit of yogurt into baby's diet will have essentially the same effect.
Football Hold: Carry baby face down with baby's tummy resting on your forearm, baby’s legs straddling your elbow and baby’s chin resting in your hand. Gravity will help apply pressure on the little tummy that can help soothe and release baby’s gas. Give baby a gentle back rub for additional pressure. A similar result can also be achieved by putting baby face down on your leg, whilst you are seated.
Tummy Time: Let baby spend a couple of minutes on his tummy. Gravity's gentle pressure can help him push out trapped gas.
Tummy Massage: While baby is lying on his back, gently rub baby's tummy in a circular motion and then pulling your hands gently down the curve of baby's belly.
Bicycling Baby's Legs: While baby is lying on his back, slowly pump his legs back and forth as if riding a bicycle. The gentle circular motion motion of the legs creates movement in the intestines which can help loosen trapped gas.

References

Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child - Janet Zand, N.D., L.Ac., Robert Roundtree, M.D., Rachel Walton, MSN, CRNP
When Your Baby Won't Stop Crying: A Parent's Guide to Colic - Tonja H. Krautter, Psy.D., L.C.S.W.
The Sensitive Gut - Harvard Medical School: Lawrence S. Friedman, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Anthony L. Komaroff, M.D., Editor in Chief
Natural Baby and Childcare - Lauren Feder, M.D.
Natural Stomach Care - Anil Minocha, M.D. and David Caroll
Simethicone is No More Efficacious Than Placebo for Infant Colic - Leena Dev, M.D., University of Michigan, Department of Pediatrics
Effect of a Simethicone-Containing Tablet on Colonic Gas Gas Elimination in Breath - Carlos Lifschitz, M.D., Charles S. Irving, PhD and E. O'Brian Smith, PhD

More Parent Testimonials

I love Colic Calm. I wish I had discovered it for my first baby who had colic. For this, our third, the gas is horrendous and after I give it to him I can actually hear the gurgling stop in his little tummy. It also helps with his constipation and when I stop using it I can tell because he has harder bowel movements and much more painful gas. It has been a lifesaver for me and my husband. I would absolutely recommend coliccalm to anyone who has a colicky baby or one who has issues with gas and constipation. It really has made a huge difference in our lives.

Lorraine M. - Newington, CT

I am so glad that I found Colic Calm. My two week old was having horrible gas pains that were keeping us both up nights. The very first dose made a tremendous difference. He was a new baby and I am so grateful for your product. He is now 10 weeks and very happy. We are still using the gripe water, mostly before bed. I have told everyone I know about this product and what a difference it made. I think you should automatically package a first time user with the pacifier dispenser, it really helps with the mess. Thank you for your product and I will keep recommending it to anyone who has a grumpy baby.

Christa W. - Carthage, IN

I am happy to say that we are thrilled with Colic Calm! Our baby Madeline loves it too. We are first time parents, and when Maddie was crying with gas pain, we could not bear it. The first time we gave it to her for hiccups, we were so impressed, it cured them right away. She had them all the time when I was pregnant with her, and she still gets them all of the time, so it is so nice to have something to give her for all of her digestive problems that is both safe and effective. I plan on giving Colic Calm as a gift for the next baby shower I attend. I am sure it will be the best gift received.

Kimberly F. - Chaptico, MD

For the first three months, Hayden was waking up 4-5 times a night with gas. Since giving your product to him, he sleeps soundly all night. We will buy this for all future children and shower gifts! Thank you so much!

Nicki B. - Big Beak Lake, CA

Your product has worked wonders with my son. Most of the time it is the only thing that will help him. He has really bad bouts of gas and acid reflux, Colic Calm works better for him than the prescription medicines he has been prescribed. Thanks So Much.

Donna H. - Newport News, VA

When my son was 3 weeks old he started having discomfort from gas. I purchased 5 different feeding bottles thinking that it may be part of the problem. Nothing seemed to help. That is when I began searching the internet, and found your product. Of course, I asked the doctor and he said there weren't too many studies done with gripe water, so I should read the testimonials. I was skeptical but was willing to try anything. With the very first dose it worked! I was estatic with the results! I recommend this to my friends with children. Thank you for having wonderful service representatives that only add to the positive experience of your already fantastic product.

Christina M. - Boynton Beach, FL

Thank-you for giving us our sanity back. Preston is my husband and a great father. Our first two children had no problems with food, gas, etc. or not that bad. They both just happen to be adopted. Then we had a biological child that cried about 3-6 hours a day with BAD gas. This kept up for about 4 months. I was reaching the end of my rope. Two toddlers and a crying baby, one night I couldn't take anymore. I went to 4 different pharmacies and looked for something to help my baby. Meanwhile Preston was on the computer looking also. He found Coliccalm and ordered it. We acted like it was gold when it arrived. It has been the ONLY thing to help. It helps our littlest one when she's been out in the wind, or sour stomach, or gas-it's a miracle. She is now 7 months and we just ordered another bottle to use now and then, but it's FANTASTIC to know we have a solution to our problems. God Bless you for inventing such an all natural, neat product, that WORKS!!

Sharon B. - Gardners, PA

The Colic Calm has worked great for us. Our little guy has always seemed to have pretty bad gas that doesn't always want to come out as a burp. Therefore, his tummy is upset for longer than we would like because the gas needs time to work its way out of his system. After we give him a dosage of colic calm (which he doesn't mind at all) he is passing the gas within 5-10 minutes and feeling much better. We had tried two other brands of drops before I found out about this product through a web search, and neither one of those worked as well. This has become a staple in our nighttime routine as well as something we keep handy just in case he needs it during other times in the day.

Angela M. - Colorado Springs, CO

We love ColicCalm. Ever since our little son was born, he was exclusively breastfed and so when he was always gassy and colicky we tried everything from massages, gripe waters, to changing my diet completely. After researching on the Internet, we found this product,and it is the only thing that works. Great product.

Shilpi D. - Fremont, CA

WOW! That pretty much sums it up! I have to say this is a miracle worker. I have a 3 week old, and her tummy gets tight and she'll have gas real bad, and just cry like she's in pain at least once a week and when i give her Colic Calm its like an instant relief for her. She's back to her joyful, sweet, loving self. I must thank you for inventing such a wonderful product, I honestly can say there is nothing better out there to give your child. It's so great that there is a product that is all natural, no side effects, and safe to give children of all ages! I recommend this product to every parent out there! Thank you once again for sharing this wonderful product with all of us!!

Cassie L. - Zebulon, NC

Well, I just ordered bottles 4 & 5 for my granddaughter. My son and his wife feel that the Colic Calm helps Allison (baby) to be more comfortable most of the time and I have to say when I see her she is very contented. She is only 7 weeks right now, so as she gets into the 3 month potential colic stage I hope first that she doesn't have colic but if she does, I am sure it will help. Wish I had this when I had babies. She seems to have gas with cramps and uncomfortable burping and it does help. I also told my niece about the product and she ordered it and said she couldn't thank me enough, her newborn was in real agony and she said it helps him immediately! We all like the fact that the product is FDA regulated and natural. I have used charcoal before for my own GI upsets and I know it works. Thank you for a good product and good customer service.

Barbara C. - Garden Grove, CA

I don't know what we would do without colic calm!! My daughter has horrible gas attacks several times a day, which causes her so much pain. We tried everything from massages, to baths, to mylicon, to gripe water and nothing worked. Colic calm works every time! I did have concern that it would stain all our clothes, but it has come out of everything. My only complaint is not knowing about it sooner! We can't thank you enough!

Vanessa H. - From Our Facebook Page

OMG! COLIC CALM IS A GOD SEND!!! MY SON HAS BEEN BOTH COLICY AND GASSY SINCE HE WAS ABOUT A WEEK OLD. WE HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING FROM MYLICON DROPS TO GRIPE WATER TO TUMMY SOOTHERS AND NOTHING WORKED AFTER ABOUT 2 WKS. APPARENTLY HE BECAME IMMUNE TO THEM. I FOUND COLIC CALM WHILE DOING A WEB SEARCH ABOUT A MONTH AGO AND WATCHED THE VIDEO. I FIGURED I WOULD ORDER 1 BOTTLE AND SEE IF IT WORKED ON MY SON. ONCE I RECIEVED IT, I GAVE HIM SOME AND IT WAS LIKE A DIFFERENT BABY IN FRONT OF ME WITHIN MINUTES!! IT WORKED SO WELL THAT I ENDED UP ORDERING ANOTHER 4 BOTTLES AND HAD THEM SENT 2DAY AIR, JUST SO I HAD BACK UP!!! THANK YOU COLIC CALM FOR LETTING MY HUSBAND AND I KNOW OUR CHILD'S TRUE PERSONALITY, INSTEAD OF JUST A SCREAMING CHILD!!

Renee P. - From Our Facebook Page

This stuff is amazing! My son would cry for a few hours each evening, could never pass gas and was becoming constipated. Pepcid prescribed by the pediatrician helped a little put he was still miserable. I saw an add for colic calm and decided to give it a try. We gave the first dose when the crying began that evening. We were abl...e to put the baby down while we ate dinner, which we weren't usually able to do. As we finished eating, my husband made a funny face at the baby, who got a huge grin across his face-he had only smiled once before! He has been a different baby since. We don't even have to give it to him every night anymore. Occasionally cries, but only last a few minutes. Has 2-3 good bowel movements a day. I have and will recommend this to everyone!

Gena L. - From Our Facebook Page

I cannot say enough good things about this product. One night after being up almost all night for a week I stumbled across your website, I was a little hesistant at first because of the price but decided to give it a shot. My son has horrible belly issues and the nights it gets extremely bad and he cant sleep, I give him a little and dont hear a peep out of him after that. At times I've actually heard it popping the bubbles in his little belly. I ♥ you Colic Calm.

Rebecca M. - From Our Facebook Page

I absolutely love Colic Calm! I have never had an issue with my other babies being fussy and gassy but fourth baby was a different story! The first few weeks were rough and I felt so bad that he was crying and full of gas all the time. I found this product on the internet and what a blessing it has been, he loves this stuff and is a happy baby. When I ran out I tried to give him a different brand thinking it would do the same thing and he refused it. He really prefers colic calm to any other stuff I could give him. Worth the price and I do recommend this to everyone i know!!!!

Barbara P. - From Our Facebook Page

Just started using this product on my breast fed 3 week old and I'm seeing an immediate change in her she can now sleep peacefully and her days are not spent in pain with her screaming and crying it truly worked miracles in my baby in lees than one hour!!! I had tried little tummys gripe water as well as mylicons gas relief yet nothing worked until i tried Colic Calm.....sigh relief at last!!!!!

Taneshia F. - From Our Facebook Page

Hi there. As a first time mom, I've learned a lot- and since our pediatrician suggested that Ollie had acid reflux and gas issues, I am so thankful that I found Colic calm. It not only helps relieve gas pain and indigestion, it also lulls him to sleep. He's five months now and a happy healthy baby!

Jane M. - From Our Facebook Page

I have a three and a half week old that began having symptoms at 2 weeks. Ear peircing screaming, drawing legs up to belly and terrible gas. The symptoms occurred during feeding and lasted until our little baby would fall asleep only to wake up in pain. I started colic calm last evening. It worked with in 5 mins. This morning she star...ted to have the pains again and I gave her a dose...she has taken three naps after each feeding, fallen asleep by herself (in her crib-while FLAT) and slept peacefully. This product is a miracle. Thank you so much. Because of colic calm we have our happy little baby back. Thank you thank you thank you.

Stacey S. - From Our Facebook Page

Thank you so much for being a product that honestly works like it says it will!!! I was skeptical about purchasing especially since Colic Calm costs about twice as much as other infant gas relief meds. But i am so glad i bought it! I used the others with my previous kids but they never worked this well or this fast!

Nikki S. - From Our Facebook Page