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1) What is stomach wind?
A: Stomach wind is the name given to the sharp intermittent abdominal pain or cramps that occur in babies from birth on wards.
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2) What causes stomach wind?
A: The cause of stomach wind remains a mystery although it is believed to be due to the inability of the baby’s immature digestive system to process certain constituents of their food. This often results in the production of air bubbles, which gets lodged along the digestive system, and produces intermittent abdominal pains or cramps. Newborn babies may also develop wind by swallowing air bubbles with their milk.
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3) What are the indications of presence of wind in baby’s stomach.
A: Check to see:
i.Does the stomach seem tighter than usual?
ii.Does it look swollen?
iii.If you tap it with your fingers, does it emit a hollow sound?
If you answer yes to any of the above, then chances are, your baby has wind in the stomach.
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4) How do I know whether it is stomach wind and not something else.
A: If your baby is continuously screaming at the top of his lungs for long periods over time that worsens in the evenings, looks uncomfortable, appears to be in pain,draws up his knees and clenches his fists and cannot be consoled no matter what you do, chances are he’s suffering from stomach wind.
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5) How do I relieve my baby of stomach wind?
A: Gripe Water may be given to help bring quick soothing relief. Other soothing techniques including winding the baby using soothing repetitive movements and massaging the baby’s stomach and back.
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6) Are breastfed or bottle-fed babies more prone to stomach?
A: Stomach wind can occur in both. Breast fed babies may be unable to digest proteins in the breast milk while bottle-fed babies may be unable to digest certain proteins that are contained in the formula milks.
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7) Is baby prone to stomach wind during teething?
A: There are numerous reasons which may lead to build up of wind when your baby is introduced to solid food during teething. Baby may begin to chew at his fingers, increasingly salivate, become feverish, have running stools, and so on. As a result,poor digestive conditions may occur and this may lead to a build-up of air being trapped in tummy.
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8) How does Gripe Water relieve stomach wind?
A: Gripe Water contains two ingredients – dill seed oil which breaks down trapped air bubbles and sodium bicarbonate to neutralise excess acids that cause the pains.
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9) So when do I feed my baby Gripe Water?
A: Gripe Water can be given during or after each feed to newborn babies from one month onwards.
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10) What else can I do to help ease my baby’s discomfort?
A: • Give baby a teaspoon of Woodward’s Gripe water. Soothe baby by gently rubbing his tummy
• Keep him motion. The movement helps break down the trapped air bubbles.
• Put him to sleep on his tummy.
• Offer him smaller but more frequent feeds, ors top feeding him his new good for a day or two. Reintroduce later. It’s okay,
he has plenty of time to learn
• Check for the part of his gums that is white. That is where the tooth will erupt.
• Invest in a baby teething gel. He’ll enjoy gnawing at it.
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