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Are you worried about your baby suddenly experiencing bloating and diarrhea? Let's take a look at the symptoms, causes, and the right ways to treat digestive problems in babies below.

Bloating and diarrhea are not only experienced by adults, but can also occur in babies, which certainly makes them fussy and uncomfortable. Bloating is usually characterized by high levels of air or gas in the stomach or intestines. This condition sometimes causes pressure and abdominal pain felt by the baby.

Notice the Symptoms of Bloating and Diarrhea in Babies

The symptom of a bloated stomach in a baby is frequent burping because there are air bubbles trapped in the stomach, causing abdominal discomfort. This usually happens when your Little One inhales and swallows excess air during breastfeeding. Furthermore, a bloated stomach is also characterized by frequent passing of gas.

The next symptom of a baby being bloated and having diarrhea is abdominal pain or cramps ranging from mild to severe, which can last for a few minutes to several days. Abdominal pain in babies is characterized by behavior such as being more fussy, moaning, making facial expressions, and becoming tense when passing stool or having a bowel movement. This happens due to the gastrocolic reflex or contractions of the large intestine that trigger stomach cramps.

The condition of a baby being bloated and having diarrhea is characterized by stools that are soft to liquid and frequent bowel movements. In some cases, it is also accompanied by symptoms such as wheezing, nasal congestion, rashes, vomiting, eczema, or even bloody stools.

Finally, if bloating and diarrhea occur simultaneously, it certainly makes your Little One feel very uncomfortable, cry more often, have trouble sleeping, and disrupts their emotional growth.

Causes of Baby Bloating and Diarrhea

According to the Indonesian Pediatric Society (IDAI), here are the reasons why babies can experience bloated stomachs, diarrhea, and other digestive disorders.

1. Air that enters and accumulates in the baby's stomach can happen because your Little One swallows too much air. For example, because the baby cries often, coughs, has incorrect breastfeeding techniques, has a shallow latch to the mother's nipple, or the bottle teat used is not equipped with ideal anti-colic technology.
2. Bloating problems due to air accumulation are also caused by excessive gas formation in the intestines. The trigger is the fermentation of food that is not absorbed by intestinal bacteria or an infection that causes excessive growth of intestinal bacteria.
3. Excessive gas in the baby's stomach that causes bloating and diarrhea is also caused by excessive consumption of flatugenic (gas-forming) foods. Examples include cabbage, mustard greens, sweet potatoes, cheese, and the like.
4. A baby's bloated stomach and diarrhea can also be triggered by lactose intolerance. Excessive milk intake for babies under 2 months can trigger the fermentation of milk that is not absorbed by the intestines, thus producing excessive gas in the baby. This condition is prone to happen because the baby's digestive enzyme levels are not yet perfect.
5. Bloating and diarrhea in babies can also be caused by an infection of the digestive tract, known as gastroenteritis, stomach virus, stomach flu, or gastric flu. Digestive tract infections are due to the development of viruses, bacteria, worms, or parasites.

How to Prevent Baby Bloating and Diarrhea

1. Meet the baby's fluid needs to prevent dehydration. Especially for babies under 6 months, they must be breastfed more often. If the baby is over 6 months and can consume something other than breast milk, give water and electrolyte fluids little by little.
2. Every time the baby finishes breastfeeding, help them burp to release the gas in their stomach. You can try by gently rubbing or patting the baby's back softly. Keep their head in a higher position to provide pressure on their stomach so that the gas can easily escape through the lower digestive tract.
3. Massage the baby's legs and move them in a bicycling motion to release the gas in their stomach.
4. Pay attention to the shape of the baby's milk bottle; it is highly recommended to use an anti-colic teat. Milk that flows too fast carries the risk of the baby swallowing more air, which eventually triggers a bloated stomach. Choose the size and shape of the bottle teat according to the baby's age.
5. If your Little One has difficulty eating or drinking and vomits every time they are given a drink, fluid administration via an IV might be necessary.

How to Prevent Bloating When Drinking Milk with Hegen Bottles (smart built-in anti colic air vent system)

One of the causes of a baby experiencing digestive disorders and fussiness for days can be a bloated stomach after feeding without being burped. That is why anti-colic baby bottles are created as drinking bottles that can make your Little One feed comfortably and free from stomach bloating problems.

Hegen bottle teats are equipped with a built-in anti colic air vent at the top, minimizing air trapped in the milk flow so it is not swallowed and makes the baby bloated, have stomach pain, or even choke.

Smart built-in Anti colic air vent system on the Hegen teat, which is a valve with the best ventilation technology, can minimize the formation of air bubbles and minimize air oxidation in the milk, which can reduce the nutrients in breast milk.

The Hegen anti-colic baby teat is integrated with its soft teat that is similar to a real nipple, so it can prevent nipple confusion.

The Hegen teat position is an asymmetrical off-centre teat, allowing for an upright feeding position. This prevents the risk of milk backflow and allows the baby to have a comfortable feeding angle.

That is the explanation regarding the symptoms, causes, and ways to prevent baby bloating and diarrhea with the use of anti-colic bottles. However, if your Little One is still very fussy and shows symptoms that do not subside, immediately consult your respective pediatrician for further treatment.

Own the range of Hegen Feeding Bottle products in various sizes (60 ml, 150 ml, 240 ml, and 330 ml) as well as Teat Anti Colic with flow rates that can be adjusted based on your Little One's age and needs. Starting from extra slow flow (newborn-1 month); slow flow (1-3 months); medium flow (3-6 months); fast flow (over 6 months); and thick flow (thick milk liquids).

Check out the collection and checkout your choice of products right now only on the official Hegen website!

References

1. Indonesian Pediatric Society (IDAI). Bloating in Children. https://www.idai.or.id/artikel/klinik/keluhan-anak/kembung-pada-anak
2. Orami.co.id. Baby Bloating and Diarrhea: Causes, Symptoms to Solutions. https://www.orami.co.id/magazine/bayi-kembung-dan-mencret?page=all
3. Siloam Hospitals. 4 Ways to Treat Bloated Stomach in Babies, Mothers Must Know! https://www.siloamhospitals.com/informasi-siloam/artikel/cara-mengatasi-perut-kembung-pada-bayi