Sydney, Parents are often advised to burp their babies after feedings. Some people think that burping after feeding is important to reduce or prevent uncomfortable crying, or to reduce how much milk the baby spits up after feeding.
It is true that children, like adults, swallow air when they eat. By burping, this air comes out from the upper part of our digestive system. So when a baby cries after feeding, many people assume it's because the baby needs to "burp."However, this is not necessarily true. Why do babies cry or 'spit up' after drinking milk?
Babies cry for many reasons that have nothing to do with "trape air". They cry when they are hungry, cold, hot, scared, tired, lonely, overwhelmed, they need help from adults to calm down. Needs help, in discomfort or pain, or for no identified reason. In fact, we have a name for crying for no known reason; This is called "colic".
“Spitting up” – where a baby gently spits up a bit of milk after feeding – is common because the muscles at the top of a newborn's stomach are not fully mature.This means that what goes down can easily go back up.
Frequent spitting up occurs when the baby's stomach is too full, there is pressure on the stomach or he is picked up after lying down. As babies grow, spitting up after feeding decreases. Three-fourths of one-month-old babies spit up after feeding at least once a day. Only about half of babies still stop spitting up by five months and almost all (96%) stop spitting up by their first birthday.Does burping help reduce crying or spitting up? Despite parents being advised to burp their babies, there is not much research evidence available on the subject.
In a study conducted in India, caregivers of 35 newborns were encouraged to burp, while caregivers of 36 newborns were given no information about burping. For the next three months, the mothers and caregivers The participants recorded whether their baby would spit up after feeding and whether they showed signs of intense crying.
This study found that burping did not reduce crying and actually increased spitting up.
When should I be concerned about spitting up or crying?Most crying and spitting are normal.However, these are not the behaviors:
Refusal to feed Vomiting excess milk leads to slow weight gain
Difficulty coughing or wheezing while eating
Bloody vomit. If your child has any of these symptoms, see a doctor or child health nurse.
If your baby isn't bothered by the vomiting and doesn't have any other symptoms, it's a laundry issue and not something that requires medical care.
It is also normal for babies to cry a lot and fuss; Two hours a day is the average for the first six weeks. This usually reduces to about an hour a day by the time they reach three months of age.
Crying more than this does not mean that there is something wrong.The intense, inconsolable crying of colic is experienced by up to one-quarter of small infants, but goes away on its own with time.
If your baby is crying more than average or you're worried that something might be wrong, you should see your doctor or child health nurse. Not everyone burps their baby. Burping babies is a traditional practice in some parts of the world. While others don't.
For example, research in Indonesia found that most breastfeeding mothers rarely burped their babies after feeding.
One factor that may influence whether a culture encourages burping babies may also be related to another aspect of infant care: how much babies are held.Carrying the baby in a sling or baby carrier can reduce the amount of time the baby cries.
Infants who are carried directly on top of their mother or another caregiver undoubtedly find comfort in that closeness and activity.
Slings also keep babies held firmly and upright, allowing swallowed air to come up and out through burping if needed. Using slings can make it easier to care for a baby. Studies (including randomized controlled trials) have also shown that when women use a baby sling they have lower rates of postpartum depression and breastfeed longer.It's important that baby carriers and slings are used safely, so make sure you're familiar with the latest advice on how to do this. Burping your baby gently is not harmful. If you feel that burping is beneficial for your baby, keep doing what you are doing.
If trying to burp your baby after every feeding is causing you or your baby stress, you don't need to do this.(talk) NSANSA
It is true that children, like adults, swallow air when they eat. By burping, this air comes out from the upper part of our digestive system. So when a baby cries after feeding, many people assume it's because the baby needs to "burp."However, this is not necessarily true. Why do babies cry or 'spit up' after drinking milk?
Babies cry for many reasons that have nothing to do with "trape air". They cry when they are hungry, cold, hot, scared, tired, lonely, overwhelmed, they need help from adults to calm down. Needs help, in discomfort or pain, or for no identified reason. In fact, we have a name for crying for no known reason; This is called "colic".
“Spitting up” – where a baby gently spits up a bit of milk after feeding – is common because the muscles at the top of a newborn's stomach are not fully mature.This means that what goes down can easily go back up.
Frequent spitting up occurs when the baby's stomach is too full, there is pressure on the stomach or he is picked up after lying down. As babies grow, spitting up after feeding decreases. Three-fourths of one-month-old babies spit up after feeding at least once a day. Only about half of babies still stop spitting up by five months and almost all (96%) stop spitting up by their first birthday.Does burping help reduce crying or spitting up? Despite parents being advised to burp their babies, there is not much research evidence available on the subject.
In a study conducted in India, caregivers of 35 newborns were encouraged to burp, while caregivers of 36 newborns were given no information about burping. For the next three months, the mothers and caregivers The participants recorded whether their baby would spit up after feeding and whether they showed signs of intense crying.
This study found that burping did not reduce crying and actually increased spitting up.
When should I be concerned about spitting up or crying?Most crying and spitting are normal.However, these are not the behaviors:
Refusal to feed Vomiting excess milk leads to slow weight gain
Difficulty coughing or wheezing while eating
Bloody vomit. If your child has any of these symptoms, see a doctor or child health nurse.
If your baby isn't bothered by the vomiting and doesn't have any other symptoms, it's a laundry issue and not something that requires medical care.
It is also normal for babies to cry a lot and fuss; Two hours a day is the average for the first six weeks. This usually reduces to about an hour a day by the time they reach three months of age.
Crying more than this does not mean that there is something wrong.The intense, inconsolable crying of colic is experienced by up to one-quarter of small infants, but goes away on its own with time.
If your baby is crying more than average or you're worried that something might be wrong, you should see your doctor or child health nurse. Not everyone burps their baby. Burping babies is a traditional practice in some parts of the world. While others don't.
For example, research in Indonesia found that most breastfeeding mothers rarely burped their babies after feeding.
One factor that may influence whether a culture encourages burping babies may also be related to another aspect of infant care: how much babies are held.Carrying the baby in a sling or baby carrier can reduce the amount of time the baby cries.
Infants who are carried directly on top of their mother or another caregiver undoubtedly find comfort in that closeness and activity.
Slings also keep babies held firmly and upright, allowing swallowed air to come up and out through burping if needed. Using slings can make it easier to care for a baby. Studies (including randomized controlled trials) have also shown that when women use a baby sling they have lower rates of postpartum depression and breastfeed longer.It's important that baby carriers and slings are used safely, so make sure you're familiar with the latest advice on how to do this. Burping your baby gently is not harmful. If you feel that burping is beneficial for your baby, keep doing what you are doing.
If trying to burp your baby after every feeding is causing you or your baby stress, you don't need to do this.(talk) NSANSA
