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Importance Of Baby Burping And How To Burp Your Baby

बच्चे को डकार दिलाने का सही तरीका | Baby Burp Faster Step by Step | Boldsky

Among the sleepless nights, the constant diaper changes and the continuous feeding, it may be stressful for you to handle a baby who is always cranky. Well, the constant wailing is something that no new mothers are prepared for. If you find your baby being cranky at all times, even if you have just changed and fed them, they may just be colicky.

If you have heard advice from your near and dear ones regarding the importance of making your baby burp after each feed, this is the reason why. It is a proven scientific fact that helping your baby burp after each meal is a definite way to reduce the episodes of colic as well as regurgitation [1] .

Baby Burping

Excess gas formation in the abdomen can also be the result of incomplete milk digestion. This may be due to certain ingredients in your baby's milk formula, if you are bottle-feeding them. Though gas formation is common in humans, just like how excess gas can cause distress in adults, it does the same in infants as well. That is why a lot of importance is given to the habit of burping babies after every meal.

Is Burping An Effective Way To Relieve Colic In Babies?

According to many pieces of research carried on this topic, there are no definite ways to relieve colic in babies that have known to be 100% effective [2] . However, burping the baby after feeding is known to be the most effective [3] . Burping helps to release excess gas in the stomach and prevent colic in babies. This is the reason why our ancestors always laid importance on burping the baby after feeding.

When To Burp A Baby?

Ideally, burping your baby after a meal will help them release the excess gas that they may have swallowed along with their food. Making it a routine will certainly help you manage any future episodes of colic as well. Studies suggest that babies need burping assistance until they are at least 4-5 months old.

How To Burp A Baby After A Meal?

If your baby is giving you a bad time, you may want to learn a few techniques to help your baby burp after every meal. It is very important for you to learn the right techniques of burping, especially if you are handling a newborn. Here are a few ways in which you can help your baby burp after a meal.

1) After feeding, hold your baby close to your chest and tap lightly on his/her back. You can rest their head on your shoulder. Make sure to support your baby's neck with one hand while you tap on their back with the other. You may hear a burp after a while.
2) You can make your baby sit on your lap between your knees while you support their body and head with one hand. Gently tap on their back to release gas.
3) If your baby isn't comfortable with the above positions, you can try letting them lie down on their stomach. This will not only help relieve the gas in his/her stomach but also keep them away from any kind of uneasiness after feeding.

Tips To Remember While Burping Your Baby

There are a lot of babies who do not need burping often. So, if your baby does not need assistance to burp you can just let it be. However, it is important to keep your baby upright for a while after feeding so that the baby do not end up regurgitating their food. If your baby is cranky between feeds, this means that the baby is already colicky. Try to burp them before continuing to feed them.

It is also said that changing your baby's sleeping position can help relieve the gas [4] . If your infant is sleeping right after being fed, make sure to change the baby's sleeping position every hour in order to make it easier to relieve gas.

If you are having a hard time getting your baby to feed, do not hesitate to get medical advice. Your doctor may tell you the best way to help your baby burp and relieve excess gas.

Is It Important To Make Your Baby Burp After Every Meal?

If your baby is being colicky most of the times, it is important for you to burp them after every meal. Also, though there is not enough scientific evidence that suggests otherwise, it is said that bottle-fed babies are more susceptible to colic than breastfed babies [5] . Therefore, if your baby is formula-fed, you may have to lay extra importance on burping your baby after every meal.

Here are a few reasons as to why you should burp your baby after a meal.

1) It helps to relieve gas

Burping your baby after a meal will help them get rid of the excess gas in their stomach, which may give rise to colic. Burping your baby after a meal is an effective way for you to manage their colic, without any medical intervention [6] .

2) It improves digestion

Relieving your baby of excess gas in their digestion will certainly help them digest their food in a better way. With the excess gas already relieved by the burping, your baby will not experience digestive problems later on [7] .

3) It helps the baby get good sleep

Sleep is often very important for the mother and the baby. Your baby may have a hard time having undisturbed sleep due to colic. If you burp them after meals, it may help give them and you a restful sleep. It will also help your baby be more active and cheerful after waking up.

Baby Burping

What To Do If Burping Techniques Fail?

Though it is important for you to burp your baby after every meal, if you are not able to get them to burp once in a while, that shouldn't be a concern. However, if you are not lucky in your efforts consistently, you may want to think of other ways to help your baby relieve the excess gas.

Here are a few things you can try if the above burping techniques fail.

1) You can try lying down your baby on a blanket on the floor. Taking their legs and pressing their knees gently on their stomach a few times may help your baby work out the gas.
2) Infant massages are known to help your baby relieve the excess gas.
3) If your baby is having a hard time burping and is gassy, you can try giving them a warm bath to relieve them.

Should You Worry If Baby Is Not Burping At All?

If all the methods to make your baby burp have been fruitless, you may not have to worry about burping your baby after every meal if they are quite comfortable afterwards. Do remember that burping is not the only way for your baby to release the excess gas. They may also pass gas the natural way. As long as your baby is not cranky after meals, burping your baby may not be required after all.

Though each baby is different, you will certainly take some time to understand your baby's pattern. It is important to read the signs that your baby is giving you. Be it colic or indigestion, the condition may be unique for your baby. Do remember that the best way to help resolve any problem in your baby is to understand the cause of it. If you understand the root cause, trying to reach to a solution may not be very difficult for you indeed. Handling a baby requires a lot of patience and observation. But once you get the hang of it, the path ahead will certainly not seem rocky afterwards.

View Article References
  1. [1] Clifford, T. J., Campbell, M. K., Speechley, K. N., & Gorodzinsky, F. (2002). Infant colic: empirical evidence of the absence of an association with source of early infant nutrition. Archives of pediatrics & adolescent medicine, 156(11), 1123-1128.
  2. [2] Rogovik, A. L., & Goldman, R. D. (2005). Treating infants' colic. Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien, 51(9), 1209–1211.
  3. [3] Lam, T., Chan, P. C., & Goh, L. H. (2019). Approach to infantile colic in primary care. Singapore medical journal, 60(1), 12–16.
  4. [4] van Wijk, M. P., Benninga, M. A., Dent, J., Lontis, R., Goodchild, L., McCall, L. M., ... & Omari, T. (2007). Effect of body position changes on postprandial gastroesophageal reflux and gastric emptying in the healthy premature neonate. The journal of pediatrics, 151(6), 585-590.
  5. [5] Sung V. (2018). Infantile colic. Australian prescriber, 41(4), 105–110.
  6. [6] Savino, F., Ceratto, S., De Marco, A., & Cordero di Montezemolo, L. (2014). Looking for new treatments of Infantile Colic. Italian journal of pediatrics, 40, 53.
  7. [7] Ferreira-Maia, A. P., Matijasevich, A., & Wang, Y. P. (2016). Epidemiology of functional gastrointestinal disorders in infants and toddlers: A systematic review. World journal of gastroenterology, 22(28), 6547–6558

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