Gassy One-Year-Old

My son had similar issues. He was given Levsin- a prescription colic medicine- that was like a miracle drug. We also kept the head of his bed propped at an angle to help with reflux problems. He did not sleep through the night until 3 when these issues finally improved.

If he is sever pain I would take him to the doctor. I would not give hime anything without consulting a physician.

My daughter had a similar problem-- she was in pain, but gas drops didn't seem to help. It turned out to be acid reflux (it hurts more when they lie down, which explained the day/night difference). We got her on Prilosec and she did much better. We were able to take her off of it after just a couple months.

Did he just start drinking whole cow's milk? He could have an intolerance or milk allergy. I would take him off the milk for four days and see if that helps. Try soymilk after the four days. My oldest son had a milk allergy.

I went through similar symptoms with my daughter when she was a baby(now 10). My poor little girl was miserable. She couldn't sleep through the night because of her discomfort and I did not know what else to do. We went through a lot of Mylicon drops and didn't see results either. When she was two her doctor finally precribed her Levson and the results were wonderful. She stayed on it for quite some time and we eventually weened her off. She was fine for many years after that but for the last few years has had issues with acid reflux. Hopefully you're not headed down that path but I would definately ask about Levson!

my 3 1/2 year son just went through something similar to this. We ended up taking him to urgent care to see if he was having appendicitis or not. Turns out he was severly constipated and ended up having an enema done. He was better within a few hours. Turns out you can be constipated and still have bowl movements. Who knew? Well the urgent care pediatrician said he sees cases like this 2 to 3 times a day. Most of the time it has to do with diet, but in my sons case he had been taking medicine for an infection (2 rounds of antibiotic and steriod) and the doctor said that was probably the reason why he was constipated. We give him Myralax a couple of days a week to keep him cleaned out and so far has been working. We are going on 2 weeks now with no side effects or problems. Good luck to you.

I would check what he is eating. We have the same problem with our son. We found out that he is a problem with Milk and soy Protein. It will cause serve stomach problems. Especially at night. Just talk to you doctor. And maybe see a G.I. special.

Find a healthfood store that carries Renew Life products. They make a children's line. Consider enzymes for digestion and probiotics to insure good bacteria in the bowel. Traditional Medicinal Teas also has teas for children. Consider their Tummy Tea at bedtime.

you need to have him looked at by your pediatrician. you need to tell his doctor what's been going on there could be something more than just gas going on there.

I think first I'd make sure it's not a food allergy, like the previous poster said, and consult his pediatrician. If it turns out to just be gas, I've heard great things about gripewater.

Hello L.,
my Name is T., I got this advise from my Grandmother and it worked great with my 5 month old when she started having gas and bubbles in her tummy. I give her once a day fennel and cammomile tea. The Fennel and Cammomile worked for me much better than the expensive Milicon. I make some tea, and mix it half half with my breast milk and feed it to her. Since she has been drinking it there is no more trouble. I dont know if your little one still drinks formula or breastmilk. I asked the doctor before I gave it to her and he said the worst thing what can happen is that she gets a rash, which she never gotten. I mix it because the fennel has a strong taste, and it is not easy to get used to. Maybe you want to try this.
Good luck
T.

Have you ever heard of Gripe Water? It's great for gassy tummies and we bought a bottle at a nature food store.

My son does the same thing at night sometimes, but he has night terrors. He's not passing gas during these episodes, though. I'm wondering if it could be that and have nothing to do with gas. Just a thought!

I don't think your son has gas at all, it sounds like he has reflux or in older children and adults, we call it heartburn. As we all know, heartburn is worse at night because laying down prevents gravity from keeping the stomach contents where they should be...in the stomach. When he is laying down, the contents, especially the acid from the stomach are seeping up into his esophogus and burning the heck out of him. Food in the stomach can both help or worsen the condition. He is not too young for this condition, infants and especially newborns frequently have it. He is demonstrating the classic symptoms of reflux or heartburn, arching his back, screaming at night, and the general inability to be soothed because he is in pain. For immediate relief use Mylanta, cherry flavored because children like it, does wonders and will not hurt him. (1/2 to 1 tsp per episode should help.) Otherwise, he may need a prescription antacid to control his symptoms. Talk to your pediatrician first, if you don't get a qualified answer take him to a gastroenterologist (GI doctor), preferably one that is certified to deal with pediatrics. This is a very painful condition and it needs to be dealt with immediately and not ignored. It is not a behavioral issue as some pediatricians may lead you to believe.

I have a 2 month old, and she has gas. I took her to the doctor and he told me about Gripe Water and little white pills that I forget what they're called, but I tried them for a few weeks and the gas didn't get any better. So he gave a prescription for Zantac, and since then, my little girl hasn't had gas that bad. She experienced the same problems that your little boy did too, but the Zantac seems to be helping. I know that your son is older than mine, but maybe your doctor can prescribe Zantac for him. Give it a shot, and good luck!

This could certainly be a medical issue. Your child could indeed have reactions to certain foods (allergies) or digestive problems, especially if the Mylicon drops don't work.
Good luck!
D.

I would try cutting out some dairy and see if that helps.

J.

Great advice so far! This is a wonderful group.

As a newborn and Mom/Baby Home Health nurse, all I can add to this is to bicycle his legs (to help pass the gas) and to put a warm wet washcloth in the front of his diaper (to give his tummy some pain relief). Keep a food journal on him to see if you can figure out any food triggers he might have. A relaxed and consistent bedtime routine will sometimes help too.

Maybe try to give fiber in his diet to flush him out?

Is there a possibility that he's allergic to milk? That could make him very gassy, which come out cuz he's running around during the day but stays in his stomach when he lays to sleep with a bedtime bottle?

Hi,

My daughter(starting at around age 1) had gas, cramps, screaming at night. We found out she had a reaction to milk and other dairy products. Your son might be having a reaction to a certain food. The easiest way, without first going to the doctor, is to eliminate suspect foods one at a time for two weeks and see what happens. It takes a while but it might help. It took a full six weeks for the milk to get out of my daughters' system. Go online and search for common food allergies/intolerances in kids to get a list of the most common ones and other ways to determine whether it might be a food problem. Also, calling the doctor or nurse can help you figure out where you might want to begin. Good luck.

Try your local health food store, my friend uses all natural drops for colic(which is gas also) and they work miracles. Also, check the time of day you are feeding your little one. Maybe that needs to be adjusted.

Good luck,
D.