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What Causes Tightness Of A Newborn Abdomen?

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Posted on Wed, 9 Nov 2016
Question: Hi,
I am XXXXXXX My 17 days new born baby is crying. His stomach is tight and not done poti from last night.
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Answered by Dr. Diptanshu Das (42 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Burping is important

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for asking on HealthcareMagic.

I have gone through your query and understand your concern. The child often cries due to colic or abdominal distension. You should burp the baby for at least 15-20 mins after each feed. All you need to do is to hold the baby head end elevated for this duration. The extra air taken in would escape and the milk will not regurgitate back from the stomach to the food pipe. In case of incessant cry you may give Colicaid Drops 0.5 ml when required.

Let me emphasize on the fact that breast milk is the best possible milk for a baby and there can be no alternatives for the same. Most formula milks are cow milk based and hence difficult to digest. Moreover they make the child more prone to complications and infections. Mother's breast milk is produced on the demand of the baby. Hungrier the baby, more vigorous is the suck. More is the suck, more is the amount of breast milk produced. Giving formula automatically reduces the demand of the baby and thereby the production of breast milk. All you need to do is to switch back to exclusive breast feeding and the production will increase automatically. All you need to do is to monitor the urine output. If the frequency is more than 6 times in 24 hours, you would know that the amount of feeding is adequate. If the amount of passage of urine is less or if the child is lethargic you would need to take the child to a doctor without delay.

For a baby of this age, it is normal to pass stool several times a day or even after each feed. Alternatively the child may pass stool once in 10 days and that is normal too. Unless the stool is hard and pellet like, you need not grow concerned. It is also normal to pass green stool or a combination of yellow stool. The green colour occurs due to rapid transit through large intestine where the bile pigments do not get adequate time to convert to the yellow colour of stool. It is OK for some mucus to be there in the stool.

Breast milk also takes care of immunity against common ailments like cough and cold, and diarrhea. So, automatically your worries would be reduced. For a baby of this age, it is normal to pass stool several times a day or even after each feed. Alternatively the child may pass stool once in 10 days and that is normal too. Unless the stool is hard and pellet like, you need not grow concerned. You need not use suppositories but in case you use, it would not be harmful.

It is also normal to pass green stool or a combination of yellow stool. The green colour occurs due to rapid transit through large intestine where the bile pigments do not get adequate time to convert to the yellow colour of stool.

Let me know if you have further queries.

Regards
Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Diptanshu Das

Pediatrician

Practicing since :2005

Answered : 3875 Questions

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What Causes Tightness Of A Newborn Abdomen?

Brief Answer: Burping is important Detailed Answer: Thanks for asking on HealthcareMagic. I have gone through your query and understand your concern. The child often cries due to colic or abdominal distension. You should burp the baby for at least 15-20 mins after each feed. All you need to do is to hold the baby head end elevated for this duration. The extra air taken in would escape and the milk will not regurgitate back from the stomach to the food pipe. In case of incessant cry you may give Colicaid Drops 0.5 ml when required. Let me emphasize on the fact that breast milk is the best possible milk for a baby and there can be no alternatives for the same. Most formula milks are cow milk based and hence difficult to digest. Moreover they make the child more prone to complications and infections. Mother's breast milk is produced on the demand of the baby. Hungrier the baby, more vigorous is the suck. More is the suck, more is the amount of breast milk produced. Giving formula automatically reduces the demand of the baby and thereby the production of breast milk. All you need to do is to switch back to exclusive breast feeding and the production will increase automatically. All you need to do is to monitor the urine output. If the frequency is more than 6 times in 24 hours, you would know that the amount of feeding is adequate. If the amount of passage of urine is less or if the child is lethargic you would need to take the child to a doctor without delay. For a baby of this age, it is normal to pass stool several times a day or even after each feed. Alternatively the child may pass stool once in 10 days and that is normal too. Unless the stool is hard and pellet like, you need not grow concerned. It is also normal to pass green stool or a combination of yellow stool. The green colour occurs due to rapid transit through large intestine where the bile pigments do not get adequate time to convert to the yellow colour of stool. It is OK for some mucus to be there in the stool. Breast milk also takes care of immunity against common ailments like cough and cold, and diarrhea. So, automatically your worries would be reduced. For a baby of this age, it is normal to pass stool several times a day or even after each feed. Alternatively the child may pass stool once in 10 days and that is normal too. Unless the stool is hard and pellet like, you need not grow concerned. You need not use suppositories but in case you use, it would not be harmful. It is also normal to pass green stool or a combination of yellow stool. The green colour occurs due to rapid transit through large intestine where the bile pigments do not get adequate time to convert to the yellow colour of stool. Let me know if you have further queries. Regards