Question
The baby’s stomach makes noises after breastfeeding and the baby doesn’t like to eat. The baby is being fed a mix of breast milk and formula, and the stomach also gurgles during feeding. The baby currently weighs only 10 jin (about 5 kg) and is 63 days old. What assistance methods can be used?
Answer
If the baby is breastfed, the mother needs to check her own diet. For example, did she eat corn or spicy cold noodles for lunch? These foods may cause the baby stomach pain. If the mother suspects that her diet is the cause, she can exclude spicy foods such as beans and broccoli from her daily diet and observe whether the child’s symptoms improve. As quoted by Dr. Joseph Levy, a pediatric gastroenterologist at New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital, “If the child’s symptoms are still intermittent even during the mother’s dietary restrictions, this indicates that breast milk is not the cause of the baby’s bloating.” If the baby’s bloating decreases, the mother should temporarily avoid these foods and then try breastfeeding again. Moreover, if there is too much sugar in breast milk, which can overferment in the baby’s stomach, it may also cause intestinal bloating (including loose stools, frequent bowel movements, foamy stools, and strong acid taste), at this time, the mother should pay attention to controlling her sugar intake. If the baby is formula-fed, you can try switching to another brand of formula milk. When choosing formula milk, pay special attention to the nutritional formula on the packaging bag; formulas without lactose, without soy protein, or low-allergenic formulas may be beneficial for reducing the child’s stomach pain. Of course, it takes at least two weeks to see effects even after switching to a new formula. In addition, certain solid foods may also cause…