Question
Newborns often fart and their stools have a strong odor. Could this be related to drinking milk? Are there any recommended milk brands?
Answer
Observing the consistency of a newborn’s stool can give insights into their digestive health. If the stool has a particularly strong odor, it may indicate poor protein digestion, and in such cases, it’s advisable to reduce the amount of milk or dilute it. If there are many bubbles in the stool, it could suggest carbohydrate digestion issues, and starch intake should be reduced or stopped. If the stool appears creamy, it indicates fat digestion problems, and the intake of fatty foods should be decreased. Newborns’ gastrointestinal systems are not fully developed, so supplementing with probiotics like Mamipan or Hefei Yuan can be beneficial. These probiotics (not medication) help regulate the gastrointestinal system; for diarrhea, they can be adjusted to prevent looseness, and for constipation, they can help prevent dryness. For breastfed infants with loose stools, it’s not advisable to wean them easily. You can shorten the duration of each feeding session, allowing the child to consume only the first part of the milk, as the first part of breast milk contains more easily digestible protein and is rich in nutrients, while the latter part contains more fat that is harder to digest. Sometimes, if the mother drinks a large glass of plain salt water half an hour to an hour before breastfeeding, it can dilute the milk and make it easier for the baby to digest.