How can I tell if my baby has a gassy tummy?

If your baby is fussy for no obvious reason, it may well be gas pain. Babies with gas pain also tend to pull up their legs and then stretch out, arching their back. (These symptoms could also be signs of colic or reflux.)

What could be causing my baby's gas?

Several factors could cause your child to have a gassy tummy.

Gas pain is common in babies in the first three months of life while their intestines are maturing. It's also common between ages 6 and 12 months, when they're trying lots of different foods for the first time.

Ingesting a particular protein in formula or breast milk
Gas pain in a breastfed baby may be caused by intolerance to a protein in your diet. Identifying and eliminating the offending food may help. (Dairy products are a common culprit.)

If your baby is formula-fed and seems to have gas pain, it's possible he has an intolerance to the protein in his formula. If that's the case, his doctor can recommend a hypoallergenic option.

Eating certain vegetables
Like adults, babies can be extra gassy after eating certain vegetables, such as broccoli and cauliflower. If your child eats these healthy foods, that's a good thing. Just make sure you don't overload her with too many gas-inducing veggies at consecutive meals.

Drinking juice
Babies should not drink anything other than breast milk or formula (and water once they're 6 months old). They're likely to have a difficult time digesting the fructose and sucrose in juice, and as a result, it can bring on gas, or even diarrhea.

Not drinking enough water
Water is not recommended for babies younger than 6 months.

Once your baby is 6 months old, drinking water won't eliminate gas problems, but it will improve constipation or any difficulty he has passing stools. (Constipation often coincides with gas and abdominal discomfort.)

Offer your 6-month-old 2 to 4 ounces of water a day in addition to breast milk or formula. As your baby gets closer to 12 months, increase that to 4 to 6 ounces of water a day.

How can I ease my baby's gas pain?

Check the bottle
If your baby's bottle-fed, it's important to find a bottle that won't make her gulp. The more air she swallows during feedings, the more likely she is to have tummy trouble.

The hole in the nipple shouldn't be too small or too large. A too-small hole will tend to frustrate her and make her gulp for more food. And a too-large hole causes the liquid to flow too quickly.

Some bottles are specially designed to reduce air intake and will say so on the packaging. Some are curved, while others have internal vents or liners to prevent air bubbles from forming in the liquid and keep the nipple from collapsing.

Keep babies upright for feedings
You might try holding your baby more upright during feedings to help the formula or breast milk travel more smoothly to his tummy. If he's curled up or hunched over, air is more likely to get trapped in there with his food.

Avoid frantic feedings
Feed your baby before she's starving. If she's crying from hunger, she's more likely to gulp air along with her meal. Try to feed her in a calm environment: Turn down the lights, put on some soft music, and ask siblings to play quietly (you can always hope).

Burp him often
Frequent burping helps get air bubbles out of your baby's tummy. Don't wait until he's finished a feeding to burp him. Prop him up for a burping when you change sides while nursing or every few minutes when bottle-feeding.

3 ways to burp your baby
Burping your baby can help ease fussiness and discomfort. This video will show you how to burp a baby using three parent-tested techniques. See all videos

Do the baby bicycle
Put your baby on her back, hold her feet, and gently move her legs in a bicycling motion several times a day. (Diaper changes are a good time to try this.) For some babies, this motion relieves gas and other tummy discomforts.

Massage your baby's belly
In addition to helping your baby relax, a gentle belly rub might help dispel gas or at least help his tummy feel better. You could also try placing your baby across your knees, tummy down, and rubbing his back. This sometimes helps release excess pressure.

Gas drops and more
The best thing you can do is to try to eliminate or manage the offending food or habit that's triggering your child's gas. When your child does have uncomfortable gas pain, you can give him infant gas relief drops to help upper and lower gastrointestinal discomfort. Gripe water or probiotics may also be helpful.

When to call the doctor

If you find yourself treating your child several times a day for more than three consecutive days, or if her gas coincides with such other symptoms as vomiting, diarrhea, or fever, call your doctor right away. Your child might have a more serious condition, like a food allergy, stomach flu, or GERD.  

Show sources

AAFP. 2013. Colic. American Academy of Family Physicians. [Accessed February 2017]

AAP. 2015a. Breaking up gas. American Academy of Pediatrics. [Accessed February 2017]

AAP. 2015b. GERD/Reflux. American Academy of Pediatrics. [Accessed February 2017]

Nemours Foundation. 2015a. Formula feeding FAQs: Some common concerns. [Accessed February 2017]

Nemours Foundation. 2015b. Your colicky baby. [Accessed February 2017]