Flatulence is a complaint that can happen to anyone, including children. When bloated, children can become fussy and don't want to eat. But don't worry, there are some initial treatments that can be done to treat flatulence in children.
Flatulence is a condition when gas or air builds up in the digestive tract. Flatulence can make children feel uncomfortable, so children have difficulty resting and are lazy to eat. Although it is common and can heal on its own, this condition cannot be ignored, because it can be a sign of a dangerous disease
Various Causes of Bloated Stomach in Children
There are several things that can cause a child to experience bloating, namely:
- Swallowing too much air while eating. This can occur in children who eat while playing, watching television, or running indoors.
- Chewing food too fast.
- Eating foods that can trigger gas production in the stomach, such as cabbage, radishes, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, and beans.
- Consuming too many soft drinks.
- Having certain diseases, such as ulcers, constipation, intestinal obstruction, lactose intolerance, and Crohn's disease.
How to Overcome Bloated Stomach in Children
Generally, bloating in children is caused by something that is not dangerous and can be treated with simple treatments at home. Here are some ways to deal with flatulence in children that you can do:
1. Avoid eating foods that cause flatulence
Make sure your child does not eat foods that can increase gas production in the digestive tract, such as cabbage, turnips, onions, broccoli, beans, and fatty foods.
2. Avoid drinking drinks that can cause flatulence
Fizzy drinks generally contain phosphoric acid which can cause flatulence in children. In addition to soft drinks, fruit juices can also sometimes trigger this flatulence complaint. This is because the content of sucrose and fructose in the juice can trigger the formation of gas in the digestive tract.
3. Get used to the child to chew food slowly
One of the causes of flatulence in children is the habit of chewing food too fast. Therefore, get your child used to chewing food slowly until it is completely pulverized before swallowing it.
4. Increase the consumption of water
Although water does not directly help reduce flatulence in children, consuming enough water can prevent constipation while reducing the risk of bloating in children.
5. Give a warm compress
To reduce discomfort when your child's stomach is bloated, you can compress the stomach with warm water. Besides being able to make the child more comfortable, this warm compress can also reduce bloating.
If your child's bloating doesn't go away despite the above treatment, or if it's accompanied by other symptoms, such as severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, fever, or weight loss, take your child to the doctor immediately for proper treatment. To treat stomach ulcers or stomach pain in children, the doctor may prescribe medication for stomach pain in children.