Instructions for burping your baby's back after feeding

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is expertly consulted by Assoc. Dr. Dr. Huynh Thoai Loan - Head of Pediatrics - Neonatology Department, Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital. Uncle is one of the leading experts in Pediatrics - Neonatology in Ho Chi Minh City with nearly 30 years of experience in examining and treating diseases of pediatric endocrinology, pediatric nephrology and other pediatric - neonatal issues.
Back patting to help your baby burp after a feed is a simple yet very beneficial technique. Babies who are burped and burped after regular feeding will reduce regurgitation, bloating, vomiting, and will suckle more milk, cry less, and sleep better.

1. Why does the baby need to burp after feeding?

In the first few months of life, the baby's digestive system is not fully developed. The stomach is very small, at birth, the baby's stomach is only the size of a cherry, it can only hold 5-7ml of milk, when three days old, the stomach will be the size of a walnut and can hold from 22-27ml. milk. Due to the small size of the stomach, when it contains both air and milk, the stomach will be full. Babies will feel very uncomfortable due to gas after feeding. On the other hand, because a child's stomach is horizontal, not vertical like an adult's, the sphincter between the stomach and the esophagus is still weak, so when the stomach is full due to the presence of a lot of air, it will easily reflux, leading to the condition. regurgitation of milk, vomiting, children have the phenomenon of crying, regurgitation of milk while sleeping,...
When parents burp back after feeding, it will help the baby expel the gas trapped in the stomach. In addition, the baby will feel comfortable, comfortable, reduce vomiting after feeding, the stomach volume is released, so the baby will drink more milk, from which the baby will be fuller and sleep better.

2. How is the back patting action to help the baby burp after feeding?

2.1. When should parents pat their baby's back to burp? Parents should pat their baby's back to burp after each feed or between feedings, when the baby is half a bottle of milk or after the baby has finished nursing one breast, the mother should pat the baby's back to burp before transferring. baby to suck on the other breast. For children who often vomit, parents should burp them more often. Whether it's day or night feeding, in the first few months of life, parents should try to burp their baby regularly.
2.2. Instructions on how to pat your baby's back to burp after feeding To pat your baby's back to help burp, parents can choose one of the following ways:
Method 1: Mom puts a clean towel on her shoulder, holds the baby , let the baby's head rest on the mother's shoulder. With one hand, the mother holds the baby, the other hand rubs the baby's back in a circular motion or clasps her hands together in the direction from the bottom up to burp the baby.
Method 2: The mother puts a clean towel on her lap, let the baby sit against the mother, the baby's head rests on the shoulder, the baby's body is pressed against the mother's chest. A mother holds the baby's head and chest with one hand, one hand rubs the back in a circular motion or gently pats the baby from the bottom up. Mothers let the baby sit slightly forward to make the burping process easier. Method 3: Let the baby lie face down on the mother's arm, making sure the baby's head is higher than the chest, then the mother uses the palm of her hand to rub in a circle on the baby's back. Or you can lay your baby on his stomach on his lap, with his belly on one leg and his head on the other leg, patting his back or gently rubbing it to help burp.

Method 4: When the child is stronger, can keep the neck straight, the mother can hold the baby in front of the chest, so that the baby's face is facing out, one hand is placed under the baby's bottom, the other hand is around the baby's belly. create a slight pressure. The mother will stand and walk gently, the combination of hand pressure and movement will help the air from the baby's stomach to be effectively released. Note that when patting your child's back, parents should do it gently, strong back patting will scare the child and will not increase the efficiency of pushing the gas in the child's stomach out.

2.3. How do you know if your baby has burped? When the baby burps, the baby will burp or the baby will stop crying, become happy, comfortable and continue to suckle. During the process of patting the back, the baby may spit out some milk, this is a normal phenomenon that mothers do not need to worry about. A clean towel that you have placed on your shoulder or thigh before burping will help prevent your clothes from getting dirty when your baby spits up milk.
2.4. How often should baby burp? How long it takes to burp your baby depends on the amount of gas in the baby's stomach. Normally, if after patting for 10-15 minutes, the baby still does not burp, you should change position and continue patting your baby's back.
Because in the first 6 months of life, breast milk is the main source of nutrition, parents should maintain regular burping for their children. After this period of time, the baby's digestive system will develop more complete, and when the child becomes strong, starts to learn to sit, the child's body can push the gas out of the stomach on its own without any support. of parents.
Children need to provide enough elemental zinc/day for them to eat well, reach the correct height and weight and exceed the standard. Zinc plays a role in affecting most biological processes taking place in the body, especially the breakdown of nucleic acids, proteins... Organs in the body when zinc deficiency can lead to a There are a number of diseases such as neurological disorders, irritability, etc. Therefore, parents need to learn about the role of zinc and guide them to appropriate zinc supplements for their children.
In addition to zinc, parents also need to supplement their children with other important vitamins and minerals such as lysine, chromium, B vitamins,... errands.
Please regularly visit Vinmec.com website and update useful information to take care of your baby and family.