6 Home Remedies to Relieve Gas in Babies

Quick answer

Most babies are gassy, and most of it is normal. Swallowed air during feeding is the main cause, so the things that help are burping properly, checking the latch or bottle flow, gentle bicycle legs and tummy massage, tummy time while awake, and calm holding. Avoid gripe water and ghutti, and do not change formula or your own diet without talking to a paediatrician.

Key takeaways

• Straining, grunting, drawing up legs and passing wind are normal infant behaviours, not proof of a problem. Babies have immature digestive systems and do all of this.

• Do not give gripe water, ghutti or janam ghutti. Composition is unregulated, evidence of benefit is absent, and some products have contained alcohol, sugar or sodium bicarbonate.

• Do not switch formula on your own. Repeated switching rarely helps and can delay diagnosis of a genuine milk protein allergy.

• Crying that peaks around 6 weeks and settles by 3 to 4 months is usually colic, which is exhausting but not dangerous, and is not caused by anything you did.

• Never shake a baby. If you are at breaking point, put your baby down safely in their cot and step away for a few minutes. That is the right thing to do.

Is it actually gas?

Most of what parents call gas is normal newborn behaviour.

Babies have immature digestive systems and immature coordination. They grunt, strain, go red in the face, pull their legs up and pass wind frequently. A baby who strains and grunts but passes a soft stool is not constipated, and a baby who pulls their legs up is not necessarily in pain.

Why this distinction matters: attributing everything to gas leads to unnecessary treatments, formula switching and drops, and it can delay recognising something that actually needs attention.

Why babies get gassy

• Swallowed air during feeding. The most common cause by far. A shallow latch, a fast bottle flow, a bottle angle that lets air into the teat, or feeding while very upset

• Crying itself, which makes babies swallow more air. Crying causes gas as often as gas causes crying

• Immature digestion, which improves over the first few months

• Fast or forceful milk flow in breastfeeding, sometimes with oversupply, which makes babies gulp

• Overfeeding, particularly with bottles

• Cow's milk protein allergy, which is uncommon but real. See the warning signs below

Maternal diet is a much smaller factor than most families believe. Broccoli, cabbage, rajma, dal and onions do not reliably cause gas in a breastfed baby, and cutting them out rarely helps.

The 6 things that genuinely help

1. Burp properly, during and after feeds

The single most effective thing on this list, because swallowed air is the main cause.

• Burp midway through a feed as well as at the end, particularly with bottle feeds

• Try three positions: over your shoulder, sitting upright on your lap supported under the chin, or lying across your lap on their tummy

• Pat or rub gently on the back, from the lower back upward

• Give it a few minutes. If no burp comes after that, change position once, then move on. Not every feed produces one

• Keep your baby upright for 10 to 20 minutes after a feed

2. Check the latch or the bottle

If your baby is consistently gassy, this is where the cause usually is.

If breastfeeding:

• Your baby's mouth should be wide open, with more of the lower part of the areola in the mouth, and their chin touching the breast

• Clicking sounds during feeding often mean air is getting in

• If feeding hurts, the latch needs fixing. One session with a lactation consultant is worth more than weeks of guessing

• If your milk flows very fast, your baby may gulp and swallow air. Try a laid-back position so gravity slows the flow, or express a little before feeding

If bottle feeding:

• Use a slow-flow teat, especially for newborns. A teat that is too fast is a very common cause of gassiness

• Tilt the bottle so the teat stays full of milk, with no air in it

• Try paced feeding: hold your baby more upright, keep the bottle more horizontal, and pause every minute or so

• Do not force the last few millilitres. Overfeeding contributes

3. Bicycle legs and gentle tummy massage

Bicycle legs: lay your baby on their back and gently move their legs in a cycling motion, then bring both knees up towards the tummy and hold for a few seconds. Repeat slowly.

Tummy massage: using warm hands and a little coconut or sunflower oil, stroke gently in a clockwise circle around the navel, which follows the direction of the intestine.

Safety points:

• Gentle pressure only. This should be soothing, not forceful

• Wait at least 30 minutes after a feed, or you may trigger vomiting

• Stop if your baby becomes distressed

• Avoid the cord stump until it has fully healed

• Never massage a baby with a fever, a distended tummy, or who seems unwell

4. Tummy time while awake

Short periods of supervised tummy time, several times a day, gently compress the abdomen and may help wind move along. It also builds the neck, shoulder and trunk strength your baby needs for motor development.

• Start with a few minutes at a time and build up

• Always supervised, always awake

• Not straight after a feed

• 🚩 Never leave your baby to sleep on their tummy. Babies must sleep on their back on a firm, flat surface with nothing in the cot

5. Hold, move and soothe

Calming a baby reduces crying, and less crying means less swallowed air. This breaks the cycle from the other end.

• Hold upright against your chest, which is often the most settling position

• Gentle motion: rocking, walking, a pram, a sling

• Skin-to-skin contact

• A warm bath

• White noise or steady background sound, such as a fan

• Swaddle, if your baby likes it, keeping it loose around the hips and stopping once your baby shows signs of rolling

• A dim, quiet room in the evening, when fussiness usually peaks

6. Talk to your doctor before changing formula or your diet

This is the correction most needed on this topic.

Do not switch formula on your own. Repeated switching rarely helps, each change takes time to settle, and it can mask or delay diagnosis of a genuine cow's milk protein allergy. If you think formula is the problem, see your paediatrician, who can advise whether a specialised formula is appropriate.

Do not start an elimination diet while breastfeeding without medical advice. Cutting out dairy or other food groups can leave you undernourished at a demanding time, and most colic is not caused by the mother's diet. If your baby has blood or mucus in the stool, eczema or poor weight gain, that is a different situation and needs a paediatrician.

What about gripe water, colic drops and probiotics?

Is it colic?

Colic is defined as crying for more than three hours a day, more than three days a week, for more than three weeks, in a baby who is otherwise healthy and feeding and growing well.

• It typically starts around 2 to 3 weeks, peaks around 6 weeks, and resolves by 3 to 4 months in the large majority of babies

• The cause is not fully understood, and it is not caused by anything you did

• Crying is often worst in the late afternoon and evening

• It is not dangerous, but it is genuinely exhausting

The most important part of managing colic is looking after the parents. This is not a soft point.

🚩 Never shake a baby. Shaking causes serious and permanent brain injury. If you feel you are reaching your limit, put your baby down safely on their back in their cot, close the door, and step away for five or ten minutes. A crying baby in a safe cot comes to no harm. Call someone, ask for help, and swap with your partner or a family member.

Tell your doctor if you are struggling. Persistent low mood, anxiety, anger or feeling disconnected are common after birth, especially with a colicky baby, and they are treatable.

When to see a doctor

🚩 Go to hospital or seek care immediately if your baby has:

• Green or yellow-green vomit

• Forceful, projectile vomiting, or vomiting after every feed

• Blood in the vomit or stool, or black stools

• A swollen, hard or tender tummy

• Not passing stool or wind, with vomiting

• A swelling or lump in the groin or scrotum, particularly with crying, which can indicate a hernia and is an emergency

• Any fever in a baby under 3 months

• Refusing feeds, or far fewer wet nappies than usual

• Unusual drowsiness, floppiness, or being difficult to wake

• Inconsolable crying that is different from their usual cry, particularly with fever or vomiting

• Fast or laboured breathing, chest pulling in, or grunting

Book an appointment if:

• Your baby is not gaining weight as expected

• There is blood or mucus in the stool, eczema, or severe reflux, which may suggest cow's milk protein allergy

• Feeding is painful for you, or your baby has been told to have a tongue-tie

• Crying is not improving by 4 months

• You are finding it hard to cope

Frequently asked questions

Is gas in babies normal?
Yes. Grunting, straining, passing wind and drawing up the legs are normal infant behaviours. Most babies are gassy and most of it needs nothing.

What is the fastest way to relieve gas in a baby?
Burping, holding upright, bicycle legs and gentle tummy massage. Calming your baby also helps, because crying makes them swallow more air.

Is gripe water safe for newborns?
It is not recommended. Composition varies and is poorly regulated, there is no good evidence of benefit, and some products have contained alcohol or sugar.

Can I give ghutti or janam ghutti?
No. Ingredients cannot be verified, some traditional mixtures have contained harmful substances, and they displace breast milk.

Does my diet cause my breastfed baby's gas?
Rarely. Maternal diet is a much smaller factor than most families believe. Do not cut out food groups without a paediatrician's advice.

Should I change my baby's formula?
Not on your own. Repeated switching rarely helps and can delay diagnosis of a genuine allergy. Speak to your paediatrician first.

When does colic stop?
It usually peaks around 6 weeks and settles by 3 to 4 months in most babies.

How do I know if it is colic or something serious?
Colic occurs in a baby who is otherwise well, feeding and gaining weight. Green vomiting, blood in the stool, a swollen tummy, fever, poor weight gain or a groin swelling all need medical attention.

What if I cannot cope with the crying?
Put your baby down safely on their back in the cot and step away for a few minutes. Never shake a baby. Ask someone to take over, and tell your doctor you are struggling.

The bottom line

Most baby gas is normal and needs nothing more than good burping, a check of the latch or bottle flow, and some gentle movement. Skip the gripe water and ghutti, and do not change formula or your own diet without your paediatrician. If crying is long, daily and exhausting but your baby is feeding and growing well, it is most likely colic, which peaks around six weeks and passes. And on the hardest nights, putting your baby down safely in their cot and stepping away for a few minutes is the right thing to do.

Sources

• American Academy of Pediatrics, colic, crying and guidance on gripe water and infant remedies

• NHS, colic, reflux and crying babies

• National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, colic in infants and cow's milk allergy in children

• World Health Organization, infant and young child feeding guidance

• Indian Academy of Pediatrics, infant feeding and newborn care guidance

• Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, interventions for infantile colic

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, preventing abusive head trauma

This article is for general information and is not a substitute for medical advice. Seek care immediately for green vomiting, blood in the stool, a swollen tummy, a groin swelling, any fever in a baby under three months, or a baby who is difficult to wake.