Over-the-counter gas drops usually contain simethicone, a medicine designed to relieve painful symptoms associated with having too much gas in the stomach and intestines. Simethicone is generally a safe medication for babies. If gas drops make your baby feel better, you can continue using them.
Most will say you can give your baby drops up to 12 times per day, or at each feeding. Some parents find it's helpful to give babies gas drops right before each feed to pre-empt gas problems.
Can my baby accidentally overdose on simethicone? No. Simethicone is non-toxic, biologically inert and extremely safe to use even at doses higher than allowed in OTCs.
In general, there's no harm in giving your baby gas drops if they seem to help. It's likely her frequent fussiness will fade over time without additional treatment. Simethicone is generally a safe medication for babies. It could cause loose stools, but that is uncommon.
What to Do
- Apply gentle pressure to your baby's belly.
- Burp your baby during and after a feeding.
- Feed your baby at an angle.
- Try infant massage on your baby's tummy to relieve gas pressure.
- Check in with a lactation consultant.
- Keep a food journal.
- Wait it out!
- Use gas drops like simethicone.
Simethicone is generally a safe medication for babies. Fortunately, they are not included in most gas drops intended for infants. As in your case, gas drops may be useful for infant fussiness. To date, though, research studies have not found simethicone to be very effective at relieving infant colic.
Uses. This medication is used to make the urine less acidic. Urine that is less acidic helps the kidneys get rid of uric acid, helping to prevent gout and certain types of kidney stones (urate). This medication can also prevent and treat certain metabolic problems (acidosis) caused by kidney disease.
Burst Their Bubbles
Simethicone gas drops (such as Mylicon, Little Tummys gas relief drops, and Phazyme) are thought to be safe to give—as often as 12 times a day, if necessary—and many parents do just that. But at approximately $12 per 1-ounce (30 mL) bottle, they're not exactly cheap.Combats gastrointestinal (GI) disorders: Common GI disorders in infants and children, including infantile colic, diarrhea, abdominal pain and dyspepsia. Bonnisan relieves smooth muscle spasms associated with colic, protects the GI mucosa, expels gas from the GI tract and combats acute and chronic infections.
This product is used to relieve symptoms of extra gas caused by air swallowing or certain foods/infant formulas.
Pepsin is an endopeptidase that breaks down proteins into smaller amino acids. Pepsin's proenzyme, pepsinogen, is released by the chief cells in the stomach wall, and upon mixing with the hydrochloric acid of the gastric juice, pepsinogen activates to become pepsin.
Oral digestive enzymes are complex proteins naturally produced by the body to help digest and breakdown the foods we eat. The pancreas is the organ responsible for making and secreting digestive enzymes. Oral digestive enzymes are used when the pancreas is unable to produce enough digestive enzymes.
Uses. This product is used to relieve symptoms of extra gas caused by air swallowing or certain foods/infant formulas. Simethicone helps break up gas bubbles in the gut.
Colic usually appears a few weeks after birth and carries on until the infant is about three to four months old. Even though they may cry a great deal, colic is neither dangerous nor harmful.
It is safe to use every day. If gas drops make your baby feel better, you can continue using them. Infant colic is defined as a baby crying for more than three hours a day, more than three days a week, for a period of three weeks or longer in an otherwise healthy infant.
Best Colic Drops comparison table
- 1st Place. Boiron Coliccomfort Baby Colic Relief Medicine Drops, 30Count.
- 2nd Place. Windi Gas and Colic Reliever for Babies (10 Count) by Frida Ba.
- 3rd Place. Colic Calm Homeopathic Gripe Water - 2 Fl.
- 4th Place.
- 5th Place.
The typical dose for simethicone is 20 milligrams, up to four times a day. It is safe to use every day. If gas drops make your baby feel better, you can continue using them.
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggest that gas drops are safe to give to newborn babies, and adverse side effects are rare. However, if a baby is also taking thyroid hormone medication, do not give them gas drops as simethicone can interact with this type of medication.
Colic is a form of pain that starts and stops abruptly. It occurs due to muscular contractions of a hollow tube (colon, gall bladder, ureter, etc.) in an attempt to relieve an obstruction by forcing content out. Baby colic, a condition, usually in infants, characterized by incessant crying.
The typical dose for simethicone is 20 milligrams, up to four times a day. It is safe to use every day. If gas drops make your baby feel better, you can continue using them.
Colic is usually not cause for concern. You should, however, consult your pediatrician immediately if your baby's colic is combined with one or more of the following symptoms: a fever of over 100.4˚F (38˚C) projectile vomiting.
A baby is more likely to experience stomach discomfort when unable to pass gas. Some babies cry for several hours over days or weeks. Since the herbs in gripe water theoretically help with digestion, this remedy is thought to help with colic caused by gassiness. Gripe water is also used for teething pain and hiccups.
