Wind, why does it happen and how can cranial osteopathy help?
Many babies suffer from wind. It can be unsettling. Infants are seen to squirm, wriggle, grunt and strain. The issue is often worse in the early hours of the morning but can go on 24-7. Many think it is a natural phenomenon. Others, like me, look for a reason and so a potential remedy.
There are three main reasons why an infant might suffer from wind:
Excessive intake of air
Poor expulsion of air i.e. poor burping
Production of wind within the gut itself
Let’s look at each of these, consider why they occur and see if some sort of solution can’t be found.
Excessive intake of air
Excessive intake of air normally arises due to fussy feeding. There are several reasons why a baby might be a fussy feeder, the most pertinent of which, from an osteopathic stand point, is the feeding mechanics.
Feeding, both bottle and breast, require the ability to make a wide, open mouth. Some infants find this difficult. Often this is to do with neck compression. Let’s do an experiment. Tuck your chin in and try to open your mouth. It’s not easy is it? Newborn neck compression may be the result of any number of factors. Some are as follows.
Awkward intrauterine (in the womb) positioning.
Some children are breech, bottom or feet down. This means the head is forced up against the rib cage, compressing the neck. Others spend much of the pregnancy head down and low in the pelvis. This is often the case with second or third children, the pelvis being more flexible. Again, this position compresses the neck.
Extended labours due to prolonged cervical unfolding.
In these labours the uterus pushes the baby, head first, against a closed exit. Oxytocin, a medication that increases the frequency and force of the uterine contractions, often compounds the issue and neck compression results.
Forceps or ventouse
Forceps or ventouse can overstretch, contort or twist the neck, which responds by clamping up.
Infants who cannot open their mouths properly often squash the nipple causing their mum’s pain. An increase in maternal stress hormones ensues, blocking the let-down. The child becomes frantic because there is less or no milk, they swallow lots of air, wind and upset follow. Cranial osteopathy tries to release the neck to solve the problem.
Another aspect of feeding mechanics to consider is the seal, the fixture of the mouth on the bottle or the breast. A good seal, does what its name suggests, it seals the baby’s mouth around the teat or the nipple such that no air can get in or out. The seal has to be securely fixed throughout the feed. As such, the muscles involved need to be strong, efficient and resolute. The muscles in question are attached to the bones of the neck, head and face. Should these be displaced or contorted, as a result of an awkward intrauterine position or difficult labour, then the muscles attached will not work as well. The seal will be less efficient and wind may ensue. Cranial osteopathy aims to help by adjusting the bones and so resetting the seal.
Fussy feeds may also arise in association with a tongue tie, fast maternal let down, reflux or, funnily enough, wind itself. For more information about tongue tie and reflux please see the relevant blogs. With regards to the fast maternal let down, you may find feeding in a lain back position or with the baby sitting upright and forwards, will help.
Poor expulsion/lack of burping and air retention
For some babies burping is difficult and this difficulty, like disrupted feeding mechanics, can be associated with the birth process. During delivery the womb contracts and spirals the baby down the uterine canal. As this happens the amniotic fluid, which sits within the lungs during foetal life, is squeezed out. When the baby is born, we hope for an audible cry that springs the ribs apart and rids the lungs of the last 10% of fluid. Done well, the rib cage is open, the respiratory mechanics functional and the chest pressure normal. All these are important for burping. Fast labours or planned caesarean sections involve less or no uterine contractions and as a result, less amniotic fluid is squeezed out of the lungs. Some infants do not cry at birth. Here the chest is not sprung open and part of that last 10% of fluid remains. In both cases the rib cage is left small and inflexible. Small spaces harbour higher pressures. High chest pressures prevent burping by making it difficult for air bubbles to pass up from the stomach to the mouth. One solution may be to soften the rib cage with gentle articulation. An appropriately trained paediatric cranial osteopath, such as the Osteopath Clapham, will be able to do this and show you how to do it.
The production of wind within the gut itself
Immaturity of the gut
Digestion is complex and takes time to mature. The enzyme required for digesting milk, or more precisely the milk sugar lactose, is lactase. Often young infants lack the necessary quantities of lactase to digest the amount of milk, or lactose, they need. As a result, undigested milk builds up in their gut creating wind. A hallmark of this kind of wind is that it tends to be worse in the early hours of the morning. This is because the gut slows down at night allowing the wind to build up. Cranial osteopathy can help but parents/carers many find that lowering the input of lactose by reducing maternal intake or changing formulas might be of more benefit. There are also medications on the market that could help.
Intolerances and allergies.
Intolerances and allergies can both be associated with uncomfortable wind. Intolerances are less problematic than allergies. Allergies tend to be accompanied with red clammy skin, rashes and distinct, almost constant unsettledness. Although, cranial osteopathy may be able to help, it is wise, particularly with respect to allergies, to seek medical advice.
Infrequent defecation (pooing) and constipation
Defecation frequency varies. The breast fed newborn is expected to produce 5-12 poops a day. This is thought to be less for formula fed babies. Most poo less after a month, regardless of what they are fed on and after six weeks some only poo once every one to two weeks. Although, the latter is thought to be normal, we all know what it is like not to poo. We feel uncomfortably bloated and generally have lots of wind. Infants are no different. If their defecation habit is infrequent, either naturally or not, this will produce wind.
As an aside, infrequent defecation is not constipation. For constipation to be present there must be both infrequency and hard, pellet-like stools. However, for our purposes there is no different, constipation, like infrequency, produces wind.
Paediatric cranial osteopaths look at the associated biomechanics to try to make a difference. Often this means the pelvis, the container of the defecation apparatus, or the nerve supply. They may make enquiries about maternal diet, allergies, intolerances or formula. All these can be contributing factors.
Conclusion
SO, in a nutshell there are many reasons why an infant might suffer from wind and often, just to add to the confusion, they overlap. Some have their origins in the anatomy and biomechanics of the body in which case a well-trained paediatric cranial osteopath, such as the Osteopath Clapham, may be able to help, others do not. In these latter cases, either time, a change in diet or referral may be more appropriate.