Gas in infants can come from multiple sources.
A mother brought her eight-week-old for therapy. As a five-time “professional” mom, she said his biggest issue was gas.
He had breastfeeding difficulty and trouble burping with hiccups. She noted that overall he was tight from birth.
Common sense would expect that characteristic. Imagine staying balled up in a confined space for 40 weeks and then pop out as Mr. or Ms. Happy Baby—probably not happening.
OK, for the first few embryonic months there is little pressure. But as the fetus grows, the uterus is creating resistance in a confined space.
My mentor, Dr. Viola Frymann, found craniosacral restrictions in 88% of 1250 newborns in her hospital research in the 1960s. (Frymann, V. Relation of disturbances of craniosacral mechanisms to symptomatology of the newborn: Study of 1,250 infants. Journal of American Osteopathic Association 1966; 65: 1059-1075.)
If we are born tight, it would make sense to loosen up as soon as possible directly at the birth.
When a infant like this presents, I am looking at three aspects:
1. Fascial strain in the digestive organs—stomach, pancreas, liver, and gallbladder. He presented with significant tightness in this area of his body.
2. Difficulty breastfeeding—infants may swallow air if they having trouble feeding. He had TMJ tightness and a history of oral tie surgery.
3. Intolerance to dairy products—if the first two options fail to completely clear the gas problem, the infant may be intolerant to dairy products.
While I was listening to him in therapy, his fascial web compressed into a tight ball—a common fetal position. As it started to release on the first visit, his brain cycle opened to a terrific 150 seconds.
I expect him to do well. Gillespie Approach Training is a must for all newborn providers.
Mom Speaks
“My son woke up with so many smiles the day after his fascial releases. He appeared both physically and mentally relaxed. His nursing has been efficient, and he has been able to handle the letdowns without choking far more comfortably in just one day.
Typically, he grunts a lot at night as he tries to pass gas. Last night and during the following day’s naps, he slept peacefully and, when, he stirred, he didn’t seem nearly as frustrated. He didn’t need as many burps after feedings and didn’t cry after the burps like he typically does.
Overall, his disposition seemed more relaxed and even his alertness seemed sharper! Wow! I’m curious to see how he handles dairy products in the next few days.”
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