Patient's question:
The child was just born, and the next night it was discovered that the baby began to have abdominal distension with very little gas and bowel movements. After taking medication, the stool was expelled, but the stomach quickly swelled again. The smell of the gas was quite strong when it was released. What should be done about abdominal distension in newborns?Doctor's answer:
If a newborn has abdominal distension, the first thing to check is whether there is vomiting in addition to the distension. If there is food accompanied by repeated vomiting, or even bile or feces, constipation, it will resolve once every 3-5 days, with very little fecal output. If the baby is losing weight, it may be congenital megacolon, and further examination and treatment should be carried out in the hospital as soon as possible. If the abdominal distension subsides during feeding, but becomes more pronounced after feeding, without vomiting or occasional vomiting, and the abdominal distension is relieved after passing gas, and there is no feces upon touching the abdomen, with normal milk intake and no weight loss, it may be due to improper feeding methods, where the child swallows more air while sucking, causing pressure and abdominal distension. It is recommended to take the child to the hospital for examination and treatment.