What can I do about my daughter's gas?
My five year old daughter has very serious problems with gas. She has been kicked out of private school because of this. It is becoming a serious problem and we don’t know what to do. Anti-gas medicines don’t help.
Although everyone passes gas, some more than others, it sounds like your daughter’s gas passing is excessive. There are two ways gas gets to the large intestine. It is either swallowed and travels there or it is produced by fermentation of the intestinal contents. Swallowed air is a common cause of excess gas. It is caused by gum chewing, drinking carbonated beverages, eating too fast and gulping fluids at meals. Encouraging children to chew their food well, eat slowly and drink their beverage in small sips will all help.
Fermentation happens when foods are not digested before they reach the large intestine. Lactose intolerance is the most common culprit so a trial of 10 days completely off lactose (milk, cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, ice cream) will answer the question about lactose. However, sorbitol, found in sugarless gum and candy and prune, apricot and pear juice is another big contributor to intestinal gas. Xylitol, found in the new tooth-decay prevention gums can also cause excess gas.
Finally, foods that have gas producing chemicals such as cabbage, beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and garlic can cause problems for some people.
If your daughter is constipated, gas can build up behind hard stool. If constipation is a problem, call your child’s doctor for further advice.
