Does your baby sound like a piglet through day and night? They will make noises while they are awake and even when asleep. Parents of newborns stay alert about every little thing their babies do and this frequent grunting will worry them. Squirms will sound cute at the beginning but when it continues, it will no longer be sweet to watch. The good news is that grunting is perfectly normal in most cases and common among babies.
If your baby is eating and sleeping well with no signs of pain, grunting is not a matter to be concerned about. But sometimes grunting can be a symptom of a serious health issue. This article will cover why babies grunt and when to be concerned about your baby’s grunting and gurgling.
CONTENT
1. Why do the babies grunt?
- Digestion
Grunting in babies is mainly caused by digesting issues. The babies have a developing digestive system that is still getting used to digesting breast milk or baby formula. Your baby is new to the digestive process and will experience problems in dealing with gas which can make them grunt.
Newborns need time to figure out how to relax their pelvic floor while pushing through the abdomen when they have to poop or fart. They have weak abdominal muscles and will also have to hold down their diaphragm against the glottis. This makes grunting a frequent thing in a baby’s life.
According to the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition (JPGN), the babies may look strained and their heads may turn purple for few minutes when they are grunting to have a bowel movement. There is little you can do about newborn grunting in this case as the babies have to learn how to make a bowel movement happen without grunting. This is not a reason to worry as the babies will grow out of grunting with time.
- In sleep
Babies spend most of their sleep in the REM stage. So they will look restless during the sleep with twists, turns, twirls, and noises. Grunting is normal for the babies in their sleep along with squeaks and snores. These sounds do not indicate a serious health problem. If your baby’s grunting panics you whether he is suffocated, take the following measures to ensure that he is safe.
Allow no blankets or pillows in the crib. Use only a well-fitted sheet to cover the mattress.
Dress the baby in clothes that are not too big or too small
If you are swaddling the baby, make sure that the swaddle will not unravel.
Put the baby to sleep on his back
The room temperature should not be too cold or too hot.
- Constipation
Many babies experience constipation within the first year of their life. If your baby grunts and turns red while pooping, he might be constipated. Babies are likely to get constipated as they spend most of their time laying on their back which prevents the force of gravity from helping the feces to pass down.
Poop passed in the consistency of a pebble and crying when pooping is two easy ways to identify whether your baby is constipated. If your baby is older than six months, you can give him more water or fruit juices to ease constipation. Never give your baby a laxative without consulting a doctor. If the condition prevails, seek medical advice. Fever, blood in poop while being bloated are symptoms that you should seek for medical attention as soon as possible.
- Nasal Congestions
Those tiny noses have a very narrow nasal passage to breathe through. The immature respiratory system of the baby will produce a lot of mucus for no reason and will block the small nasal passage of the baby. When the nose is congested, the baby may grunt sneeze, or cough.
There are many ways that you can help your baby to unblock his nose. You can use a nasal aspirator or simply wipe the baby’s nose. Remember that frequent use of nasal aspirators can cause further inflammation in the nose making the nasal congestions worse. Warm baths and face massages will also relieve congestions in the nasal passage of your baby.
- Acid Reflux
There is a muscle between the stomach and the esophagus which prevents the food and digestive juices from coming back on their way. This muscle of the baby is not functioning properly yet so it will not be closed when it has to be. It will cause the milk and digestive acids to flow back into the esophagus. Acid reflux can make your baby grunt frequently.
Newborns spend most of the time on their back leaving them prone to acid reflux and spit-ups. Acid reflux is common among babies and every baby will spit up once in a while. But following symptoms will indicate that your baby is beyond the normal acid reflux and needs medical attention.
Refusing to eat
Failing to gain weight or losing weight
Frequent forceful vomiting
Spit up is green, yellow, red, or brown
2. When to consult a doctor?
Although grunting is normal in healthy babies, sometimes grunting can be a sign of a health condition that needs medical intervention. If your baby is grunting at the end of each and every breath, it can be a symptom of respiratory disease. If your baby is grunting after every breath and has a fever, consult your pediatrician immediately.
Continuous grunting could be a sign of
- asthma
- pneumonia
- sepsis
- meningitis
- heart failure
Below are few other signs that will help you to determine if your baby has respiratory distress or illness or his grunts are normal. Other signs of respiratory problems include,
- Bluetongue or skin
- Weight loss
- Fever
- Lethargy
- Nasal flaring
- Inconsistence breathing
