Should we stop burping babies?

One evening this past week, after my wife finished feeding our 5-week-old daughter, I took over baby duty. I sat her up on my lap and gave her a few thumps on the back. Not hard enough to hurt, obviously, but just to make her burp. She didn’t burp. So I gave her a couple more gentle-but-firm whacks, still without a result. And then I remembered the phone call I got a couple years ago from a mom whose baby wouldn’t burp. It was late at night, probably 10:00 p.m. or so. The baby had taken her formula just like normal, but after 30 minutes of trying, her poor mom couldn’t make her burp. And she was really concerned. I asked a few questions to make sure there wasn’t anything bigger going on. Then, I did my best to reassure her and encouraged her to put the baby in her crib and try to get some sleep. Maybe tomorrow would be a better day. Well, this is baby number three for me, and I’ve learned a thing or two from other people’s kids as well. I certainly wasn’t worried. But it did make me wonder if burping a baby does anything. Continue reading ... Your patients are rating you online: How to respond. Manage your online reputation: A social media guide. Find out how.
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - Category: Journals (General) Authors: Tags: Conditions Pediatrics Source Type: blogs