When parents talk about gassiness in a baby when they return for the PKU on
or about day 4, or for a follow-up bilirubin check which might be up to 14
days post partum, I have come to expect to find a hungry baby who isn't
gaining weight.  My heart sinks and I dread undressing the baby.
I am trying to figure out how to say nicely that babies GET gassy from
crying, and they are most often crying from hunger.  Funny how when our
stomachs growl, we are very aware that it is because they are EMPTY (not
shouting, I am screaming now), but when a baby's does the same thing, and
the baby is very distressed and showing every feeding cue known to humans,
the parents ascribe to the mysterious gas pains that plague new babies.  In
the worst case scenario, the baby may be significantly undernourished, and
this can occur in the most unlikely seeming families.  
I've been pondering how to encourage parents to not only look at their
babies, but to trust them, to believe that when the baby seems unsatisfied,
it probably IS, and the way to satisfy it is stunningly simple, though
goodness knows it can be demanding at times.  
Rachel Myr
Kristiansand, Norway

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