In the first months of life, the baby's digestive organs are just completing their formation, so most toddlers have problems with stool and painful sensations caused by the accumulation of gas. To eliminate them, doctors recommend using different methods, including a gas tube.
If colic causes the baby severe discomfort, the doctor will take into account the indications for administration and may advise the use of such a device. There are both disposable and reusable models. To make the right choice of a rectal tube from gaziks, parents need to know in advance how it looks, what is the depth of insertion and other features of manipulation.
Should you use it?
The use of gas tubes is recommended in situations where the baby cannot get rid of the gases accumulated in the large intestine on its own, which causes the baby severe discomfort. In infants, this is manifested by loud crying, reddening of the face, tense, swollen tummy, grunting, and decreased appetite.
The baby can refuse to eat, draw in his legs, push to no avail. In many children with this condition, stool retention is also noted, which only exacerbates the situation. Similar symptoms may be an indication for the introduction of a tube or catheter into the anus. The result will be rapid elimination of gas and relief of the baby's condition.
At the same time, many doctors, including Dr. Komarovsky, focus on the fact that the use of a gas outlet tube is an extreme measure, which can be called quite radical. They advise to resort to it only in cases when no other ways of getting rid of colic and gas have helped the baby.
According to doctors, before going to the pharmacy for a rectal tube, it is worth trying all other means.
- Easy to massage the baby's tummy. During such a massage, circular movements should be carried out clockwise in order to increase intestinal motility. The result will be the elimination of gases naturally.
- Apply something warm to the baby's belly. Most often, a soft diaper is used, which is ironed. You can also prepare a heating pad, or just put the baby on the mom's stomach. The warmth will help you relax and the pain will decrease.
- Give the baby a pose in which it will be easier for him to get rid of the gas cars. It is recommended to put the baby on a bed or a changing table, and then raise his legs, touching his knees to his stomach. You can also carry the baby in your arms in the "frog" position.
Other measures to help relieve gas and colic include extraordinary latching on to the chest, bathing, regular laying on the tummy, using dill water or decoction of fennel seeds. In some cases, the baby is helped by drugs against gas formation, for example, "Sub Simplex", "Espumisan", "Bobotik" or "Baby Kalm". These drugs, produced predominantly in liquid form, destroy gas bubbles inside the intestines, effectively eliminating flatulence, even in newborns.
It is also important to take into account the fact that there are certain contraindications for using the gas outlet pipe. For example, the device cannot be inserted if there is inflammation of the rectum, intestinal bleeding, the presence of a tumor process in the intestine, or an anal fissure. That is why you should first consult with your doctor - you can do procedures with a rectal tube only with his consent.
Types and nuances of choice
Pharmacies and children's stores offer several options for tubes, probes and catheters designed to quickly remove excess gas from the large intestine. They have a similar principle of operation, but there are certain differences that are important to consider when selecting a suitable product.
Reusable straws
The standard reusable model is a long, hollow tube with a tapered and slightly rounded tip. Roxy Kids and Alfaplastic tubes are examples of such a device. These are flexible silicone or elastic rubber products with a low price (50-100 rubles), which must be sterilized by boiling before use.
These tubes come in different sizes, depending on the age of the child for whom they are suitable. The size determines the diameter of the tube - the smaller it is, the smaller the probe will be. Newborns are recommended items number 15 or 16, for babies aged 6 months and older - item number 17 or 18. Marks for depth control on such probes are usually absent.
Disposable straws
Many manufacturers, in addition to reusable ones, also produce disposable gas outlet tubes with a rounded end and additional holes on the sides through which air is better removed from the intestine. These models include "Malyshok" tubes of the "Alpina Plast" company. They are also offered by manufacturers Apexmed, Tedi and Roxy Kids.
They are placed in a sterile package, which is opened immediately before the procedure, checking the expiration date. Such models often have markup, due to which they control the depth of entry. The sizes of such disposable tubes are also designed for a certain age of the baby. Their main convenience is that sterilization before use is not required, and the used product is simply thrown away.
Rectal catheters
In addition to the usual long exhaust tubes, there are also disposable catheters for home use, such as the Swedish-made Windi accessory. It is in high demand from parents and receives a lot of positive feedback. Such a tube is small and has a restrictor, so you don't have to worry that the end of the catheter will be inserted too deeply.
The base of the product is quite dense, and the surface is ribbed, thanks to which the catheter is easily held in the hand without slipping out of the fingers. As for the tip, it is made of a special thermoplastic material that heats up from the heat of the child's body, as a result of which this part becomes softer.
The main advantages of such a tube are called the speed of use, one-time use, the painlessness of the procedure, the optimal length of the part inserted into the intestine, and safety for the baby. Among the disadvantages of Windi straws, only their high cost is usually mentioned, averaging 1000-1200 rubles per package.
How to do it yourself?
For those parents who do not want or cannot purchase a special straw, the option of making a homemade product at home is also available. The accessory can be made by hand from the smallest syringe. Having bought a small enema at the pharmacy, you need to cut off the part that is usually filled with water. After cutting off, you will have a rubber tip in your hands, which will be a replacement for the factory gas outlet devices. He, like reusable straws, requires pre-boiling.
You can use such a homemade catheter several times. Its main difference from a rubber tube will be only the absence of a free end, which is lowered into the water for control. However, the cut off tip of a medical pear copes with the task of removing excess gas bubbles from the baby's intestines no worse than specialized gas venting devices, so it can fully replace them.
Checklist and introduction technique
It is best if you get detailed information on the use of the flue gas tube from your pediatrician. Ideal - if the procedure is performed in your presence by a nurse, while giving a lecture. In this case, you will clearly see how to act without harming the baby. If you bought a tube or catheter yourself, and there is no opportunity to talk to a doctor, you should find out in advance about all the rules for handling such a hygienic accessory.
Preparing for manipulation be sure to examine and check the purchased tube to ensure that the product is not defective (no cracks, delamination, swelling, thickening or other changes), and its size corresponds to the age of the baby. After examining the packaging and reading the instructions attached to the straw, pay attention to whether you have a disposable or reusable model.
Check if the packaging is intact at the disposable tube, carefully process the reusable one - boil for 5 minutes and refrigerate. It is also important to handle the hands of the adult performing the tube installation. They should be washed under running water and soap, and then, if possible, apply an antiseptic agent, for example, Miramistin.
Next, choose the most suitable place for the procedure. It is convenient to keep the baby on the changing table, which has a soft but waterproof surface. For the comfort of the baby, put a diaper on top of the table.
If this is the first time you are inserting the gas tube, get the support of another adult to keep the baby steady.
Having prepared everything you need, follow this algorithm:
- lay the baby on the back during the first months of life;
- if the child is more than 6 months old, then the procedure is recommended to be performed in the supine position, so put the baby on the left side;
- grease the thin tip of the tube with boiled vegetable oil or petroleum jelly, the tip can also be lubricated with fat baby cream;
- lifting the legs of the newborn, press them to the stomach;
- for an older child who is lying on his side, also raise your legs, bent at the knees, so that they are located closer to the body;
- gently insert the tip into the anus with a twisting motion.
Remember the recommended rates of insertion depth:
- for newborns, the tube is placed at a depth of 1-2 centimeters;
- children over six months - to a depth of 2-4 centimeters.
Do not allow the tube to penetrate deeper than these numbers. Also, monitor the infant's reaction closely during the procedure. If you feel anxious and find an obstruction to your rectal catheter, stop inserting immediately.
After inserting the probe, massage the abdomen gently by moving your palm clockwise to help the baby relax better and get distracted from not very pleasant sensations. Usually, to remove gases, the tube is placed for about 10 minutes. You can understand that the manipulation has led to the expected effect by the appearance of a specific smell and the state of the toddler. When using a long tube, you can also dip the free end of the tube into a tube of water. Air bubbles that appear will be a clear confirmation that the procedure is going well.
Next, the accessory is carefully and slowly removed from the baby's rectum (under no circumstances pull out the catheter abruptly), after which the child should be washed. If the toddler had a delay in defecation, then the gas tube, in addition to getting rid of colic, will additionally help the baby to empty. This will easily happen after removing the device, since it will irritate the intestinal walls, activate peristalsis and relieve the crumb from constipation instead of an enema or a cotton swab.
To prevent irritation due to the introduction of a gas tube around the anus, it is worth lubricating this area with some kind of emollient. If a disposable product was used, it is thrown away, and the reusable model is washed under running water, using baby or laundry soap for cleaning. The washed tubule is left to dry and then stored in a dry place until the next manipulation.
Possible problems
Despite the rather detailed instructions from the manufacturers and the availability of training videos from health workers, sometimes the use of catheters and probes against increased gas production can lead to undesirable phenomena. It happens that parents do not pay attention to some important nuances that can harm the baby. Let's consider the most important of them.
- First of all, in order to avoid harmful influences, the flue pipe should not be used too often. This should never be a daily routine. Children's intestines are just getting better, so interfering with such a process can provoke problems in the future. You should resort to the air vent tube as rarely as possible, if the baby's condition is severely disturbed with flatulence and colic.
- The break between manipulations should be at least 3-4 hours. During the day, it is permissible to use such a device no more than 3 times. But even such a frequency, according to doctors, is unnecessary. By resorting to the help of a rectal catheter, you can provoke addiction, when the baby cannot relax on his own and release gas. That is why the use of the tubes is recommended only as a last resort for severe colic.
- Much attention should be paid to instrument sterility and disinfection when using reusable equipment. If pathogenic bacteria enter the intestines of the crumbs, this can cause the development of dysbiosis, and sometimes it causes serious inflammatory processes. It is advisable to use disposable tubes, since this significantly reduces the risk of bacteria unusual for it entering the colon. It is worth resorting to reusable products only when financial opportunities are limited, when it is impossible to purchase catheters and tubes for a single use.
- If the procedure is violated, irritation of the anus and damage to the intestinal mucosa are possible. Such negative effects occur if the wrong sized air vent tube is used. If, when buying, you are in doubt about which size to choose, experts recommend the smallest one in order to minimize injuries.
