Parents You’ve probably heard the term bowel sounds. Bowel sounds are usually thought of as stomach rumbling or a rumbling sound produced by the digestive tract. This time, we’ll discuss normal bowel sounds in children.
Trained healthcare professionals can listen to bowel sounds with a stethoscope, but the rumbling sounds from the abdomen are usually quite audible to the ear. This occurs when fluid and gas move forward in the intestines.
What is Bowel Noise?
Bowel noises are sounds produced by the intestines in the stomach. These sounds are a combination of sound and air, as well as the movement of food within the intestines. They occur due to intestinal peristalsis.
Causes of Bowel Noise
When you hear your little one’s stomach growling,ParentsYou may be wondering, are bowel noises normal in children?
Bowel sounds can be referred to as auscultation, a medical term used to describe the process of listening to sounds within a patient’s body. Typically, the heart, lungs, and intestines can be auscultated to gain information about their function.
In infants, auscultation can be one aspect of assessing their physical health. Auscultation is most effective when the infant is calm.
Auscultation of bowel sounds in babies is considered normal, although sometimes it can sound a bit strange and startling. These sounds from the abdomen are caused by the movement of the intestines, the organs that process food.
Because bowel sounds in children are normal,ParentsThere’s no need to worry. As long as you’re sure your child is eating normally, has regular bowel movements, and isn’t complaining of pain or vomiting, bowel sounds can also be a healthy sign that their digestive system is working.
On the contrary, ifParentsIf you notice additional symptoms accompanying the bowel sounds, you are advised to consult a doctor immediately. Likewise, if you don’t hear any sounds from your baby’s stomach at all, taking them to the doctor is the right step.
Origin of Normal Bowel Sounds
Bowel sounds are normal in babies, especially when they are in the following conditions:
Empty Stomach or Hungry
When a baby’s stomach is empty and hungry, intestinal noises may occur. This is why you might hear their stomach rumbling. When the baby’s brain receives a signal that they need food, their stomach contracts, pushing out the air around them.
A rumbling sound from a baby’s stomach when they’re hungry is normal. It likely lasts 5 to 15 seconds and will repeat until they’re fed.
Bowel sounds are also normal, occurring around 10 to 30 times per minute.
Eating Certain Foods
Besides hunger, gas from food can also cause normal bowel sounds in children. This gas is produced by the fermentation process in the baby’s lower intestine, causing the rumbling sound.
Foods that may cause bowel noises include nuts and certain starchy foods. This occurs because the normal bacteria living in the intestines feed on the sugars produced when the body breaks down food.
Gas is produced by the digestive process carried out by bacteria. The resulting gas can cause stomach noises, and some of it will rise and fall and escape.
Eating large meals also causes more gas in the baby’s stomach, resulting in loud noises.
Beware of Symptoms of Abnormal Bowel Noises in Children
Sometimes, the sounds you hear from your baby’s stomach can also be a sign of health problems.
Abnormal bowel sounds can indicate constipation or bowel obstruction, often sounding like water gurgling through pipes.
On the other hand, hyperactive bowel sounds, especially high-pitched ones, mean your child is experiencing increased bowel activity. This is normal with diarrhea and after eating, but not normal if accompanied by other symptoms such as pain.
High-pitched stomach noises are also often caused by food allergies, stress, inflammation in the intestines.
If no sounds are heard after feeding, your child may have a bowel rupture or strangulation. Always seek medical attention immediately if your child experiences unexplained bowel sounds.
Doctor’s Diagnosis
The doctor will usually check the sounds from the baby’s stomach with other physical examinations to confirm the diagnosis of your little one.
Abdominal sounds can also help doctors identify appendicitis and lower lung problems that are mistaken for bowel problems.
Depending on what the doctor hears and the results of the physical examination, additional tests may be performed if any abnormal symptoms are found.
How to Stop a Rumbling Stomach
Normal stomach rumbling doesn’t require any treatment. If these bowel sounds are accompanied by bloating and gas, you’re advised to limit your intake of foods that can produce more gas.
Of course, this applies if the child is already eating solid foods. Foods that can potentially produce gas include:
– Fruits such as apples, peaches, and raisins.
– Certain vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, and peas.
– Avoid dairy products if your child is lactose intolerant.
Swallowing air while eating too quickly, drinking through a straw, can also cause excess air in the digestive tract.
When to See a Doctor?
If abnormal stomach sounds occur with other symptoms, it’s a good idea to take your little one to the doctor.
Your doctor will likely ask you questions about the frequency of your rumbling and the severity of your bowel sounds. They will likely use a stethoscope to listen for abnormal bowel sounds.
If it is identified as an abnormal problem, the doctor will most likely perform several additional tests, namely:
– A CT scan is used to take X-ray images of the abdominal area.
– An endoscopy, which uses a camera attached to a small, flexible tube to capture images inside the stomach or intestines.
– Blood tests are used to identify infection, inflammation, or organ damage.
– A bowel obstruction usually produces a very loud, high-pitched sound that can often be heard without a stethoscope. It can also occur along with abdominal pain, bloating, and lack of bowel movements.
Stomach Sounds and Medical Emergencies
If signs of a medical emergency are found, such as bleeding, intestinal damage, or severe obstruction, your little one will need to stay in the hospital for treatment.
In some cases, treatment may involve intravenous fluids and allowing the bowel to rest. However, in others, surgery may be necessary.
For example, if a serious infection or injury to the intestine is found and there is a blocked intestine.
However, more often than not, bowel sounds in children are normal and nothing to worry about.
In rare cases, certain complications can be life-threatening if left untreated. This is why it’s recommended that you listen to your little one’s body.
If you suspect certain symptoms, consulting a doctor will be very helpful.
Popular Questions About Normal Bowel Sounds in Children
How many intestinal peristaltic movements are there in 1 minute?
According to Brunner & Suddart (2002), intestinal peristalsis sounds are caused by the movement of fluid and air in the intestines. The normal frequency of intestinal peristalsis ranges from 5-12 times per minute.
What causes increased peristalsis?
Intestinal peristalsis is triggered by the intestinal nerves, which are regulated in the brain. This movement can increase in cases of diarrhea, the effects of certain medications, inflammation or irritation of the intestines, hunger, stress, and other conditions.
What causes lazy bowel movements?
The main cause of a lazy bowel is a prolonged lack of fiber in the diet. This syndrome occurs in people with eating disorders, particularly anorexia nervosa and bulimia.
That’s the information about normal bowel sounds in children. I hope this helps.Parents.
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Republished with permission from theAsianParent Indonesia
