The digestion of food and the passage       ';
of air and gas can often be aided by the gentle ';
 massaging of a child's stomach after feeding.  ';
                                                ';
When things do not work as they ought to in an  ';
immature system, an external force, if applied  ';
gently, can help the digestive process along.   ';
                                                ';
Trapped air, swallowed along with the food or   ';
gas from digestion can cause discomfort.        ';
       The digestive tract is a convoluted      ';
  tangle of intestines that can make use of     ';
   gravity to keep the food flowing from        ';
      the  stomach to the rectum.               ';
                                                ';
Placing a child upright in a car seat or child  ';
carrier can help gravity and the immature diges-';
tive system to keep the food moving in the right';
direction as it is processed.  The smooth muscle';
of the digestive tract may not be able to do it.';
     Trapped gas in the intestines can lead     ';
       to a lot of pain and discomfort.         ';
                                                ';
The most common way that gas is released from   ';
the system is through burping.  Gas can also be ';
released from the other end of the child as     ';
well.                                           ';
                                                ';
Use a rectal thermometer covered with lubricant,';
gently inserted in the rectum, to release gas.  ';
        Sometimes the system of a child         ';
  is better prepared to digest food that at     ';
                other times.                    ';
                                                ';
Each child has a unique patterns.  Sometimes    ';
during the day, the digestive system works more ';
effectively than at other times.                ';
                                                ';
Finding out the best time to feed your child is ';
often an matter of trial and error.             ';
    The most common way for a child to be       ';
aided in the releasing of air taken in while    ';
    eating is by burping.  It can also aid      ';
in the release of any gas that is trapped in    ';
           the  stomach.                        ';
                                                ';
Be sure that you are correctly burping your     ';
child and then do more of it.  This may mean    ';
that you burp your child for longer periods of  ';
time after feeding or more often.               ';
      If you are using a bottle, the size       ';
  of the opening in the nipple can make a real  ';
difference in the mixture of the air and food   ';
    that a child receives during feeding.       ';
                                                ';
If using a bottle, try changing the nipple that ';
you are using on it.  You might also try en-    ';
larging the opening in the nipple that you are  ';
currently using.  The goal is to allow the child';
to eat with the minimum amount of air.          ';
     Even with a young child, eating has        ';
a social element.  The amount of noise or the   ';
interaction of the mother with the child can    ';
make a difference in how the food is received   ';
and digested.                                   ';
                                                ';
For a young child, eating should be a pleasant  ';
experience.  The interaction between the mother ';
and the child should be as warm, calm and       ';
supportive as possible.                         ';
       The pace and feeding habits of your      ';
child may not be the best possible for your     ';
                 child.                         ';
                                                ';
Some children attack the bottle or the breast,  ';
some slobber and take in very little at a time. ';
                                                ';
The child should be encouraged and supported in ';
taking in food at an even, measured pace.  The  ';
goal is to take in food at a moderate pace.     ';
     Calm, orderly, predictable feeding         ';
practices promote the sort of conditions needed ';
      to help a child grow and adjust.          ';
                                                ';
Planning what your child will eat, when it will ';
be eaten, how it will be eaten, under what con- ';
ditions it will be eaten, and what will happen  ';
after eating, will help you set up the condition';
that will enable your child to take in nourish- ';
ment in a way that can usually be handled.      ';
                                                ';
                                                ';