Gas Relief Drops For Infants- Do They Work? | What To Expect

When a baby is squirmy, red-faced, and pulling knees to the belly, “gas” is the first suspect in many homes. Gas relief drops get sold as a simple fix, and plenty of parents try them in the first months. The tricky part is that baby discomfort can look the same across several causes, and the bubble you’re trying to treat may not be the real driver.

This article explains what these drops are, what research says, and how to decide if a trial is worth it for your baby. You’ll also get practical steps that settle many gassy moments, plus safety notes for the times when “gas” is not the right label.

Why Babies Seem Gassy So Often

Babies pass gas all day. They also grunt, strain, and fuss as their guts learn a new job. In the first months, digestion is still getting coordinated. Swallowing, breathing, sucking, and pushing stool are all new skills that don’t always sync smoothly.

Air can enter the belly during feeds, crying, or a fast bottle flow. Once inside, it can sit as small bubbles that stretch the gut and feel uncomfortable. Some babies burp easily and move on. Others hold onto that air and get cranky until it comes out.

Gas can also tag along with normal stool changes. A baby may tense up, turn red, and look like they’re in pain while learning to poop. That pattern can happen even when stools stay soft and normal for age.

Gas Versus Colic And Reflux

Parents often use “gas” as a catch-all for long crying spells. Colic is a pattern of frequent, hard-to-soothe crying in an otherwise healthy baby. Reflux is spit-up or backflow that can come with discomfort in some babies. All three can overlap in the same week, which is why the “one bottle, one dropper, fixed” story can disappoint.

A baby can also be hungry, overtired, overstimulated, or needing a diaper change. Those can look like belly pain too. Before you blame bubbles, it helps to step back and watch for repeatable triggers.

What Gas Relief Drops Are Made Of

Most infant gas drops use simethicone. It’s an antiflatulent ingredient that works by changing surface tension so tiny bubbles can join into bigger ones that are easier to burp up or pass. It does not stop gas from forming, and it does not change how fast food moves through the gut.

Simethicone is not absorbed into the body in the usual way. That’s one reason it’s widely sold over the counter. Labels still vary by brand, concentration, flavoring, and dosing tool, so the exact “how much” depends on the product in your hand.

What Drops Can And Can’t Do

Gas drops can help only when trapped air bubbles are a main piece of the puzzle. If your baby is gulping air during feeds, the drops may offer a small edge for a short stretch. If the fussing comes from colic patterns, reflux irritation, milk-protein issues, constipation, or plain tiredness, the drops may do nothing.

That’s why a fair test needs two parts: a short trial of the drops, plus changes that cut down air in the first place. When both happen together, many families feel “something helped,” even if the dropper was not the main reason.

Gas Relief Drops For Infants- Do They Work? With Realistic Expectations

Research on simethicone for infant colic has not shown consistent benefit. A placebo-controlled trial found simethicone no better than placebo for colic symptoms. Evidence summaries that review multiple studies also report no solid proof that simethicone reduces crying for colic across groups of babies.

That doesn’t mean every baby gets zero relief. It means the average baby in trials did not improve more than babies who got an inactive liquid. In real life, some infants may have feeds where swallowed air is the main trigger, and bubble-breaking can feel helpful in that moment.

If you want a grounded expectation, treat gas drops as a low-stakes experiment, not a cure. If you see a clear change, keep using them as directed. If you see no change after several days of consistent use, move on and put your effort into steps with better odds.

What Credible Sources Say

The American Academy of Pediatrics notes that studies do not show simethicone helps colic and questions whether the cost and effort pay off for most families. HealthyChildren.org guidance on infant gas drops spells that out in plain language.

The UK’s NHS also says there is not much scientific evidence that simeticone works for colic, even though some parents still try it. That view appears on the NHS common questions on simeticone page.

Evidence summaries from Cochrane reviews report no evidence to back simethicone as a pain-relieving agent for infantile colic. The summary is easy to scan on the Cochrane evidence page on pain-relieving agents for infant colic.

On the product side, US labeling for infant simethicone drops typically lists the active ingredient amount per measured volume and states the intended use for “infant gas.” If you want to see a full drug facts label layout, the DailyMed simethicone infant drops label shows a complete example.

Common “Gas” Situations And What Often Helps

What You See	What May Be Driving It	What Often Helps
Fussing right after a feed, short burps, belly feels tight	Swallowed air from latch or bottle flow	Slower flow nipple, paced bottle feeding, burp breaks, upright hold
Baby gulps, clicks, milk leaks at corners of mouth	Latch issues or oversupply, hard to keep a seal	Latch check, laid-back nursing, smaller bottle angle, lactation help
Long evening crying spells at similar times	Colic pattern, sensory overload, normal developmental peak	Soothing routine, white noise, babywearing, tagged-team breaks
Spit-up with arching and grimacing	Reflux with irritation, fast letdown, air swallowing	Upright after feeds, smaller feeds, burp strategy, clinician check if severe
Red face, grunting, legs stiff, then soft stool	Normal infant stool coordination learning	Time, tummy massage, bicycling legs, calm diaper area
Hard stools, straining, less frequent poops	Constipation or formula mismatch	Feeding review, hydration check, clinician guidance for safe options
Rash, blood in stool, poor weight gain, intense fussing	Milk-protein allergy or other medical issue	Same-day clinician visit; do not self-treat as “gas”
Sudden inconsolable crying with swollen belly	Acute illness, bowel issue, infection, hernia	Urgent medical care

How To Try Gas Drops Safely

If you decide to test simethicone drops, treat it like a short, controlled run so you can tell what changed. Pick a start day when your baby’s routine is fairly normal. Use one brand only, since doses vary by concentration. Use the included dropper, and measure carefully.

Follow The Label, Not A Memory

Product labels can differ, even across bottles that look similar. Read the dosing section each time you buy a new box. If you’re unsure, ask a pharmacist or your baby’s clinician to confirm the right amount for that product and age.

Stick to the labeled frequency limits. More is not better. If you’re tired and sleep-deprived, write the dose and times on a note near the bottle so you don’t double-dose by mistake.

Watch For Patterns And Set A Stop Point

Track two things for three to five days: when fussing starts, and what happened right before it. If drops help, you’ll usually see a repeatable change: shorter crying stretches after feeds, easier burps, less belly tightness.

If nothing shifts after a few days of consistent dosing, you can stop without guilt. At that point, your time is often better spent on feeding technique, soothing rhythm, and ruling out medical red flags.

Feeding Tweaks That Reduce Swallowed Air

Most “gassy baby” wins come from reducing air intake. That’s true whether you breastfeed, bottle-feed, or do both. Small changes can cut down gulping and keep the belly calmer between burps.

For Bottle Feeding

• Slow the flow. If milk pours in faster than your baby can handle, gulping follows. Try a slower nipple size, and keep the bottle tilted so the nipple stays full of milk.
• Use paced feeding. Hold your baby more upright, keep the bottle closer to horizontal, and give short pauses so your baby can breathe and reset.
• Check the seal. If you hear clicking or see milk leaking, adjust the angle and latch on the nipple, or test a different shape.
• Burp in short cycles. Burp once mid-feed and once at the end, not only after the full bottle.

For Breastfeeding

• Watch for a deep latch. A shallow latch can pull in air. If nursing hurts or you see dimpling cheeks, a latch check can help.
• Try laid-back positions. Gravity can slow milk flow and help babies manage a strong letdown.
• Watch for oversupply signs. If your baby coughs, sputters, or pulls off often, talking with a lactation professional can help you pick strategies that calm the flow.

These steps also help you interpret the drop trial. If your baby improves after you slow the flow, the win may come from less air, not the ingredient in the bottle.

Simple Plan For A Three-Day Trial

Step	What To Do	Stop And Get Medical Care If
Pick a start point	Choose a normal week with no new formula change on day one	Baby seems unwell, sleepy in a way that feels off, or refuses feeds
Measure carefully	Use the included dropper; follow your bottle’s dosing directions	Dose confusion, wrong measuring tool, or an accidental extra dose
Pair with air-cutting steps	Slow nipple flow, add a mid-feed burp, keep baby upright after feeds	Choking, blue lips, or breathing trouble
Log what changes	Note time of feeds, fussing start/stop, burps, spit-up, stools	Blood in stool, repeated vomiting, or belly swelling
Re-check after day three	Keep the drops only if you see repeatable relief after feeds	Fever in a young infant or signs of dehydration

Soothing Moves That Help In The Moment

When gas is part of the issue, movement and gentle pressure changes can get things moving. These are low-risk and worth trying even if you also use drops.

Positions And Motion

• Upright hold. Hold your baby against your chest and walk slowly. The change in position can help burps rise.
• Shoulder burp. Keep the back straight, pat gently, and wait a full minute before switching tactics.
• Tummy time on your lap. Place your baby belly-down across your knees while awake and watched. The mild pressure can help move air.

Gentle Belly Work

Warm hands, light clockwise circles, and “bicycle legs” can help some babies pass gas. Go slow. If your baby stiffens or cries harder, stop and switch to a calmer hold.

When Gas Drops Are A Bad Fit

There are times when “try gas drops” can delay care your baby needs. If you see any of the signs below, skip home experiments and get medical advice right away.

• Fever in a baby under three months, or fever plus poor feeding at any age.
• Repeated vomiting, green vomit, or vomiting with a swollen belly.
• Blood in stool, black stools, or ongoing diarrhea.
• Poor weight gain, weak feeding, or fewer wet diapers than usual.
• Sudden, high-pitched crying that does not settle with your usual soothing.

Gas drops also won’t fix a bottle nipple that floods your baby, a feeding rhythm that leaves your baby overtired, or a milk allergy. Those need different steps, and sometimes a clinician visit.

What To Do If You Suspect Colic

Colic can feel endless, yet it often peaks in early months and eases with time. The main goal is to keep your baby fed and safe while you protect your own stamina. That means simple, repeatable soothing and breaks for you, even if the crying keeps going.

Try a small set of soothing moves for 10 to 15 minutes each: swaddling (for babies who are not rolling), steady white noise, a dark room, and gentle rocking. If one move works, stick with it for a stretch instead of switching every minute. If nothing works, it’s not a parenting failure. It’s the pattern.

If your baby has colic-style crying plus feeding trouble, reflux signs, rash, blood in stool, or poor growth, book a medical visit. Those clues can point to a different cause that needs a different plan.

Picking A Product Without Overthinking It

Most simethicone drops are similar in function. What varies is concentration, sweeteners, and dosing tool design. Choose a product with clear labeling and an included dropper. Avoid stacking multiple “colic” remedies at the same time, since it blurs what helped and can upset a baby’s stomach from extra ingredients.

Also watch whether your baby reacts to flavorings. If your baby gets more fussy right after a dose, a dye or sweetener could be the culprit. Switching to a simpler formula of the same ingredient can be a cleaner test.

Practical Takeaway For Tired Parents

If your baby’s fussing happens right after feeds and improves with burping and upright time, gas drops may be worth a short trial. If crying comes in long daily spells with no clear link to feeds, the drops are less likely to change much, and your best bet is feeding tweaks, soothing rhythm, and a clinician visit if red flags show up.

Either way, focus on what you can control: slow the feed, cut down air, give your baby time to burp, and keep notes for a few days. Clear patterns beat guesswork, and they help you and your baby’s clinician pick next steps.