Parentpedia

What Experts Say

The old-fashioned word for it is "bubbling," but whatever you call it, burping a baby is thought to be a good way to clear the air that a baby swallows during a feeding. Some babies need to be burped often -- and reward their parents with a deafening belch -- while others take in very little air when they nurse or bottle feed and aren't very burpy no matter how patiently you pat their backs.

Every parenting expert on the block -- from the much-loved Dr. Spock to the widely popular authors of "What to Expect the First Year" -- recommends that parents burp their babies at every feeding. Yet some child experts think too much emphasis is placed on burping. Dr. Sears points out that the vogue for burping a baby is linked to bottle feeding (which causes a baby to swallow more air) and that babies in non-Western cultures are almost never burped, and do not fuss more because of it.

Robert S. Mendelsohn, M.D., author of "How to Raise a Healthy Child ... In Spite of Your Doctor," maintains there is no medical reason a baby needs to burp and that there have been no scientific studies that prove that burping is efficacious.

A study published in "Clinical Pediatrics" found that spontaneous burping in infants may be a discomfort behavior associated with acid reflux.

How to Burp a Baby

There are several ways to burp a baby. As you learn to read your baby's signals, you'll figure out which works best.

• Over the Shoulder. In this classic burp position, you hold the baby up to your shoulder and gently pat his back. As your baby grows and his head gets steadier, you may find that putting the middle of his tummy on your shoulder so that his upper half is above you works even better. However you try it, have a burp cloth ready.
• Sitting Style. Sit your baby on your lap, supporting his torso and head with one hand while rubbing or patting his back with the other. Sometimes just putting him in a sitting position will bring out a satisfyingly loud burp.
• Sunny Side Up. Lay your baby facing you on your lap and bend his legs up and down to pump out a burp (but beware -- this has also been known as the "poopy position" and may encourage air to come out in more than one direction!).
• Over Easy. Lay your baby on his tummy on your lap, and pat or massage his back. Some fussy babies find this position particularly soothing.

Safety Note

Babies often spit up milk and saliva when they burp, and some parents become concerned that their baby is burping out his whole meal. Spitting up when burping is considered normal, but if your baby is losing weight or shows signs of dehydration, contact your pediatrician.