A parent to a newborn goes through several anxiety rushes in a day. Some of them you might be well-trained with from the numerous baby blogs and books you prepped on during pregnancy. But some of the things you discover your baby doing may put you into a spiral. All of it is normal when you are a new parent and your child can only babble in the name of words.
Your little guy is all here in this world, his survival depending on you. So when you start hearing them making weird noises, it is obvious to think, Hey, why does my newborn grunt so much?
Well, just to ease the anxiety rush, most of the time this is normal. But sometimes it could mean more. All in all, always trust the parent instinct. While you look for a medical practiotioner, you could always scroll down this blog to eliminate all the other possibilities behind your newborns grunting.
What “Grunting” Really Is in Newborns
In the usual course of things, newborns grunt while making short low sounds while breathing (like a low moan or “uhh” sounds). When infants are asleep, being fed, trying to pass stool, stretching, and transitioning between sleep cycles, they usually grunt.
Newborns make many noises as they’re developing their respiratory, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems. The grunt is just one of many sounds that you hear with your newborn.
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Common Reasons Babies Grunt (And Why It’s Usually Normal)
1. Immature Breathing Patterns
Babies continue to grow even after they are out of the tummy oven. This also applies to their respiratory system, which is still in the development stage. This means that their breathing could be irregular, and they might pause briefly. Even rapid breathing or making sounds during transitions between sleep cycles are usual symptoms for a newborn.
Grunting can be a simple sign of your baby still being small and growing, and in our opinion, cherish this time instead of getting paranoid and losing out on this precious time if your baby is eating normally, cheeks are pink, and there is no other distress, chances are the grunting is harmless.
2. Digestive Effort: Gas, Burps, and Bowel Movements
Like the respiratory system, the digestive system of the new born baby is also not yet completely coordinated. Think of the baby like an application which has been downloaded within the mother’s womb for 9 months and is still doing software updates after birth.
Therefore, when babies grunt, they are either working to push out a bowel movement or gas, or they may have taken in some air through the feeding process. In addition to all of this, the newborn’s abdominal muscles may still be fairly weak. Thus, they must rely on their diaphagmatic strength to be able to push.
3. Reflux (GER) or Spitting Up
Reflux is a common condition seen in almost all infants during their early months. This is because an infant’s lower esophageal sphincter (the muscle that closes off the bottom of the esophagus) is not fully developed and won’t necessarily be tight enough to keep the contents of the infant’s stomach where they belong. Therefore, every time an infant eats or drinks, there is some degree of reflux present. Reflux can be triggered by:
•A discomfort and/or pain in the belly
•Increased tension and/or rigidity in the belly
•Movement (wiggling arms/legs) during breastfeeding
•Sounds of grunting while breastfeeding
In many cases, an infant’s reflux is mild; however, it typically occurs at least once daily until the infant reaches approximately 4 months of age, at which point reflux usually begins to decline as the infant matures. If an infant is not gaining weight as expected or has trouble feeding due to reflux, parents should contact their pediatrician.
4. Nasal Congestion/Mucus
Infants have very small noses and even small amounts of mucus can cause grunting sounds. These sounds are typically most pronounced when:
•The baby is lying flat
•Right after the baby has eaten
•The environment is dry
•The baby has a mild cold or illness
Nasal saline (salt water) drops, along with gentle suctioning, work well to alleviate nasal blockage/congestion.
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When Grunting Might Be a Sign of a Problem
Grunting, as mentioned above, is a common newborn habit. However, it may be a signal of respiratory distress, typically when the lungs are working overtime. Keeping an eye out for this is especially important when your newborn is in the first 24 hours after its birth, in premature babies, and when babies look unwell than usual.
1. Respiratory Distress
When babies struggle to keep their airways open or their lungs have trouble in exchanging oxygen, they may grunt to maintain pressure in their lungs. Do not ignore this, because this is a major red flag.
Look out for other symptoms such as:
- Rapid breathing
- The skin between the ribs pulling in (retractions)
- Blue or pale lips
- Nasal flaring
- Difficulty feeding
If any of the above symptoms persist, seek immediate medical intervention.
2. Transient Tachypnea of the Newborn (TTN)
TTN (Transitional Tachypnea of the Newborn) is characterized by the presence of excessive fluid in the lungs of some newborns, particularly those who were born by C-section after the onset of labor. The excess fluid leads to maternal swelling in most cases and resolves after several hours of shallow, fast respirations and grunting. If your baby has fast breathing, grunting, or wheezing within the first few hours of life, this could be a sign that he/she has TTN.
3. Infections (Pneumonia, Bronchiolitis, etc.)
Infections (e.g., Bronchiolitis, Pneumonia). Infection of the lungs results in problems with breathing, painful breathing, and extreme fatigue for the infant. Loud/squeaky breathing as well as grunting during infection indicate that other symptoms accompanying an infection may include fever, refusal to eat, lethargy, and more importantly coughing.
4. Upper Airway Issues
Specific conditions that disturb upper airway pathways leading to respiratory difficulties. There are specific respiratory issues for newborns that interfere with how a newborn breathes easily. Laryngomalacia is an example of a specific upper airway condition. It is a structural issue that creates a sound when a baby exhales. Some symptoms associated with laryngomalacia are:
- Loud squeaking sounds
- High-pitched screeches
- Additional low-frequency noises when lying down or feeding
Most infants who have laryngomalacia will improve after some time; however, it is advisable for parents of an infant with any symptoms associated with laryngomalacia to be evaluated by a physician.
Red Flags: When to Call a Doctor Immediately
Seek emergency care if your infant exhibits these signs in addition to grunting at the same time:
• Blue or pale skin (cyanosis/pallor)
• Rapid breathing that persists for over several minutes
• Breathing pauses exceeding 10-15 seconds
• Retractions (skin sucked in between the ribs)
• Not eating or unwilling to eat well
• Lethargy/exhaustion, excessive drowsiness, clumsiness
• High fever or continuously coughing
• Infrequent wet diapers (dehydration risk)
Trust your intuition if you are concerned about your baby’s grunting. In many cases, parents are correct in their intuition.
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How Common Is Newborn Grunting?
A newborn grunting as we said in the beginning is more common than you would think. Most babies start to grunt during the first days or few weeks, as thye are learning their surroundings and adjusting to a newfound environment.
This grunting typically decreases as the lung function of the child starts to improve, they morph to mature sleeping cycles, and digestion becomes stronger as the muscles gain strength.
More common than most people think.
Many babies grunt during the first days and weeks as they adjust to breathing outside the womb. Babies born slightly early or via C-section may grunt more at first.
Safe, Effective Things You Can Try at Home
When your baby seems relaxed, these suggestions will help you minimise the amount of grunting your baby is doing in a safe manner:
1. Keep Baby Upright After Feeding
One way to help with the release of air captured after a feed (burping), to reduce any reflux (as some babies experience this), and to make things easier for the baby’s digestive system. Holding the baby upright for a minimum of 20-30 minutes can help reduce grunting for many babies.
2. Burp Frequently
To help reduce or eliminate trapped air during breastfeeding, it is important to burp the baby frequently while breastfeeding or bottle feeding.
3. Use Saline Drops + Gentle Suctioning
Using saline nasal drops and gentle suctioning are great ways to clear nasal congestion and reduce nasal grunting for your baby.
4. Check Temperature and Clothing
To reduce discomfort that may lead to fussiness and/or noise, keep your home at a comfortable temperature for your baby, and do not overdress your baby. Ensure that swaddles are not too loose.
5. Track Feeding and Wet Diapers
If you have a proper scheduled feed that you keep track of, and keep the child away from wet soiled diapers, grunting would be a lesser occurrence.
6. Adjust Sleeping Position (Safely)
Follow the SAFE sleep rules that is guided for newborn sleeping patterns, which are:
- Baby sleeps on their back
- On a flat surface
- No pillows, blankets, or stuffed toys
You can however, adjust the angle of the crib mattress, but only slightly elevated. You could also build muscle strength with tummy time when your baby is awake.
FAQs Parents Ask
“My baby grunts only during sleep. Should I worry?”
This is not unusual, and infants often grunt during REM sleep. If your baby does not display any other symptoms (like blue colouration or trouble breathing) then the grunting is perfectly normal.
“Is grunting the same as wheezing?”
Grunting is produced by infants venting air out of their mouths with low-pitched sounds (it is common) and generally has a higher pitch than wheezing sounds created when breathing. Strider (produced while inhaling) is a third type of noise with a harsher, higher-pitched tone.
“When should we call emergency services?”
When should I seek medical advice? You should call medical assistance if your infant displays any of the following symptoms: they are blue, they have stopped breathing, they appear lethargic, or they have difficulty breathing.
The Bottom Line
The simple answer to the question of why your newborn might be grunting so much is quite simple, and even a good sign of its development. All in all, trust your parents’ gut always, if your baby doesn’t simply look like it is letting out gas, doing a doodie, or burping. Particularly when it starts looking sick, don’t sit around. Call your family practitioner or go to the ER.
As a parent, you will learn your baby’s normal noises, and trust us when we say they have many. But if something feels off, you’re never wrong to ask your pediatrician.
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