Fleur East is hoping to reassure parents worried over baby tummy noises
Former X Factor runner-up and Strictly Come Dancing finalist Fleur East is leading a search for ‘Britain’s smallest band’ – to reassure parents worried over baby tummy noises with a symphony of gurgling tums.
Research by baby formula firm SMA Nutrition claims 80% of adults don’t know just how many sounds a baby’s tummy makes and 35% of parents don’t know some are a normal part of digestion.
They’ve teamed up with singer and radio DJ Fleur East to launch Tummy Talent, a nationwide search for babies whose natural tummy sounds will help create a new track.
Selected little ones will come together as Britain’s Smallest Band, joining Fleur in the studio to record their rumbles, gurgles and squeaks.
SMA Nutrition’s study suggests it’s a familiar soundtrack for many families, with 89% of parents surveyed hearing their baby’s tummy making noises every day.
Gurgling is the most commonly reported sound (26%), followed by bubbling (24%), rumbling (19%) and squeaking (10%).
But decoding those noises is said to be less straightforward, with 69% of adults saying they would not feel confident interpreting what they mean.
When asked what might cause them, survey respondents suggested everything from hunger, trapped wind and colic to illness, a food intolerance or allergy.
More than half of adults (52%) say they would be concerned if they heard an unfamiliar noise from a baby’s tummy, while 74% of parents have worried about sounds from their own baby.
The concerns range from pain or discomfort (44%) and milk or food not agreeing with them (35%) to a potentially more serious health problem (12%).
For 40%, worries including tummy noises or digestive discomfort have even disturbed their sleep.
The findings also reveal a clear information gap, with 72% of adults saying parents are not given enough information about babies’ digestion and the noises their tummies can make.
After hearing tummy noises, 71% of parents sought information or advice through online searches, parenting websites or apps, social media or online parenting groups.
Nine in 10 turned to a GP, health visitor, pharmacist or another healthcare professional and 89% say clear information from a healthcare professional would have been helpful when they first noticed an unfamiliar sound.
Parents can nominate their baby for Tummy Talent by submitting their baby’s tummy noises and through the SMA Baby Club website, here.
The competition opened on November 3 and closes on November 17 when the baby tummy sounds will be judged on originality, musical potential and clarity of audio.
Selected families will be invited to join 2013 X Factor runner-up Fleur East in the studio and help form Britain’s Smallest Band.
Their natural rumbles, gurgles and squeaks will be transformed into a gentle 60 beats-per-minute (BPM) track, matching the natural rhythm at which babies typically suck during feeds.
Fleur says she understands both the power of music and how quickly an unfamiliar sound can raise questions from her experience as a mum, a recording artist and radio DJ.
Fleur East said: “As a mum, I know how quickly a tiny noise can make you wonder whether everything is alright.
“Babies’ tummies have a soundtrack all of their own so I love that SMA Nutrition and I are turning those brilliant rumbles and gurgles into something positive.
“I cannot wait to meet our smallest musicians, get into the studio and help create a song that celebrates what their busy little tummies can do.”
The project is said to form part of SMA Nutrition’s commitment to making infant gut health easier to understand.
Supporting your baby’s gut health in the first 1,000 days can help build strong foundations for digestion, immunity and healthy growth, according to SMA Nutrition.
Ellie Grove, scientific development manager at SMA Nutrition, said: “Our research shows common tummy noises can still cause uncertainty.
“Tummy Talent turns those sounds into something positive, bringing babies together as Britain’s Smallest Band while helping families access clear, trusted information about a developing digestive system and when to seek professional advice.”