Colic in newborns

Colic in newborns requires competent treatment, because this problem prevents the baby from growing and developing quietly. There is discomfort in the tummy for no apparent reason and makes the baby cry uncontrollably and writhe in pain.

Parents are often ready to do anything to protect their child from suffering and sleep peacefully.

Colic and gas in newborns are frequent companions of the first three months of life, symptomatic treatment will help to cope with abdominal pain and it is easier to endure this difficult period.

How can mom help her baby?

No one knows the baby’s needs better than his mother, therefore she usually has to deal with the treatment of colic in newborns herself. To help the native child and calm, it is necessary to use not only medications to improve gas discharge. Often, maternal tenderness and warmth allow the baby to relax in their native arms and fall asleep, forgetting about abdominal pain.

Tips to alleviate the condition of the baby :

1. A good way to help a baby get rid of not only pain, but also the stress that it causes, is to lay the baby on the mother’s stomach. In this case, it is necessary to ensure tight contact between the bodies, removing clothes and a diaper. The warmth of the mother’s breast, the native breathing over the ear and the pressure exerted on the tummy will calm the baby and ensure the passage of gases.
2. Massage the front abdominal wall, performing clockwise movements and applying moderate pressure on the loops of the colon, which will increase peristalsis and ensure the excretion of feces and excess air. Read more about colic massage of the abdomen →
3. Gymnastic exercises are a good way to not only strengthen the child’s muscle corset, but also save him from digestive problems. Take the child’s legs with your palms and alternately press one or the other to the stomach, as if riding a bicycle.
4. Another simple variant of physical activity is the exercise “fold”. Raise the lower legs of the baby so that its hips rest against the stomach. Such light pressure stimulates the intestines and enhances its motility.
5. Another affordable option to save a child from colic is a joint dance. Take it on the handles and, holding it tightly to yourself, make swaying movements from side to side. This method has a calming effect and allows the baby to fall asleep.

General recommendations

To cope with colic in a newborn, you should adhere to the tactics of complex treatment, because medicine still does not know the exact causes that cause abdominal discomfort in infants.

The fight against colic includes the following methods:

• psychological – bodily contact and proximity of the mother allow the baby to calm down and forget about the pain;
• medication – taking herbal preparations and drugs with a carminative effect;
• physiotherapeutic – dry heat on the stomach;
• mechanical – massage of the abdominal wall and gymnastics;
• nutrition correction – elimination from the menu of a nursing mother of products that cause fermentation in the intestine;
• traditional medicine – decoctions of herbs and plants.

Diet

The transition from breastfeeding to the mixture is a common cause of symptoms of colic in a newborn, so before treating this condition, you should choose the right baby food.

However, violations in the work of the gastrointestinal tract are also found in children who feed on breast milk. Read more about the nutritional rules of a nursing mother →

In such a situation, a woman needs to revise her diet and limit foods that cause increased gas formation :

• peas, beans and lentils;
• Rye bread;
• yeast baking;
• pears, grapes;
• kvass and carbonated drinks;
• cabbage.

But often the food that a woman eats plays a secondary role in causing colic, so the reason may lie in something else.

Physiotherapy

The best way to eliminate colic in a baby with physiotherapeutic treatment is to apply dry heat to the abdomen.

Take a piece of thick flannel fabric and fold it so that you get a small square pad. Iron it to make the diaper warm, place the newborn on the belly and hold until it cools down. Heat relieves spasms well and allows you to relax the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall.

Clinical methods of physiotherapy can also be used, among which :

• ozokeritotherapy;
• magnetotherapy;
• SMT therapy (sinusoidally modulated current).

Drug treatment

There is an opinion among the people that colic in newborn boys is much more pronounced, which is why they often use medication, although this is not a completely true statement, because this disease can appear in absolutely any child.

Treatment of colic in newborns can be carried out with the help of drugs , the  action of which is aimed at combating increased gas formation:

1. Plantex – the basis of the powder is fennel fruit, to obtain a solution it must be diluted with water. During the day, the child is allowed to drink about 100 ml of the drink received.
2. Baby Kalm is a medication consisting of a mixture of dill, fennel and peppermint oils. Measure out the required amount of solution and dilute with water.
3. Espumisan is an emulsion preparation based on Simethicone. During an attack, pour 25 drops and give to the baby.
4. Bobotik is a milky white viscous liquid containing simethicone. It can be used from the second month of the baby’s life, 8 drops after feeding.
5. Bebinos is a herbal medicine based on chamomile, coriander and fennel. Dissolve 20 drops in a glass of water and give the baby a drink.

Folk methods

In many cases, in order to eliminate colic in newborns, there is no need to give the child medicine for treatment, because pain can be reduced at home using “grandmother’s” methods.

However, before engaging in self-help, it is better to show the baby to the pediatrician so that he examines it and confirms that the cause of the restless behavior is discomfort in the tummy.

Folk recipes to relieve colic in newborns :

1. After feeding, give your child dill water. This tool can be bought at the pharmacy, but not in every one, but only where the prescription department exists, because the solution is prepared on the spot and has a short shelf life. You can prepare a decoction of dill at home. To do this, take the seeds of the plant, wipe in a mortar or grind in a coffee grinder, pour the resulting powder into 300 ml of hot water and put in a dark place to brew. After cooling to room temperature, strain the liquid through cheesecloth and offer the child to drink, starting with 10-15 ml, gradually increasing the amount.
2. An alternative is carrot seeds. Pour 2 tablespoons into a thermos and pour 500 ml of boiling water. After insisting for about 40 minutes and removing the impurity, let the baby drink the resulting tea.
3. A decoction of pharmacy chamomile has a good calming effect, so it is better to offer it before bedtime. Place 1 sachet in a cup and pour boiling water. After cooling, the drink can be consumed.

Prevention

To cope with intestinal colic in newborns, as well as to deal with their treatment, is not always easy, it is much easier to organize care for the baby and its feeding in such a way as to prevent their occurrence. A special condition called colic is not an independent disease. This is rather a symptom indicating that the digestive system is not yet fully functioning due to a lack of necessary enzymes that accelerate the digestion of baby food.

One of the main tasks of parents is to help the baby in such a difficult life period and to alleviate his torment.

In order to reduce the likelihood of intestinal colic, you should adhere to certain recommendations:

1. Before each feeding, lay the crumb on the stomach and leave it to lie down for 15 minutes.
2. After the baby has drunk the mixture, or after being applied to the chest, hold it upright. This is necessary so that the air that enters the stomach with food comes out naturally through regurgitation, and does not penetrate further into the intestines and lead to cutting abdominal pains.
3. If the baby is breastfeeding, then pay attention to how he takes the breast. With the right grip in the baby’s mouth, not only the nipple should be, but also the dark circle that surrounds it, called the areola. The nose fits snugly on the skin of the mother’s breast, and the lips are turned out. Listen to the sounds the baby makes while sucking. When applied correctly, you will not hear any extraneous clicks or smacking. In violation of the technique of capturing the nipple, the air enters the mouth and penetrates further into the digestive tract, which can lead to the development of colic.
4. When feeding a newborn from a bottle, use specially designed anti-colic nipples, and make sure that air accumulates at the bottom of the container.
5. When the baby is on natural breastfeeding, the mother will have to reconsider her eating habits and eliminate those foods from the daily menu that can lead to increased gas formation in the baby’s intestines. Increased gas formation is observed after the mother eats some of the legumes, as well as some types of fruits or confectionery.

The treatment of colic in newborns occupies an important place in modern pediatrics, but not only doctors should be aware of effective therapeutic methods for getting rid of this condition in infants. Knowledge of elementary methods of abdominal massage, gymnastics, as well as permitted medications will help the young mother to relieve the baby from stomach pain and give good nights not only to herself and the child, but also to other family members.