How to help your child during colic

Colic is not so rare condition, for it occurs in 10-30% infants in first months. They reach their intensity around 6th week after the baby’s birth, and usually stop by the end of third month.  Colic are characterized by sudden episodes of painful crying in which the baby’s face turns pale or blemishes, following a painful facial expression, and you feel that the tummy is tense and. Child is trying to ease the pain by attracting feet, lifting head and squeezing hands.

Colic is more likely to appear in the same period of the day, late noon or early evening, during or after the feeding.

Scientists have not fully agreed on the actual cause of these unpleasant cramps. There are various aspects. One of them is that colic appear as allergic reaction of a child to some of the  proteins contained in the breast and artificial milk or physiological intolerance of lactose, milk sugar, which leads to increased production of gas, mostly hydrogen. Possible causes of colic can also be the development and maturation of the digestive system, which results in enhanced intestinal function, following the increased excitability of the central nervous system, neuro-hormonal immaturity, or even mothers emotional tension and stressful situations within the family.

Other factor that seem to be in close correlation to colic’s are

– Allergy or sensitivity to any food from the mother’s menu

– Immature digestive and nervous system of the child

– Gases

– GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease)

– Swallowed air during feeding

– Emotional stress babies after birth

In order to help your child during this sensitive process, follow the next advices

Maintain close contact

Most effective and most natural way of helping your infant is putting the baby skin to skin in a peaceful atmosphere and reducing light and noise. There are two practical positions that ensure close contact and relieves of the colic. Elevated position of the upper body of the baby is imperative. In the first position the child is only in swaddling clothes and lying on parent’s chest.

In the second position, the mother sits and rests her feet on another chair or low table with her upper leg elevated at 45 degrees. Sets then sets the child on her thigh facing toward her. This position provides a good visual contact between the infant and mother. Laying the baby on her stomach or carrying it on forearm in a prone position also facilitates the elimination of excess air from the intestine that causes cramping.

When placing a baby to sleep, try to make a sleeping atmosphere with dim light, quiet or calm and quiet music. It also helps putting the baby to sleep always at about the same time.

Keep calm

Crying is the most powerful signal of the child.  Some parents who do not have sufficient emotional stability can act paralyzing to persistent infant crying. They then behave panicked, irrational and acting like that does not provide the child much-needed sense of security and comfort. But behaving like that only contributes to creating negative atmosphere, which is the opposite of what they really need. Although it is sometimes difficult to maintain tranquility while the child is crying uncontrollably, it is a must in situations like this.

Proper breastfeeding

Colic can occur to babies to both babies that are fed by artificial food and in babies who are breastfed only. There are several things that should be avoided in the way of breastfeeding to reduce the possibility of colic.

  • Avoid frequent switching babies from one breast to the other

In the case of frequent switching from one breast to the other there is a possibility that the baby swallows air while sucking, which can make the gas pockets in the stomach and intestines and cause colic.

  • Breast-feeding in mildly horizontal position

Sometimes a baby can cause too strong reflex of milk, if voraciously sucking, and thus enter too much milk, which can cause hiccups, vomiting and cramps. Try to breastfeed in mildly horizontal position, which will slow down the release of milk. You can use the nipple protectors, which reduces pressure on the nipple and allow the baby to not suck the milk too fast.

  • Milking can be a solution

There is a possibility that the baby cannot say suck nipples due to various reasons (ie, cold). In that case, milking, and then feeding with the bottle will help to meal does not last much longer or that the baby is not swallow air trying while starting to suck.

Probiotic

In one study recently conducted is proven that drops of probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri greatly calmed the colic. Babies suffering from colic, have a significant lack of probiotic bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, the application of probiotic cramps makes good sense.

Tea

Tea is one of the oldest remedy when it comes to dealing with colic. The tea that contains extracts of chamomile, fennel, lemon balm and other herbs to calm and improve digestion has proven to be the most effective.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *