Colic in a child: causes and proper nutrition

Why does a baby have colic?

The mechanism of the appearance of intestinal dysfunctions and their consequences - intestinal colic - is closely related to the adaptation of the gastrointestinal tract to the outside world.

Some pediatricians express the opinion that infant colic is a normal condition for a newborn that does not require any action. But still, most modern doctors adhere to the position that pain and intense crying negatively affect the condition of the baby and his parents and require intervention.

How to make this period easier for the baby and his loved ones?

There are quite simple techniques that can help either reduce or prevent crying attacks. Below are the main ones.

Satisfying basic needs:

Tactile contact: if the child cries, the first thing you do is pick him up. If that calmed him down, then he needed to know you were there.
Feeding: If your baby continues to be fussy, offer the breast, even if he has eaten recently.
Comfort: If close contact and feeding do not help, you need to find out if the baby is experiencing discomfort from the diaper, clothing or ambient temperature.

Frequent tactile contact and carrying of the child:

Carrying in your arms or in a sling: when the baby is regularly close to his mother, he does not need to cry again to call her. The constant feeling of parental warmth makes babies noticeably calmer.
Massage: A gentle circular tummy massage or back massage relaxes the baby.
“Anti-colic position”: you can place the baby’s tummy on the inner surface of your forearm, with your legs towards your elbow, your head and chest should be placed on your hand or supported with your other hand. In this position, the tummy is gently massaged, since the legs are bent and spread apart, making it easier for the child to release gas. A slight swing or walk in this position relaxes the baby well.
Skin-to-skin contact: Undress your baby and place him on your stomach.

Reduce irritation:

Swaddle the baby;
Dim the lights and remove harsh sounds;
Turn on white noise.

Causes of intestinal colic

As noted above, the mechanism of colic formation is directly related to the physiological characteristics of the body of newborns. These include:

immaturity of the gastrointestinal tract;
pancreatic insufficiency;
violation of bile formation and difficulties with the outflow of bile;
insufficient amount of enzymes to break down food;
imbalance of intestinal microflora;
weak peristalsis, leading to difficulties in emptying the contents of the stomach and intestines.

In addition to the peculiarities of the physiological development of the gastrointestinal tract in newborns, the causes of intestinal colic can be:

incorrect feeding technique;
lactase deficiency (enzymeopathy);
maternal malnutrition.

If attacks of colic mostly occur after feeding and in the evening and do not affect the general condition of the child (in the intervals between attacks he is calm and has a good appetite), first of all it is necessary to analyze the mother’s diet.

When your tummy hurts

Babies are born with sterile intestines. As they grow, eat, and interact with their environment, their gut becomes colonized with microorganisms. Microorganisms form microflora, which then ensures normal digestion of food. While the microflora is developing, babies' digestion may have temporary disruptions; sometimes the color and consistency of stool may change, and sometimes the baby produces more gas than usual. All this is within normal limits and usually does not cause much concern for the child.

What features of digestion can still bother a baby?

Below we will look at the main reasons that can cause increased gas formation in a baby.

How to eat properly when a child has intestinal colic

If a child has colic, a nursing mother should be extremely selective in her diet. Constant monitoring of the baby's reaction to any food eaten is necessary.

Nutrition for colic should be based on the consumption of foods that do not cause gastrointestinal disturbances. On the one hand, it must be complete and balanced, on the other hand, it must not cause negative reactions and metabolic disorders.

The daily diet of a nursing mother should include foods rich in proteins, vitamins and microelements:

lean meat and fish;
eggs;
thermally processed vegetables;
heat-treated fruits (baked apples, pears, etc.);
cereals;
juices;
vegetable oils;
whole wheat bread.

Food for intestinal colic in a baby should not contain products that cause irritation of the gastrointestinal mucosa and, as a result, flatulence. First of all, these are products that contain a large amount of carbohydrates and stimulate increased gas formation - starch, sucrose, lactose, sorbitol.

Therefore, if a child develops colic while breastfeeding, it is necessary to exclude from your diet such foods as:

all types of legumes (beans, peas, lentils, soybeans, chickpeas);
black bread;
some vegetables (raw or cooked) - potatoes, pumpkin, cabbage,
asparagus, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, turnips, radishes;
certain types of cereals - pearl barley, millet, corn;
hot seasonings, spices, herbs, sauces, including mayonnaise and ketchup;
raw fruits - grapes, pears, apples, melon, plum, pineapple, mango;
sweet carbonated drinks;
coffee, cocoa and chocolate.

The formation of colic in babies can be caused by the mother’s diet containing baked goods, sweets, fatty and heavy foods - fried meat, smoked meats, canned food.

Allergy to milk protein

Similar symptoms, as with lactase deficiency, can appear when the mother consumes dairy products. Then they talk about an allergy to milk protein or also diagnose “lactase deficiency”. It’s easier to deal with this problem - you need to exclude foods that cause the reaction from your diet.

Remember, to make a diagnosis of lactase deficiency or allergy, you must consult a doctor.

Author: Maria Kardakova, MSc, family nutritionist, member of the LaLecheLeagueSweden association Yulia Rusinova, specialist in breastfeeding and child nutrition

Literature: 1. “Breastfeeding” - Martha Sears, William Sears 2. “Primary Health” - Michelle Oden 3. “Ecology of Infancy. First year” – L.V. Trunov, L.M. Kitaev 4. AKEV materials 5. La Leche Legue materials 6. WHO/UNICEF course “Breastfeeding Counseling”, 2006 7. “The Art of Breastfeeding” - Natalie Wilson, La Leche Legue 8. “Your baby from birth to 2 years" - Martha Sears, William Sears

What should be included in the formula for colic?

Correction of the digestive process in breastfed infants is carried out mainly by changing the mother's diet. For infants who are bottle-fed or mixed-fed, both the content of the formula and its proper preparation are important. Baby formula for colic should not be thick, and the child should receive a sufficient amount of water - at least 100-200 ml per day.

A good result is demonstrated by the use of specialized anti-colic baby food for feeding babies. It contains components that help normalize digestion and stool, taking into account the peculiarities of the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract of newborns.

The German company Humana, one of the world's leading manufacturers of baby food, has developed a special infant formula for colic, Humana AntiColic. It is perfect for babies with particularly sensitive tummies, preventing the occurrence of colic and flatulence. Can be used as baby food from the first days of a baby's life. For children born prematurely or with signs of intrauterine malnutrition, the mixture is recommended to be introduced into the diet after gaining weight of at least 2.5 kg.

Humana AntiColic Blend

is made only from fresh (not powdered) milk and contains the optimal amount of nutrients needed by the baby from the first day of life. It includes:

specially structured lipids based on natural milk (a unique patented combination of LIPOMILK milk fats with a high content of β-palmitate 55%) - thin the stool, prevent constipation, improve the absorption of vitamins, and serve as a rich source of energy. β-palmitate ensures optimal fermentation with the formation of beta-palmitic acid and free glycerol. In contrast to alpha-palmitic acid, beta-palmitic acid is reabsorbed in the intestines without the formation of calcium soaps, which prevents excessive excretion of calcium from the body and serves as an effective prevention of constipation;
GOS-prebiotics (galacto-oligosaccharides) – stimulate intestinal function, promote the proliferation of beneficial lacto- and bifidobacteria, improve the absorption of nutrients;
LCP (long-chain polysaturated fatty acids) – promote proper development and growth, enhance immunity, normalize cellular metabolism;
Omega-3 and Omega-6 unsaturated fatty acids - participate in all important metabolic processes and are easily absorbed by the body. They play a particularly important role in the development of the newborn’s brain, the formation of visual function, and have a positive effect on the psychomotor and cognitive development of the child;
nucleotides are phosphorus organic compounds. They actively participate in metabolism and the formation of enzymes, promote the regeneration of the epithelium of the intestinal mucosa, and increase its barrier properties. Stimulate the development of the local immune system and serve as one of the main sources of energy for the body;
partially hydrolyzed whey protein (1.7 g per 100 ml of mixture) – easily digested and absorbed by the newborn’s body, provides soft stool.

The special composition of the Humana AntiColic mixture facilitates the digestion process. The absence of gluten allows the mixture to be introduced into the diet of children with gluten intolerance.

The lactose content in the mixture is 18-20 times lower than in standard milk formulas - 0.4 g/100 ml. Thanks to this, the mixture is easily digested, does not require the activity of the lactase enzyme (which is reduced in newborns in the first months of life) and reduces the risk of increased gas formation in the intestines.

Rules for creating a diet for a nursing mother

What should be the proper nutrition for a nursing mother, monthly menu? So, nutritionists and pediatricians can talk a lot about this. However, every woman herself should know and feel what she needs to eat, and what it is best to avoid, despite the recommendations of doctors. However, there are simple rules for creating a diet that are still best adhered to:

New foods should be introduced into the diet gradually. This way you can understand the baby’s reaction to them.
It is recommended that nursing mothers keep a food diary, recording the time and volume of food eaten for the first time after giving birth. You also need to evaluate the baby's reaction. And in order to balance the diet of a nursing mother over the months, a table for introducing new foods is what you need to create yourself. So, following it, a woman will know when and what she can start eating again.
For the first time after childbirth, a new food product should be consumed in small quantities, gradually increasing its volume.

After introducing any new food product (even if it is not dangerous at first glance), you need to carefully monitor the reaction to it not only of the baby, but also of the nursing mother. It is also worth remembering that after the mother has eaten something new, the child’s reaction will appear over the next 12 hours. Well, if you really want to treat yourself to something forbidden but tasty, it’s better to do it in the first half of the day. So before the evening the baby will already “try” this and the reaction will appear earlier than at night (when the mother, like the child, should have a good rest).

Classification of constipation in newborns and infants

Stool retention in children can have an acute and chronic course. In the first case, it occurs once or is observed periodically, but with long intervals between episodes. In a chronic condition, this problem is relevant over a long period: symptoms of constipation are observed continuously over several weeks or months.

In addition to classification according to the course, constipation is divided into atonic and spastic. In the first case, peristalsis is sluggish and weak, and the excreted feces are dense and voluminous. With spastic constipation, excessive peristalsis is observed in one part of the intestine, which leads to temporary “blocking” of feces and its difficult movement. Feces with spastic constipation are heterogeneous, divided into small, dry and hard lumps.

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Prohibited products

You can relieve your baby of bloating and colic by eliminating certain foods from your diet. Here is an indicative list:

causing increased gas formation: sauerkraut and raw cabbage, peas, lentils, beans, flour products (rye bread, pasta), large amounts of potatoes, grapes;
strong allergens: chocolate and sweet products using dyes, nuts, exotic and citrus fruits, condensed milk;
extremely harmful gas-forming foods that cause great difficulty in digestion: smoked meats, spicy and salty foods, soda and alcohol, mayonnaise, processed foods and fast food (see also: is it possible to eat mayonnaise while breastfeeding?).

Sweets and delicacies are so pleasant that sometimes you limit their consumption, and even more so completely stop them. When deciding to take this step, remember that a harmonious and balanced diet is the key to your baby’s health.

Sauerkraut is an incredibly healthy dish, but it is better to postpone its use until you finish breastfeeding.