10 tips to relieve colic in a newborn

Causes of colic in children

The causes of colic in babies differ; only a doctor can determine what exactly triggered the spasm. Most often, unpleasant symptoms are associated with the physiological characteristics of the infant’s digestive system.

The appearance of colic is influenced by:

• Lack of necessary enzymes to digest food.
• Immaturity of the nervous and endocrine systems that regulate the proper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
• Disturbances of intestinal microflora.
• Incorrect feeding technique, which causes the baby to swallow air.
• Food allergy to components of mother's milk or formula.

In some cases, spasm can be triggered by stress. In addition, it is important for a nursing mother to follow a diet and quit smoking.

If sharp abdominal pain and bloating torment a child for more than 3 hours in a row, they can be caused by complications in a small body - intestinal infections, lactase deficiency. At the same time, only 5% of colics become a consequence of more serious diseases, but to make an accurate diagnosis you need to consult a specialist.

Symptoms that urgently require the help of a pediatrician:

• elevated temperature;
• increased regurgitation;
• diarrhea;
• lethargy;
• coughing;
• allergic reactions on the skin;
• noticeable pulsation of the fontanel.

The pediatrician will help determine the cause of colic, if necessary, write a referral for tests, and prescribe the necessary medications.

What is colic?

Colic is a peculiar behavior that is common in children in the first months of life, manifested by prolonged bouts of intense crying for no apparent reason.

10-30% of babies suffer from colic.

Peak colic is around six weeks of life.

By 3-4 months, colic goes away; the efforts of doctors usually cannot speed up the outgrowth of colic.

To describe colic, the rule of three was once created :

Crying attacks last more than 3 hours, at least 3 times a week, for at least three weeks.

Restlessness more often in the evenings (although this also applies to children without colic)

Girls and boys suffer from colic equally often.

Prevention of intestinal colic:

• Follow feeding technique: monitor the baby’s position when feeding so that the baby does not swallow air along with food. If the baby is bottle-fed, you can change the formula only after consulting with your pediatrician. After feeding, it is recommended to raise the baby to an upright position and wait for burping.
• Do not overfeed your child. Mom must adhere to a feeding schedule. If your baby is bottle-fed, it is important to follow the rules of preparation and dosage of food recommended by your doctor.
• Place on the tummy before feeding - this will strengthen the abdominal muscles and improve digestion. You can start with a couple of minutes and gradually increase the time.
• A nursing mother must follow a diet. It is important to exclude potential allergens (chocolate, citrus fruits, eggs, seafood, milk, etc.), spicy and fatty foods, as well as laxatives and gas-inducing foods.
• Create a calm atmosphere. For the best results, it is important that the baby is calm. The mother can talk to the child, sing a lullaby, play a recording with monotonous quiet sounds (the sound of the surf, the rustling of a fan, the beating of the heart) or calm classical music.

To relieve gas, 30-60 minutes after eating, you can lightly stroke your tummy clockwise. After the massage, bend and straighten the baby’s legs several times. In some cases, warmth helps relieve an attack of colic: consult your pediatrician; perhaps a bath with soothing herbs or a warm diaper placed on the tummy will help your baby.

Colic - it goes away!

Can't be confused with anything

A healthy child has been discharged from the maternity hospital, he is growing and making his loved ones happy. Yes, the baby sometimes cries a little, but what kind of children don’t cry! Moreover, over time, mom and dad get used to their new role and gradually understand what their baby needs. And the reasons for crying are usually simple: the child wants to sleep or, conversely, communicate, he is cold or hot, in the end, he most often just demands food! Later, when colic begins, that crying in the first days and weeks of life will seem to parents as just mild irritation or whims. But mom and dad don’t know this yet and are simply happy to see their son or daughter gain weight and gain strength. And suddenly out of the blue it starts! Usually in the afternoon, a previously completely calm child first winces, wriggles, twists his mouth, groans, then such a cry is heard that at the first moment the especially anxious parents clutch their hearts. The baby presses his legs to his stomach, and often beats the air with his hands, his face turns red from screaming, and his stomach tenses. And suddenly the child falls silent. Has it passed? No, almost immediately everything happens again. And so at least half an hour in a row, and at most several hours a day. In the end, the child’s strength runs out and he falls asleep exhausted. Exhausted parents too. The next day everything starts all over again.

If you are very lucky, such attacks will last only once or twice an evening for 30 minutes - 1 hour. On average, an attack lasts up to 3 hours. But there is a worse option: every day the strength, duration and frequency of screams will increase, until eventually the child begins to scream every two hours in the morning, afternoon, evening, and at night, of course. It will seem to parents that this is now forever, but by 3 months the babies are miraculously healed, only a few have colic that continues until 4-5 months (it’s good that they are already much less pronounced). That's what they are, infant colic! Well, from the point of view of doctors, colic is just paroxysmal pain in the abdomen, accompanied by severe anxiety in the child.

Many years ago it was noticed that there is a certain pattern in the manifestation of colic, the so-called “rule of three”

:

• Colic often begins by three weeks of age - yes, this is almost always the case.
• Lasts on average about three hours a day - unfortunately, this is only an average.
• They usually occur in children in the first three months of life - fortunately, this is true.

a positive side to colic

: usually the general condition of a child with intestinal colic does not worsen: the child has a good appetite, he is gaining weight as expected, in the intervals between attacks of colic the baby is cheerful and looks as if nothing had happened. Against the backdrop of endless yelling, parents are already rejoicing at every little thing. And since there are no other symptoms other than crying, then colic is not considered a disease. Doctors call them a functional disorder of the gastrointestinal tract (this means that there is no structural disorder in it, just that the digestive system is not yet working quite correctly).

Have you read up to this point and it’s already a little scary?

The best news is that not all babies have colic! There are lucky ones who just shrug in surprise when asked if their baby had colic.

Reason not established

There is another interesting feature of colic: it is difficult to determine exactly why colic occurs.

There are many reasons for this, and each child may have their own:

1. The enzymatic system of the gastrointestinal tract has not yet matured. Therefore, food is not completely digested and too many gases are formed in the intestines; gases stretch the intestinal walls, hence the pain.
2. The intestinal microflora has not yet been fully established and changes frequently, this again leads to excess gas and pain.
3. The neuromuscular system of the intestine is also not yet fully mature. As a result, intestinal motility and spasms increase.
4. The baby swallows too much air during feeding (he is not applied correctly to the breast or he sucks too greedily). The air stretches the intestinal walls, which is also painful for many children.
5. The mother breastfeeds the baby and eats a lot of dairy products, but the child is allergic to cow's milk protein. As a result of this allergy, the intestinal walls are damaged. Lactase deficiency occurs secondary; the child lacks the enzyme lactase, which breaks down milk sugar. Sugar ferments in the intestines, there is more and more gas and, as a result, pain occurs.
6. The baby has increased sensitivity of the intestinal wall to stretching. A child feels pain that another baby (or adult) will not pay attention to.
7. If the baby is bottle-fed, then the whole problem may be in the mixture. Most likely, it is not suitable for the child.

It’s good if the cause of colic is one and not very serious. For example, a baby swallows a lot of air during feeding. Then the colic will not be too pronounced. In addition, it is not difficult to eliminate this cause; you just need to improve feeding. As a rule, colic is quite tolerable as long as the child has functional immaturity of the gastrointestinal tract (for example, the microflora is not established or there are few enzymes). The baby cries in the evening, even if it’s for three hours, but for 21 hours out of 24 he is quite calm. After all, when the same scenario is repeated every evening (or three or four times a week), you get used to it.

But if there are several causes of colic at once or there is an allergy to cow's milk protein with lactase deficiency, then parents will fully experience what it is like when a child throws a tantrum every two hours.

To make it easier for the pediatrician to figure out what is most likely the cause of colic, parents should tell him as much as possible about their child. To do this, you will have to keep a diary of your baby’s colic and nutrition.

. By the way, some mothers are so keen on these records that they continue to keep them even after the colic has passed (just in case). Well, then they get used to the fact that there are no more colics and calm down.

What to write down in your food diary:

• When does colic occur: before, during or after feeding, if after feeding, then after what time.
• How long does colic last?
• Is there any rhythm to colic, do they occur at the same time or at different times?
• When colic is most pronounced (morning, afternoon, evening).
• How does the mother feed the baby - breastfeeding or formula feeding? If breastfeeding, how many milliliters does the baby eat at one feeding? Breastfeeding by the hour or freely.
• If the child receives formula, then what kind, in what dosage and how often.
• What does a mother eat if she is breastfeeding?

What to do about it

Is it necessary to somehow examine a child with colic? Even if the doctor says that the baby has the most common colic, the parents will still want to undergo a lot of tests and ultrasound of the abdominal cavity.

And it is clear that the more the child screams, the more mom and dad want to examine him

.

An ultrasound usually shows that the structure of the child’s internal organs is fine (immaturity and allergies are not visible on ultrasound). But even this makes parents feel calmer. In scatology (stool analysis), some changes are possible, and in stool analysis for carbohydrates (it confirms lactase deficiency), carbohydrates will be increased. Microbiological examination of stool (culture) does not clarify the picture of colic. The composition of the microflora may not yet be fully established, and against the background of increased gas formation, it will also be changed.

So what to do now? As already mentioned, colic goes away with age. Some will say that you just need to be patient and wait. This, of course, is true, but when a baby cries and screams constantly, it affects the nervous system of everyone around him. The situation in the house becomes nervous, the parents try to calm the baby with all their strength, and the mother also needs to feed the child, and walk with him, and cook food. Dad is also exhausted by endless screams and night vigils, and he is the breadwinner in the family, plus, if he is driving, he must concentrate on the road. In general, everyone needs rest, which means they need to somehow cope with colic.

Let’s say right away that there is no 100% effective treatment for colic: although many ways have been invented to combat it.

One thing helps someone, another helps someone, you will have to try almost all methods:

Proper feeding

. If the mother breastfeeds the baby on demand, then feeding should not become erratic, especially if colic intensifies during meals or immediately after it. The baby should not swallow air during feeding, so you need to make sure that it completely covers the areola. If the baby is bottle-fed, then the nipple should be appropriate for its age (the hole for milk in it should not be very large). You can use special anti-colic bottles - they prevent the swallowing of air during feeding. Before feeding, the baby can be placed on his stomach for 10–15 minutes, this stimulates intestinal function. After feeding, the baby must be held upright so that he burps air. But for some reason, colic often occurs even when all these rules are followed.

Warmth and massage

. For some babies, colic goes away (or is reduced) if something warm is placed on their stomach or simply given to them in a warm bath. For some, just a diaper folded several times and ironed with an iron helps. But caring fathers carry someone for hours, holding them to their chest, or simply place the baby on their stomach, but, alas, there is no effect. The same thing happens if you give a baby a light abdominal massage in a clockwise direction: it won’t help – you can only guess.

Mom's nutrition

. Pediatricians often recommend that mothers exclude any dairy and fermented milk products (milk, cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, kefir, ice cream) from their diet. Products that contain, even partially, milk are prohibited: for example, cookies, pastries. Well, women are no strangers to diets, especially since if the baby has severe colic, the mother will already agree to everything. Usually after 7-10 days you can see whether the diet helps or not. If there are results, then most likely the child is allergic to cow's milk protein and the mother will have to remain on a dairy-free diet for some time.

Children's herbal teas and remedies with chamomile, fennel

(they relieve intestinal spasms and improve the passage of gases) - their result, again, is the opposite. But it’s better not to give them yourself. There can also be an allergy to herbs, which will only worsen colic. The pediatrician will decide which remedy is best to give (or not to give anything at all).

Medicines that destroy the walls of the gas bladder

. Here, as with other methods, the effect is often temporary and not 100%. After all, these remedies only relieve symptoms, but the cause of gas formation remains.

Enzymes for lactase deficiency

. If it is confirmed, then enzymes (lactase) help well. The main thing is that the cause of colic is identified correctly.

Motion sickness, riding in a stroller and driving a car

. Children have always been rocked, but you just have to rock them, and not shake the child like a pear. Violent shaking can cause a concussion.

Unconventional means

. It sounds strange, of course, but some parents claim that the sound of a vacuum cleaner or hair dryer is good at calming a screaming baby.

Another way is to sleep in the fresh air. There are such amazing babies who, for some reason, calm down very well in the evening in the fresh air, but as soon as their mother tries to return home, they instantly wake up and start screaming. As soon as evening colic begins, mothers grab the baby and the stroller and run outside. Moreover, it’s not at all a matter of riding in a stroller: the baby sleeps even if it just stands still. This is how mothers sit at the entrance until midnight. You can’t say anything - heroic women!

Does the baby have colic? Answer the questions

:

1. Did colic start around 3-4 weeks of age?
2. Appear regularly, more often in the evening?
3. Do the attacks last about half an hour or more?
4. Does relief come after passing gas or stool?
5. Is the attack accompanied by restless behavior?
6. Is the cry loud, piercing, wave-like (it fades away and then appears again)?
7. Is the tummy swollen, is the baby pressing its legs to its stomach or writhing them?

If the majority of answers are positive, the likelihood that it is colic is high.

When the child is 3 months old or a little older, the baby is increasingly almost always joyful and cheerful. And suddenly - the colic disappears completely. And parents? Parents still can’t believe their luck for a long time!

What is the difference between normal crying and colic crying?

Sometimes your baby will cry because he is hungry, tired or needs a diaper change. After you eliminate the cause of the discomfort (feed, pick up, change the diaper), the baby will stop crying. If you have done all the possible manipulations that, it would seem, should calm the baby down, but he continues to cry, perhaps the reason is colic. This is the difference between ordinary crying and crying from colic: in the second case, no ordinary methods of comforting the baby work, and he does not subside.

About fermented milk products

Some probiotics, including L.rhamnosus LGG®, have enzymatic activity and the ability to transform food into other products. This usually occurs through the formation of lactic acid and other metabolic end products. Thus, fermented milk products contain not only probiotics, but also their metabolites, which have a beneficial effect on digestion.

Fermented milk products based on whole cow's milk (and other animals), such as biolact, children's kefir or yogurt, cannot be used in the diet of children in the first eight months of life. For this purpose, children's fermented milk formulas have been created, balanced in composition and subject to strict production control. They can be used from birth and even in full. Adding such a mixture to the diet, for example, Nutrilak Premium Fermented Milk, helps ease the digestion process, regular bowel movements and maintaining microbiota balance.

How to calm your baby

• Bathing in warm water with chamomile infusion will help your child relax.
• Smooth, repetitive movements usually calm the baby. Try rocking him in a crib, a lounge chair, or walking with your baby at a calm pace while holding him in your arms.
• Unpleasant sensations in the abdomen are effectively relieved by a warm heating pad applied to the abdomen, a light massage or exercise.
• Herbal teas or remedies to combat intestinal gas can help your baby calm down. Do not prescribe them yourself
  under any circumstances - be sure to consult your pediatrician.
• Distribute child care responsibilities among all family members. A sleep-deprived and upset mother is another risk factor for the development of colic.

Treatment of colic

Medicines are an effective remedy for intestinal colic. The pediatrician will help you choose the right medicine and determine the dosage. You can buy various anti-colic remedies in pharmacies. Most often, young children are prescribed the following drugs:

• "Growwith Dill Water";
• "Sub Simplex";
• "Bobotik";
• "Espumizan L";
• "Espumizan baby."

Some of the medications may be contraindicated for a child; there are additional means to eliminate discomfort. You can buy gas tubes in pharmacies; many parents prefer disposable rectal tubes "Windy" because of their ease of use. They will relieve the baby of accumulated gas, help prevent increased gas formation, relieve pain and eliminate bloating. Before use, consult a pediatrician. Proceed according to the instructions.

How to help your baby?

Put yourself in his shoes. Imagine, for a long time you lived surrounded by constant sounds and movements, were in a limited space that gave you everything you needed and held your posture; In order to change one's position, it was necessary to make efforts. And suddenly everything changed. Sounds only in the daytime, wild freedom of movement and nothing helps you maintain your pose. In addition, it is difficult to understand what is happening, and even more difficult to express it to someone. What will be your reaction? For example, an uncomfortable position, skin irritation, hunger, a desire to return everything to the way it was? What will you do?

Anything that reminds them of being in the womb has a beneficial effect on babies. Swaddling imitates her walls, white noise imitates her sounds, rocking imitates her movements.

An effective way to calm is through distraction. Advertising with dynamic changes of pictures, toys with sounds or wind chimes, a garland with flickering lights, a fan, a shower will help to shift attention to external stimuli. The combination of visual or sound factors with physical ones will help with this even more, for example, the wind blowing in the face or the feeling of drops of water on the body.

Some people will benefit from water procedures, some people will benefit from a simple walk, some people will benefit from a trip in a car, some people will benefit from a massage. A way can be found. The main thing is not to give up and try to understand the baby.

About allergies

Allergy to cow's milk proteins (CMPA) is currently a common occurrence in young children. Their presence in the mother's diet or infant formula can lead to impaired motility and inflammation of the intestinal mucosa. Therefore, for a period of 2 to 4 weeks, it is recommended to exclude dairy products in any form from the mother’s diet (from whole milk to fermented milk products, cheese and powdered milk in industrial products).

In the case of mixed or artificial feeding, it is better to replace the usual formula with a specialized one, for example, Nutrilak Premium Hypoallergenic, in which not only the protein is changed, but also contains oligosaccharides and probiotics (bifidobacteria B. Lactis (BB-12)TM and lactobacilli L.rhamnosus (LGG )®).

It is important!

Probiotics are live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate quantities, have a positive effect on human health.
All over the world, only two microorganisms have the largest evidence base for their effectiveness - LGG and BB-12 from Chr. Hansen. They influence both the composition and diversity of the intestinal microbiota, the formation of stool (number and consistency) and our mood and behavior.

It has been proven that the presence of LGG in a baby's diet reduces episodes of crying and fussiness.

How can you tell if your baby has colic?

Colic in a child can manifest itself with the following symptoms:

• the baby cries inconsolably;
• baby screams;
• the baby stretches his legs or presses them to his tummy;
• the baby has a distended belly and passes gas;
• when he cries, he arches his back;
• the baby clenches his fists when he cries;
• After prolonged crying, the baby's face turns red.

What causes colic?

We don't know for sure.

Although the very Greek origin of the word colic (κολική) hints at abnormalities in the intestines, not everything is so simple...

You can’t ask a screaming baby what really hurts him.

Assumptions:

Something wrong with your head?

There are studies indicating a connection between stress during pregnancy and the subsequent development of colic in the baby.

migraines were more likely to have colic , and two studies found that babies who had colic in infancy were more likely to have migraines later in life.

Something with the intestinal microflora?

Children with colic have lower numbers of lactobacilli in their intestines compared to children without colic.

In the second week of life, infants who later developed colic had microflora characteristics (less diversity, significantly fewer bacteroides, more propionobacteria than children without colic).

There are also many different hypotheses.

How long does colic last in newborns?

Episodes of colic in newborns can last about three hours a day until the baby is about six weeks old. These episodes may then become shorter, lasting one to two hours a day, until your baby is three or four months old. Typically, colic in newborns goes away by four months, but sometimes episodes persist for up to six months.

Causes of colic

Doctors still cannot clearly identify the causes of infant colic. However, a number of factors are known that increase the likelihood of unpleasant symptoms:

• baby eats very quickly
• baby regularly overeats
• the baby does not take the breast or pacifier correctly and swallows a lot of air while sucking,
• the baby has difficulty regurgitating swallowed air,
• The baby has increased gas production.

Pediatricians also emphasize that a negative emotional background, conflicts in the family, uncertainty and anxiety of parents can increase the symptoms of colic. Important!
At the first signs of colic, contact your pediatrician to rule out serious health problems for your baby, such as the development of ear infections, allergies and intestinal diseases. A sharp rise in temperature, vomiting or diarrhea is a reason to urgently consult a doctor!