Such tummy problems are the stuff of legends. Someone finds a new miracle remedy that can save children and adults from a major scourge. Some young parents buy everything in pharmacies to eliminate ill-fated colic. And some were lucky enough not to know about their existence at all.
Pediatricians assure that sooner or later colic will go away. The famous children's doctor Evgeniy Komarovsky believes that there is no need to do anything about colic: it is not a disease, you just need to survive it. Survive without any drops, heating pads or tubes.
Development of the gastrointestinal tract in children
Colic is not a pathology, but the result of the growth and development of the digestive tract in babies. This natural phenomenon accompanies the process of maturation of the baby’s intestinal microflora.
Immediately after the baby is born, beneficial microorganisms begin to be active. The intestines produce enzymes necessary for the normal digestion of food. At first, they are clearly not enough for digestion. Because of this, intestinal motor function is impaired. Therefore, a large amount of gases accumulates in it. Due to difficulty in passing intestinal gases, the intestines become overstretched. The baby feels severe pain at this time, which is similar to an attack.
Personal experience
Colic did not bother my child, but I was ready for any difficulties, since I was told “horror stories” about colic even during pregnancy. Many parents face this problem: they believe that only time helps with colic. All manipulations, medications and heating pads can dull the pain a little (and the baby wants to help at least a little), but they cannot completely get rid of it.
Therefore, strength to you, dear parents! Listen to your pediatrician's recommendations and help your child overcome the first difficulties.
Causes of colic
Colic in a newborn - what to do?
Most pediatricians believe that colic in infants occurs due to immaturity of the digestive organs and nervous regulation. When the gastrointestinal tract begins to adapt to new conditions, the child begins to pass gas on its own, and regular bowel movements are established. Under these conditions, colic disappears.
The following are the causes of colic in infants:
- Immaturity of the enzyme system of the digestive tract. The food is not completely digested, a large amount of gas occurs, which causes the stomach to hurt.
- Imperfection and immaturity of the intestinal microflora.
- Disorder of the neuromuscular apparatus of the intestine.
- While breastfeeding, the mother consumes a large amount of dairy products. Because of this, the child develops allergies. Secondary lactase deficiency occurs.
- The baby has increased sensitivity of the intestinal walls. They signal sharp pain.
- When bottle-fed, the formula may not be suitable for the baby.
Predisposing factors for the development of colic are:
- prematurity;
- feeding with milk formulas;
Artificial feeding
- improper attachment of the baby to the breast (in this case, he swallows a lot of air, which accumulates in the stomach);
- overfeeding;
- exposure to adverse external factors (bright light, noise, heat and cold).
How to understand that a newborn has a tummy ache
When a child develops intestinal colic, this can be recognized by the following signals:
- the baby starts crying as soon as he eats;
- no distracting actions can calm the child;
- when a newborn has a stomach ache, he begins to press his legs to his body or jerk them, as if trying to run;
- bloating appears.
Intestinal colic is a common problem that occurs in 70% of infants. Most often they occur in the third week of a child’s life and last up to six months. The cause of colic is the lack of intestinal motor function and excessive gas formation.
Experts have different opinions about the reasons why newborns have tummy ache. Some believe that the disease is primarily caused by excess food intake. Others argue that a woman’s overwork and unstable mental state after a difficult birth can affect the baby’s health. But still, among the most common factors in the development of intestinal colic are:
- incorrect position of the baby during feeding (the baby should not lie on his back with his head turned to the side; his head and body should be in the same plane, and the baby himself should be pressed tightly with his stomach to the belly of the nursing mother);
- consumption by a nursing woman of foods that contribute to increased flatulence (legumes and flour products, carbonated drinks, some raw vegetables, etc.);
- lack of breast change, as a result of which the baby receives only foremilk (although it is saturated with lactose, but in large doses it can cause flatulence);
- errors and incorrect dosages when diluting ready-made milk formulas;
- Intestinal colic can occur if the baby suckles too quickly and swallows air.
How to determine colic
From how many months can you give your baby soup?
The presence of colic can be determined by the following symptoms:
- The appearance of attacks of pain in the baby approximately 2 weeks after birth.
- Pain appears in the evening.
- The child draws his legs in and cries a lot. Even breastfeeding cannot calm him down. A crying attack may occur during feeding or some time after it.
Baby crying with colic
- On palpation, the baby's tummy is enlarged and quite hard. A sound like hitting a drum is heard.
- Between attacks of colic, the child's condition is normal.
- After stool and passing of gas, a significant improvement in the condition is noted.
You should immediately consult a doctor if you have the following symptoms:
- resumption of pain after the passage of gas;
- duration of colic more than 4 hours;
- the stool becomes liquid, hard, and impurities appear in it;
- after feeding, vomiting or excessive regurgitation is observed;
- the appearance of diarrhea after colic;
- the appearance of blood in stool and vomit.
Symptoms of colic
- The baby is two weeks old and is starting to act restless.
- The baby has been crying heart-rendingly for several hours. Most often, colic makes itself felt in the evening. Paroxysmal pain “visits” at the same time.
- The baby tightens his legs, cries and does not calm down even thanks to all the efforts of his mother.
- The baby's tummy is swollen and hard.
- The baby calms down if the gas is released or he has done his “big things”.
Colic appears already in the second or third week of a baby’s life. Sometimes these attacks are not as noticeable and become more aggressive by two months. Already closer to four months, babies’ colic ends. But even here there may be exceptions: there are known cases when colic makes itself felt even after this period.
Photo: pixabay.com
Ways to help a newborn
Not knowing until what month children have colic, parents try to give their child advertised drugs. There is absolutely no need to do this. There are methods of helping toddlers without the use of drugs.
Parents need to keep a diary to record the following information:
- when intestinal colic appears;
- their duration;
- are there any cause-and-effect relationships in the appearance of colic;
- when colic is most severe;
- if the baby is bottle-fed, the volume of the formula and its quantity should be recorded;
- mother's nutrition during breastfeeding.
Important! Studying the collected information will help to find some patterns in the appearance of colic and prevent them.
You must use the following available methods:
- Feed your baby correctly. It is necessary to carefully follow the eating regimen. When the baby is bottle-fed, special anti-colic bottles should be used. Before eating, it is advisable to place the baby on his tummy for about 10 minutes.
- For some babies, colic goes away if they have a warm heating pad applied to their stomach or given a bath in the bath.
Anti-colic heating pad
- Pediatricians recommend giving your baby a small tummy massage.
- It is useful to give children herbal teas with chamomile, fennel or dill. All of them relieve spasms and improve the passage of intestinal gases.
- In some cases, mild motion sickness helps.
- If it's warm in the summer, you can put your child to sleep in the fresh air.
- If your baby has colic due to excessive gas formation, it is necessary to use a tube to remove gases or an enema. They will remove a significant amount of gases. Glycerin suppositories will help solve this problem.
Maternal nutrition
To prevent colic in a breastfed baby, the mother needs to consume the following foods:
- porridge;
- dried fruit compotes;
- sunflower, olive oil;
- lean meat;
- hard cheese;
- bran bread;
- steamed vegetables;
- biscuits;
- crackers.
In small quantities the following are allowed:
- bananas, apples;
- pasta;
- raw vegetables;
- dairy products;
- bread;
- cabbage;
- legumes;
- Black tea;
- raisin;
- grape.
Fruits containing fiber, whole milk, legumes, yeast dough products, soda, sweets, hot sauces, brown bread, watermelons, melons are prohibited.
How to help a newborn with colic
There is no miracle cure that can completely get rid of colic. But you can relieve your baby’s pain in simple ways.
- Place your baby on his stomach before each feeding.
- Apply a warm heating pad (heating pads are sold in pharmacies) or a warm diaper to the baby’s tummy.
- Do a tummy massage. Stroke the newborn's tummy clockwise and from top to bottom with warm hands. Perform massage several times a day after meals (at least 40 minutes should pass). The duration of the massage is 10-15 minutes.
- Press the newborn's legs towards the tummy so that the gas can come out. This can be done immediately after the massage. Press your legs towards your stomach and hold this position for a few seconds. Repeat several times.
- Bath the baby. Swimming in warm water calms and distracts from pain.
- Give the newborn medications, probiotics, dill water. The benefits of dill water have not been proven by doctors. Probiotics and medications help a little with the pain.
The pediatrician will give advice on what methods are best to use in the fight against colic. The above methods for eliminating colic work ideally in combination: taking probiotics and medications, massages, and a heating pad.
There is another way to eliminate pain - a gas tube. True, the most desperate parents now use it, since the effect after its use is barely noticeable.
Photo: pixabay.com
What not to do
If a newborn has colic, it is strictly forbidden to:
- give him probiotics;
- transfer to artificial feeding;
- give any anti-colic medication without first consulting a doctor;
- give lactose-free formulas without the pediatrician’s knowledge;
- Give your child painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, and laxatives.
Healthy baby
Until how many months does colic occur in newborn boys and girls? This is the most common question asked by young mothers. This is a natural phenomenon that disappears on its own after 3-4 months. If a six-month-old child has colic, or it lasts too long, you should contact your pediatrician.
Colic does not affect all babies
Statistics show that approximately 70 percent of babies experience colic. Experts cannot clearly explain why some babies develop colic, while other newborns have almost no tummy problems. Although there are some factors that increase the likelihood of colic in newborns.
- Incorrect attachment to the breast. The baby may catch air while latching on to the breast, which leads to colic.
- Overfeeding If a newborn is constantly overfed, this will contribute to the appearance of paroxysmal pain in the tummy.
- Artificial feeding. Many babies are bottle-fed from birth, and this causes colic.
- "Prematurity." The stomach of premature babies is not at all ready for meals, so colic often appears.
- Mom's mood. Increasingly, experts associate the appearance of colic with the emotional state of the mother. If the mother is tired, dissatisfied, depressed, then this mood is transmitted to the baby in the form of colic. Therefore, there should be love and mutual understanding in the family so that the mother gets enough sleep and rest.
