Understanding Colic In Babies

Colic is a condition when infants crying for hours for no known or apparent reason. It is an abdominal pain that is normally distressing for the child. There are about 20% of all infants suffering from colic which is also having an impact to the parents as it is exhausting and drains them emotionally. However, the situation is harmless and benign and by the time a child is four years old the condition will end.

What Causes Colic?

The cause is unknown but the pain, according to experts are attributed to a few number of things. The most important attribute is the particular temperament of the infant, alongside with the infant’s immature digestive system and also allergies.

Check The Symptoms

Colic is a pattern of persistent and prolonged crying among babies from infant up to four months. It is not a disease and the symptom exhibits the following behaviors.

* Situation where you notice loud crying that last for three hours or more for three or more days a week. Alert if it continues over a period of more than three weeks.

* Prolonged crying between 6 pm and midnight especially if it occurs to a baby that has been fed.

* Crying episodes that sometimes begin or end with a bowel movement or the passing of gas.

* Alternate flushes and face pales due to the crying effort and the act where the infants draws his legs to his abdomen and clenches his hands and curls his toes while crying.

Baby Gas Issues

Baby and gas are interrelated as gas produce by babies can indicate their digestive status. For instance, aerophagia is a condition caused by air swallowing during feedings that is known to produce the most excessive gas in babies. With effective burping, you can prevent most gassiness. Though less common, a mild digestive problem can be signify from these gas occurrences.

How To Prevent Colic?

Colic can’t be prevented but if the symptom occurs due to feeding, the series episode may be reduced by following the actions below:

* Get the baby to burp more often and hold your baby upright when feeding.

* Frequently, feed smaller amounts when feeding.

* Feed your baby slowly to prevent him from swallowing the air.

* Eliminate cow’s milk, caffeinated drinks, broccoli and other cabbage family vegetables from your diet if you are breastfeeding. These food can promote gas pains in your child if you breastfeed them.

* Try a formula free of cow’s milk such as a soybean formula if you are bottle-feeding.

A common cause of allergy or feeding intolerance in children, particularly under 6 months of age can be pinpoint to cow’s milk protein. That’s why cow’s milk should be eliminated from the diet since it can cause problems for some babies who breastfeed. Primarily, due to low levels of the required enzyme lactase, some babies appear to be unable to digest the milk sugar lactose. Rarely, babies do not have any problems with breastfeeding due to the lower levels of lactose found in breast milk compared to cow’s milk. Besides breast milk, goat’s milk is also safe for babies but only after it has been fortified. It causes fewer allergies than cow’s milk and has low levels of lactose but lack the essential amino acid lycene.

Colic Treatments

Natural colic cures have been proven helpful in soothing colicky issues. Remain calm and try not to show your anxiety and frustration. Importantly, do not punish or shake a colicky baby because it may result to more crying. Take a break if you are feeling panic and keep your composure under control.

Call your pediatrician if you suspect your child has colic. Most doctors recommend simple home-management techniques to help in soothing the issues of colic. Usually, doctors will ruled out any possible medical causes of prolonged crying like checking for ear infection or respiratory problems.

Sometimes, colic does run in families. Colicky babies can feel better if they get more attention from their parents and sleep in a quiet room. Only call the doctor if you think your infant is sick, and if you have experience with colicky babies before.

Many colicky babies are soothed by motion especially vibration and also by any steady background noise.

Virtually, a diagnostic of a colic temperament syndrome is a situation when the baby is soothed when you are driving in car. Sound from dishwashers, washing machines and vacuums are some other typical background noises that soothe colicky babies.