Although babies have been suffering from colic for centuries, scientists are no closer to discovering exactly what causes it, and hence, a treatment. We do know however that it is not fatal, and has no known long-term effects, but the period during which bub is afflicted is very distressing for both baby, and everyone else in the household, especially Mum.
It has been found that 1 in 3 babies are afflicted with this painfully distressing condition, which can start from their first to second week, but rarely remains with them after their third month. There are many signs that could indicate your baby has colic, and they can show one or multiple symptoms. You must also be aware that some of these symptoms can be related to other afflictions or illnesses as well, so it is wise to have your doctor rule out any other possible reason for your child's distress.
Signs Of Colic
• Baby shows signs of abdominal discomfit – they will usually raise their knees up toward their belly, or tautly straighten their legs.
• A redness of the face, frowns and grimaces
• Loud, long and heart-wrenching bouts of screaming or crying – which can last up to 3 hours
• Baby is inconsolable
• Their tummy rumbles
• The crying appears to cease the moment bub has either passed wind, or messed their nappy
Possible Causes
Regardless of the amount of research that has been done on this extremely common affliction, there is still no definitive cause known. There are however, some speculations.
• Mum's Diet – It is believed that certain foods that Mum eats while breast-feeding her child can cause colic due to an intolerance or allergy in bub. Such foods include: cabbage, broccoli, onions, cauliflower, even chocolate and cow's milk.
• Indirect Drug Consumption – Drugs such as caffeine and nicotine have been known to cause irritability in a child's system as they are unable to effectively rid their bodies of the substance. These will also be passed to bub via breast-feeding.
• Formulas – It is possible that the formula your baby is currently drinking is the cause of their discomfit, or that they have an intolerance to it. Lactose Intolerance could be one of the reasons your baby is in pain.
Colic tends to be an abdominal discomfit in your child that they find distressing and painful, which commonly passes within a few hours, and is generally caused by trapped wind. If you have a look at the foods Mum should avoid in her diet, most of these are known to cause gas. It is usually more common for bub to suffer colic in the afternoons to early evening, but they can ultimately have it at any time.
There is not a lot one can do for bub when they are suffering. Often, nothing you do will console them, and this in itself can be a heart-breaking feeling for Mum. The stress that long bouts of screaming or crying from your baby can cause, often leads Mum to have a bout of crying herself. She feels helpless, and this is not a feeling mother's cope well with. Those around Mum when she is feeling like this, need to be sympathetic and supportive. There is nothing worse than knowing that your baby is in pain and there is nothing you can do to end it. While many people in the household may feel this way, especially Dad, it is Mum - who has formed the strongest bond - that feels she has let her baby down. It is very difficult to explain the mix of emotions a mother feels at times like this, but suffice it to say, that if she tends to be irritable, snappy, lashes out or just cries, don't take it personally, she will calm down once baby has.
Suggested Help For Bub
As a mother who has had a colicky baby, I can completely sympathise with any mother who is going through the same thing. I spent hours reading everything I could to see if I could find even a hint of what I could do to ease my baby's suffering, even if I couldn't cure it – but with no luck. Finally, out of pure frustration, I tried a few things myself. Knowing that colic was usually caused by trapped wind, I wondered if some of the things I did for bub to relieve that problem, might work for this. 9 times out of 10 they did, much to my, and I am sure, bub's relief. Below you will find a list of things I tried. Sometimes I used one and other times I used a combination of two. I will not say that this will work for your baby, but all the methods I used are not harmful to bub, and if it does help......... You may even like to discuss it with your doctor first to make yourself feel more at ease.
• Soothing, warm bath with Johnson's Bedtime Bath, or a little lavender oil if I had run out. I would lay a washer over bub's belly and continually pour warm water over it. The warmth tends to ease abdominal discomfit.
• Infacol – this is a gentle medicine that helps baby to bring their wind up, by taking all of the air bubbles and forming it into one. I'd recommend this one over any others, as I found the other medicines, especially gripe water, tended to cause more abdominal pain than what bub originally had.
• Massage – gently massage bub's belly in a circular motion, pushing a little more firmly on the upstroke – when you push up toward bub's face. They usually won't allow you to do this for long periods of time, so give bub a cuddle and kisses at intervals before repeating.
• Exercise – gently bend bub's legs and push their knees up to their chest, and then back down. Repeat this a few times, and then let bub rest. You can even cycle bub's legs slowly. Beware with this one which end the wind comes from.
Preventatives
Here is a list of preventatives that may help to decrease the chance of your bub developing colic, or if they already have it, from irritating the condition.
• Use Avent's “colic reducing” teats. They really do work, and baby doesn't appear to get as windy either. The teats trap the air inside the bottle, rather than bub sucking it out through the teat.
• Avoid foods which are known to cause colic or wind, such as the one's mentioned above.
• Change bub's nappy before you feed them, rather than after. It is believed that the jostling and tipping up of bub when changing their nappy, after they have been fed, can cause unusual amounts of wind.
• Keep bub out of direct wind. The sucking in or more air will only cause bub more discomfit than they already have.
I know that this is small comfort at times like this, but hang in there Mum, it will pass, and bub will suffer no side-effects from it.
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