Colic in the tummy of a newborn what to do. Colic in children: causes and methods of elimination. Improper attachment to the breast
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Colic is a common cause of crying in newborn babies. Almost all parents face a phenomenon that threatens the mother for more than one sleepless night. The cause of colic is most often the adaptation of the baby's digestive organs to self-feeding. To alleviate the condition of the little man, a few tips for relieving colic will help.
The main causes of colic in newborns
are nothing more than intestinal spasms due to increased gas formation .
A healthy and cheerful baby suddenly starts crying, and his tummy becomes swollen and hard. The baby begins to suffer from intestinal spasm, while the child screams and blushes, presses his legs to his tummy or arches. The processes of occurrence of children's colic are still not fully understood.
To more likely sources of discomfort in newborns, medicine includes such reasons as:
Immaturity of the neuromuscular apparatus responsible for the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract |
At the time of birth, the baby's ventricle is sterile. With the first milk of the mother, it is filled not only with nutrients, but also with beneficial microorganisms, which later form the intestinal microflora. At birth, the baby's body is still protected by the mother's hormones, over time their effect weakens. If by this time the intestinal microflora is not yet sufficiently developed, the baby begins to suffer from colic . Since in the body of the crumbs there are not only useful, but also conditionally pathogenic microorganisms. The predominance of the latter leads to poor digestion of food. (especially in formula-fed babies) what causes constipation or gas . |
Insufficient production of enzymes (lactase deficiency) | Both mother's milk and digested under the influence of enzymes to break down milk. Colic occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough lactose to process sugar. contained in milk. With the growth of the child, the need for milk increases, and the insufficiently productive work of enzymes cannot cope with the load on the baby's ventricle. |
Often during feeding, due to the incorrect position of the baby, he captures air along with milk which causes regurgitation and colic. In addition, if the baby is weak or simply lazy, the time of attachment to the breast does not exceed 20 minutes. During this time, the baby does not have time to get to the most useful, hind milk. . Foremilk contains a large amount of carbohydrates, which serve as initiators of the fermentation process in the baby's body. | |
Improper nutrition of a nursing mother | The cause of colic in infants may be malnutrition of the mother during lactation . Eating an excess of sweet or starchy foods (especially black bread), as well as legumes, fresh vegetables and fruits, or natural cow's milk. In artificial infants, the source of colic can be an improperly selected milk formula. |
Reaction to physical and psychological stimuli | Many parents are unaware that the cause of colic may be the increased sensitivity of the crumbs to physical or psychological discomfort . A wet diaper, cold, hunger, or feeling unwell or in a bad mood can also cause colic. |
When do colic begin and how long does it last in newborns?
Over many years of observation, experts have identified a trend common to all newborns, which they called the “rule of three”:
Rule #1
Colic begins to bother the baby from the beginning of the third week of life.
Rule #2
The total duration of colic is up to three hours a day.
Rule #3
Colic is a problem for the baby until about three months old.
Attacks of colic, as a rule, begin in a child at the same time. This usually happens after feeding in the evening or at night. . The duration of the attack can be from 30 minutes to 2-3 hours, until the baby copes with the trouble himself or adults help him.
At the age of 3-4 months, the child's digestive system is fully adapted to nutrition. Enzyme glands begin to fully function, and colic gradually ceases to torment the baby. If this does not happen, you should consult a doctor in order to identify problems with the child's digestion in time.
How to get rid of colic in a baby
To alleviate the torment of the crumbs caused by painful sensations, parents use various methods and drugs.
Medications for colic in newborns
Even 2-3 decades ago, in any pharmacy you could buy dill water , which was given to babies during bouts of colic. The medicine coped well with its functions, quickly bringing relief to the child. Today in pharmacies you can buy various granulated teas for newborns , which mainly includes fennel.
Of the drugs for colic, the most commonly used drugs are in the form of emulsions or suspensions.
The most famous of them are:
Espumizan (emulsion) |
The drug is an emulsion with a pleasant odor, made on the basis of activated dimethicone. The medicine successfully relieves pain, relieving the baby of gases accumulated in the intestines . Eliminating colic, the drug does not adversely affect the intestines and is excreted from the body along with feces. The advantage of espumizan is the absence of lactose and sugar in the composition. |
Baby Calm (emulsion) |
The composition of the drug includes oils from the seeds of dill, anise and mint, due to which it has a specific smell. Baby Calm is a food supplement that is given to the baby before feeding. The drug can give, therefore, at the first dose, you need to give the crumbs no more than 2-3 drops . |
Bifiform baby
(suspension) |
The composition of the suspension, which combines 2 fractions - powder and oil, includes probiotics and prebiotics. They normalize the intestinal microflora, helping to reduce discomfort and the likelihood of colic. . |
Infacol (suspension) |
Infacol is a homogeneous translucent suspension with an orange smell. The composition of the drug includes simethicone, which unites small bubbles in the baby's intestines, forming free gases that are easily excreted from the body . |
Sub Simplex
(suspension) |
The same as in Infacol, the main active ingredient in Sab Simplex is simethicone, therefore the drug has a similar effect on the body of the baby . |
Today, pharmacists offer a large number of drugs that help the baby cope with colic. As a rule, all these funds are quite expensive. Our parents raised us without these miracle funds, so young mothers can gain experience from the older generation.
Folk remedies to help with colic in newborns
Folk remedies, which have absorbed the experience of many generations of parents, can help the baby cope with colic no worse than modern medicines:
- vent tube . Not all young mothers are familiar with such a simple thing. At one time, our mothers and grandmothers used it. If the pharmacy did not have such a device for removing gases, you can use a regular, small-sized enema with the pear top cut off.
- Warm diaper for tummy . The diaper is folded in a few words, ironed or heated in any other way. A warm cloth is applied to the baby's tummy and the crumbs are pulled tightly to the body. Warmth helps to soothe pain and make it easier to pass gas.
- Contact with mother . Instead of a warm diaper, you can simply take the baby in your arms, pressing your tummy to you. The warmth and closeness of a loved one will help the baby calm down, and a slight swaying will help the baby fall asleep.
- dill water . To prepare it, you need to purchase dried fennel at the pharmacy. 2-3 grams of grass is poured into a glass of boiling water and infused for 20-30 minutes. Dill water must be cooled and given to the baby 1 teaspoon, previously mixed with breast milk or formula.
Massage and gymnastics for colic in infants
The use of massage for colic helps many children get rid of gases traveling through the ventricle. Any mother can do this procedure on her own.
For this you need:
- Lay your baby on a hard surface, tummy up.
- With light movements with an open palm, stroke the body from the navel to the inguinal region for 2 minutes.
- Fold your palm and continue stroking, slightly increasing the pressure.
- With both hands, stroke the tummy from both sides, performing oblique movements from the ribs to the groin.
- Do the same with one hand up and the other down.
- Massage the tummy in a circular motion around the navel in a clockwise direction, gradually increasing the pressure.
- Pull the baby's legs to the stomach and hold for about 30 seconds. In this case, the baby may begin to push. For him, this is a normal reaction.
- In the bent position of the legs, make the baby "bike". The pressure of the legs on the stomach is best for digestion.
The use of massage for colic has a relaxing effect on the child, while improving bowel function, which contributes to the gentle discharge of gases. In addition, this is facilitated by the frequent laying out of the child on the tummy.
Just don't do it right after feeding!
Prevention of colic in newborns
Before feeding, you need to pay attention to the baby's tummy. If it is swollen, you must first help him get rid of accumulated gases and only then proceed to feeding.
- To reduce the chance of colic , apply the baby to the chest correctly. The capture of air along with milk provokes increased gas formation.
- After feeding the baby, be sure for some time they are kept in an upright position, stroking the back. You can not put the baby in the crib until he burps.
- During breastfeeding give up foods that cause increased gas formation - cucumbers, cabbage (especially sauerkraut), soy and bean products, grapes and white bread. It is also worth eliminating any carbonated drinks from the diet.
- When a baby has colic be calm, calm and caress the baby. Remember that your nervous state is transmitted to the child and only exacerbates the problem.
Often a child has severe pain in the stomach at night or during the day. The appearance of such cramps in the tummy of newborn boys and girls is the most common problem that appears in newborns in the first 2-3 months of their life. There are various causes of colic, but most often they are caused by the adaptation of the gastrointestinal tract to the characteristics of post-natal development. If you experience pain in the tummy, you should immediately start treatment. However, first it is better to determine when the colic in newborns passes and how long the pain in the stomach lasts.
Before treating the baby and helping the baby with colic, you need to understand the features of such pain. There is no scientific definition for colic and gas in newborns. Pediatricians describe the behavior of a newborn in this way: a healthy and fed child experiences discomfort and starts crying every 2-3 hours. Describing such pain in infants from changes in their body, we can say that they are caused by the accumulation of gases in the intestines.
When does colic start in a newborn baby?
The first signs of pain appear in children under the age of 2-3 weeks. When breastfeeding a baby and in premature babies, colic in the stomach appears later.
When will the colic go away?
Many are interested in how many months the pain lasts and when it will end. They cannot last longer than four months. Most often, colic disappears 2-3 months after the onset.
What is the difference between colic and gas?
Most parents combine these concepts and do not notice any difference between them, but there is one. Gases in people appear at any time and are not accompanied by pain. Only with a large accumulation of them, the newborn's tummy hurts, and colic appears.
Symptoms
If a newborn has colic, then they are accompanied by symptoms that you need to familiarize yourself with. It is difficult to determine exactly when the pain began, since you cannot ask anything from an infant. You have to independently examine the baby and observe the peculiarities of his behavior. During discomfort for newborns, the following changes are characteristic:
- Pulling the knees towards the abdomen. This change in behavior is most often seen with colic in the abdomen.
- Increased release of gases. At the same time, some newborns spit up food more often.
- Toddlers experience bloating due to accumulated gases.
- Change in behavior, manifested by increased moodiness, problems with sleep and refusal of food.
Less often, the baby becomes worse and he develops nausea and severe vomiting. When the first such complication appears, you should seek help from a doctor until the baby's condition worsens.
Why does pain appear?
It is known that the main cause of stomach problems in children is the adaptation of their digestive system to new conditions. However, there are other reasons that depend on the nutritional habits of children.
natural nutrition
In a newborn with breastfeeding (HB), pain appears if the young mother does not eat properly. When feeding a baby, mothers will have to give up sweet pastries, coffee, hot sauces and seasonings. Due to the frequent use of such products, mothers worsen lactation, the children begin to accumulate gases, and there are stabbing sensations in the tummy.
artificial nutrition
Some parents feed their children formula milk, which causes problems with the digestive system. To prevent the development of pain, it is necessary to change the diet after the first symptoms appear. Nutrient mixtures do not have the same composition and differ from each other.
How to deal with colic in infants?
To get rid of colic in newborns, you need to familiarize yourself with the main methods of their treatment. Treatment of colic in newborns is carried out in several ways.
How to help a newborn with medicines?
Doctors recommend the use of medications that will help to cope with pain and avoid their development. To select the best medicine, it is necessary to study effective children's preparations for restoring the gastrointestinal tract.
Bobotic
A remedy called Bobotik can help with colic. With the help of this drug, the baby is relieved of gas accumulations and stabbing sensations in the abdomen. Simethicone is used in the manufacture of gas control products. After entering the intestine, the substance destroys the walls of gas bubbles, which is why they are torn apart. Gradually, the gases end and the colic disappears. Bobotik is used to prevent flatulence, as it prevents new gas bubbles from accumulating.
Before you reduce colic with Bobotic, you need to familiarize yourself with the contraindications of the drug. You can not give medicine to patients who have problems with the gastrointestinal tract, which are associated with intestinal patency and peristalsis. It is also impossible to treat newborns under one month old with Bobotic, as they may develop allergies.
To calm the pain in the stomach, you need to familiarize yourself with the features of the use of Bobotik. It is necessary to give the medicine three times a day before meals. One dosage of the drug leaves 5-8 drops diluted with warm water. In the treatment of children aged 5-6 years, the dosage increases to 15 drops four times a day.
Plantex
Sometimes, in the treatment of intestinal colic in newborns, Plantex is used. It contains natural ingredients that help correct disorders of the digestive system of babies. Preparations such as Plantex are made from fennel essential oil, which has a carminative effect and improves the formation of gastric juice. With its help, colic is prevented, which prevents the accumulation of gas accumulations in the gastrointestinal tract.
The main difference between Plantex is the almost complete absence of contraindications. It should not be used to relieve spasms only in children allergic to fennel oil.
Before you get rid of pain with Plantex, you need to familiarize yourself with the rules for taking it. Sold medicinal powder in bags of 5-7 grams. To use the drug, the powder will have to be poured into a container for feeding the baby and add 100 ml of boiled water to it. The mixture is then shaken and cooled to room temperature. The medicine is used every day three times before taking or with meals. Two weeks after use, all the bacteria that caused colic will die.
Smecta
The drug Smekta can help end the pain in the abdomen. A feature of the drug is an adsorbing function that soothes pain and helps get rid of harmful microorganisms in the intestines. Smecta is used during the fight against chronic and infectious diarrhea. It is also commonly used in the treatment of bloating, heartburn or gastritis.
Before using the powder, you should familiarize yourself with its main contraindications. Smecta should not be given to children with intestinal obstruction and high sensitivity to components from the composition. If you give medicine to such people, then they will develop constipation and intensify colic in the abdomen.
You should figure out how to treat colic with Smecta, and how long to use it. During treatment, the dry mixture is poured into a baby bottle and 80 ml of warm water is poured. Every day the child should drink Smecta three times.
The end of treatment occurs only after the disappearance of symptoms.
How to deal with pain with a belt?
Few people know how to relieve colic in babies. To do this, you can use a special belt designed for babies. The belt is made of pleasant and soft cotton, which does not harm the baby's skin. The treatment belt is sold with a battery and a gel that heats up in a liquid.
To figure out how to treat pain with a belt, you need to familiarize yourself with the nuances of its use. During treatment, the belt warms up to 45–50 degrees. When checking the heating temperature, a hand is applied to the belt. When touched, there should be no burning sensation or other discomfort. The heated belt is laid out on a flat surface, after which the baby is placed on it. Place the baby very carefully so that the battery is near the navel. Warming up the tummy is done twice a day. Treatment of the baby ends in a week and a half.
Folk remedies
Sometimes for treatment at home, parents use folk methods.
Massage
If medications do not help, we fight discomfort in the abdomen with a massage. When performing a massage, gently stroke the tummy in a circular motion for 5-10 minutes. Sometimes these movements do not help, and you have to use the "mill" technique. To perform the reception, both palms are placed across the tummy and stroke it from top to bottom.
Warmer
When the peak of pain occurs, a warming salt heating pad is used. Outwardly, the device resembles a small container with dissolved salt inside. When you press the surface of the heating pad, its contents are heated to a temperature of 50 degrees. During treatment, a heating pad is placed on the baby's tummy and held there for 10 minutes.
Conclusion
Often, a child under 1 month old has colic in the tummy. To figure out how to survive such pains for a child and how to alleviate them, you need to figure out how long the discomfort in the stomach will not go away and what to do to treat it.
Colic in a child is a difficult test for his parents. Moms and dads experience real torment, watching the suffering of their baby, which is why all young parents try to find out in advance when colic begins in newborns and how to alleviate the condition of the crumbs.
First of all, it is worthwhile to understand that spasms are not a disease or a deviation from the norm, their appearance is caused by the restructuring of the child's body, its adaptation to the environment, new nutrition and new conditions. Therefore, do not panic when your child starts colic - this process is natural and inevitable.
Colic in newborns is usually accompanied by crying and redness of the face, while the tummy becomes hard, the arms and legs move sharply and tensely.
Symptoms of colic in a baby
It is easy to confuse colic in newborns with intestinal disease, since in many ways the symptoms are similar, but it is still possible to distinguish the manifestation of colic in a baby by certain signs.
- Before the onset of an attack, the child may toss and turn, twist his face and demonstrate his anxiety in every possible way. When the attack begins, the baby whimpers, presses his hands to his tummy, arches.
- When a spasm occurs, the baby's face becomes red, the muscles tense. The hands are clenched into fists, and the legs are either bent or straightened.
- The baby may close his eyes or open his eyes wide.
- Short breath holdings are possible.
- When it becomes unbearable, the baby begins to cry. It usually happens suddenly.
- During an attack of colic, the baby's tummy tenses and becomes hard.
- During intestinal colic, the newborn may refuse to eat, but the rest of the time he is alert and eats with appetite.
- Colic usually occurs at the same time, often after feeding, if the mother does not eat properly and eat forbidden foods.
- Colic in a newborn recedes as soon as he burps or goes to the toilet.
When should you sound the alarm?
The symptoms are very similar to those of appendicitis and intestinal diseases, so the manifestations of this ailment should not be taken lightly.
If the baby lost his appetite, he became lethargic, inactive, he had a fever, his stool was upset and he vomits (do not confuse it with spitting up), then perhaps the problem is much more serious than ordinary colic. In this case, the baby should be seen by a doctor, and the sooner the better.
When does colic start in babies?
Colic torments all newborns: some to a greater extent, some to a lesser extent. This once again proves that the phenomenon is natural and, if there are no other symptoms, absolutely safe (albeit unpleasant).
Usually colic in a newborn appears in the first 2-3 weeks of life. At first, the attacks are relatively weak and pass quickly, but over time, colic intensifies and becomes more frequent.
The "peak" falls on a period of 6-7 weeks, and then the malaise begins to gradually pass and disappears by about three months.
During the day, attacks of colic in newborns can occur repeatedly and in total amount to three (!) Hours.
But it should be borne in mind that all babies develop in different ways, so this ailment can begin (and, accordingly, end) at different times. For example, in children born prematurely, colic begins a few weeks later.
Light massage will help against colic: stroke the baby's tummy clockwise
How to help the baby?
Any parent is looking for ways to help the child survive the difficult period of infantile colic. Someone prefers to obey the doctor and act with medication, someone resorts to folk remedies, someone gives the baby a special massage. There are many ways to relieve pain and relieve spasm.
Infantile colic is a sharp pain in the intestines caused by gases that puff up the baby's tummy, causing pain, restlessness and high-pitched crying. In the vast majority of cases, this is not a disease, but a period of adaptation of the infant's digestive system to new conditions of existence. After all, before birth, his gastrointestinal tract (GIT) "did not work" and received all the necessary nutrients through the umbilical cord from the mother's blood. After the baby is born, his digestive system undergoes gradual changes: the enzymes necessary for the digestion of food begin to be produced, the intestines are populated with beneficial microflora, various parts of the central nervous system mature, which regulate the smooth functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. The baby has not yet established the processes of processing and assimilation of food, as well as the motor activity of the intestine. It turns out that the newborn is not quite ready to cope with the stress that he receives after birth. All this can lead to increased fermentation and gas formation, causing colic in the intestines in the child. Parents should be aware of such features of newborns in order to correctly understand the cause of their baby's restless behavior, quickly come to his aid and alleviate suffering.
Infantile colic in most cases occurs at the age of 2-3 weeks (in premature babies at 4-5 weeks) and lasts up to 3-4 months (in premature babies up to 5-6 months). Parents may wonder why this problem does not appear immediately after birth? The fact is that in the first 2-3 weeks of life, the gastrointestinal tract is under the favorable influence of maternal hormones. Usually during this period, the baby receives breast milk in a very small volume, and due to this it is digested quite easily. But by the third week, the amount of milk from the mother increases, and the baby's needs for it increase. All this often leads to the fact that the child receives more "front milk", being saturated before he gets to the "back" milk, which is secreted after prolonged sucking. "Foremilk" is more saturated with carbohydrates, which increase gas production and cause colic in the baby's stomach.
Attacks of colic in a child most often occur suddenly, against the background of complete well-being, and this often frightens parents. As a rule, the disease worries the baby in the evening, either immediately after feeding, or some time after it. The duration of colic in a baby can be from 10 minutes to 2-3 hours.
How to recognize colic in a child?
During an attack of colic, the child experiences a sharp pain in the tummy, and he starts hysterically, clenches his fists, blushes, twists his legs, then pressing them to the tummy, then straightening them. The facial expressions of the child change - he closes his eyes tightly, then opens them wide, frowns, twists his mouth. To the touch, the tummy is swollen and hard. Anxiety and crying of the baby do not go away even during feeding, while his condition may even worsen, as the contraction of the intestine increases during sucking, which leads to more intense pain. At the same time, the child cries even more, swallowing a lot of air, and this can cause profuse regurgitation. After passing gases or stools, the baby usually feels better. When the attack ends, he feels good, he can suckle with pleasure, play or fall asleep. With colic, the general condition and physical development of the child do not suffer.
What is the cause of colic in a child?
The most common and common causes of colic in newborns are:
Nutrition for mother and child. If the child is breastfed, then the mother needs to pay great attention to her diet. The use of certain products (for example, peas, beans, cabbage, black bread, grapes, etc.) leads to increased gas formation. And this often causes colic in the baby. With artificial feeding, such an attack can be caused by a quick transfer of the baby from one mixture to another, improper dilution, violation of the feeding regimen, as well as underfeeding or overfeeding.
Swallowing air during feeding (aerophagia). This happens when the baby is not properly attached to the breast, and also if the baby loosely wraps his mouth around the nipple when sucking from the bottle. Swallowing air leads to stretching or spasm of various parts of the intestine, which causes pain.
Increased gas formation. Due to the imperfection of the processes of digestion and absorption of food, which were already mentioned earlier, enzymes are still unstable, the composition of the microflora is unstable. This leads to incomplete breakdown of fats and carbohydrates in the intestine, which is accompanied by excessive formation and accumulation of gases. In this case, the walls of the intestines are stretched, bloating occurs, and as a result, pain.
Intestinal spasms. Due to the immaturity of the parts of the nervous system that regulate the work of the gastrointestinal tract, intestinal motility is disturbed (wave-like contractions). The wave, which should go evenly, does not cover the entire intestine, but only its individual sections, which leads to spasm and sharp pain.
In order for parents to understand the cause of colic in a newborn and decide what measures to take, it is necessary to carefully observe the baby. Do not worry too much if such attacks occur against the background of a good appetite, normal weight gain and stool. But if intestinal colic is accompanied by diarrhea (diarrhea) or constipation, the baby is not gaining weight well, or intestinal colic bothers him daily, is long in time, and resumes after passing gases and feces, then parents need to contact a pediatrician and undergo an examination. After all, sometimes such a condition can be a manifestation of some kind, for example, dysbacteriosis, food allergies, intestinal infections, etc. In all such cases, the child will need treatment.
During the period when the baby has intestinal colic and increased gas formation, the mother can keep a diary where you need to note the time the child has pain, after which they occur, the duration of the attacks, the presence of stool, etc. All this will help the doctor to choose the right recommendations, and if necessary, prescribe adequate and timely treatment.
Colic in a newborn: we hurry to the rescue!
How can parents help their baby during an attack of intestinal colic? First, they themselves must calm down and not panic. Hold the baby in your arms, hold it to your chest (this gives many newborns a sense of security), talk to him affectionately, sing a song. All this will have a calming effect.
Feeding rules. If the baby is breastfed, then during feeding, the baby's stomach should be pressed against the mother's stomach, and the neck and torso should be in the same line. To prevent swallowing air (aerophagia), it is very important that the baby properly grasps the nipple and its areola. The duration of feeding should be at least 20 minutes, since in less time the child will receive mainly "forward" milk. It is saturated with carbohydrates that increase the process of gas formation.
For artificially fed children, it is necessary to reduce the intervals between meals, and, accordingly, reduce the amount of one-time feeding. It is important to prepare mixtures strictly according to the instructions, without making them more saturated. With severe colic in an infant, mixtures with partially hydrolyzed (split) protein are effective. When feeding from a bottle, it is necessary that the baby tightly grips the nipple, and the diameter of the hole is not too large. It is better to use anti-colic bottles and nipples. These bottles have a special valve that prevents the swallowing of air, and the nipples allow you to adjust the flow rate of the milk mixture depending on the intensity of sucking. In this case, the child will not choke, break away from the bottle and swallow air.
Feeding the baby should take place in a calm environment so that he is not distracted by foreign objects and sounds. Be sure to hold the baby in an upright “column” position for 15-20 minutes after feeding, so that all the air that has entered the stomach during sucking comes out.
Diet for a nursing mother. If the baby is breastfed, then you definitely need to reconsider. You should avoid the use of legumes, onions, garlic, all types of cabbage, radishes, radishes, mushrooms, cucumbers, whole cow's milk, black bread, grapes, carbonated drinks, coffee, sweets, which increase the processes of fermentation and gas formation.
Massage and gymnastics. With colic in a baby, tummy massage and special exercises help well, which stimulate the intestines and contribute to a better discharge of gases accumulated in it. They are recommended to be carried out when the baby arrives in a state of active vigor, about 3-4 times a day.
Begin massage of the tummy with light circular movements around the navel in a clockwise direction. Then gradually increase the pressure on the abdominal muscles. Finish the massage also with light circular movements. The duration of the procedure should not exceed 3-4 minutes.
Alternate flexion and extension of the legs will facilitate the condition of the crumbs. At the same time, they need to be pressed to the tummy (7-8 repetitions for each leg) and stay in this position for 5-10 seconds.
Lay your baby on your stomach as often as possible, especially before feeding. In addition to stimulating the passage of gases, it helps to strengthen the muscles of the abdominal wall, which has a positive effect on intestinal motility and prevents the occurrence of colic.
Heat for the tummy. During an attack of colic, a heating pad with warm water is a good remedy, a warm flannel diaper or a woolen scarf applied to the stomach is also suitable. Exposure to heat relaxes the muscles, relieves spasm, alleviating the condition of the baby. When using a heating pad, be extremely careful not to burn the baby.
If your child likes to bathe, then a warm bath will help relieve the spasm. If he does not have allergies, for greater effect, decoctions of herbs that have an antispasmodic effect (peppermint, sage, chamomile, oregano) can be added to the water.
Special drink. Decoctions and herbal teas relieve pain with colic: dill water, teas with fennel, chamomile, anise, peppermint. They can be given to the baby in between feedings, 1 teaspoon each. A good effect will be if mom starts drinking such drinks. The fruits of dill and fennel contain essential oils (anethole, carvone), and fennel also contains fatty acids (linoleic, oleic), which have antispasmodic and soothing effects. The active components of these herbs prevent the formation and accumulation of gases, improve their discharge.
We remove gases. With infantile colic, mechanical means can also be used, for example, a gas tube. For this, the baby is placed on its side, the legs are bent at the knees and pressed against the stomach. The gas outlet tube must be rinsed in advance under running water, before use, lubricate its tip with petroleum jelly and gently insert it into the baby's anus to a depth of 1.5–2 cm. As a rule, the gases soon leave, after which the tube must be removed.
If the above methods do not give the desired effect, you should seek the advice of a pediatrician who will prescribe treatment. There are various medicines that reduce the process of gas formation, improve gas discharge, destroy the shell of gas bubbles and, accordingly, minimize the risk of pain.
Nothing worries and worries parents more than the crying of their newborn baby. Especially if the cause of strong and prolonged crying is intestinal colic, which torments babies in the first months of life. A painful attack of colic is accompanied by a piercing cry, the baby refuses to eat, is naughty, presses his legs to his tummy and blushes. What is the cause of abdominal pain? How to eliminate colic in a newborn, what should parents do to alleviate the suffering of the baby?
Colic in newborns: what is it?
The birth of a newborn is an exciting and joyful event that the whole family is looking forward to. The little man evokes affection and admiration, and the young mother gradually gets used to her new role, takes care of the baby, rejoicing in his calmness. But, already after 3-4 weeks, changes take place in the life of the family, its usual rhythm is disturbed.
Their, until recently, calm and happy baby is changing before our eyes: it screams piercingly and hysterically, arches its body, kicks its legs, it is simply impossible to calm it down. Confused parents simply do not know how to help and calm the baby and suffer with him. Because of this, intestinal colic is a common occurrence among infants, which is faced by about 80-90% of families.
Intestinal colic is a sharp, paroxysmal pain that occurs in the large intestine due to the accumulation of gases in it. A large accumulation of gaziki stretch the walls of the intestine and cause spasm, causing discomfort and pain to the child.
Parents who had to deal with colic in babies in the third week of their life should remember that this is not a disease, but a temporary, natural physiological phenomenon that occurs in all children at 3-4 months.
What causes colic in babies?
Intestinal colic is a phenomenon associated with the adaptation of the child's immature digestive system to self-feeding. The body of a newborn is only adapting to a new life unfamiliar to him, especially his digestion. All nine months, while in the mother's womb, the child received good nutrition through the umbilical cord, and his intestines were inactive. Now the little man has to work himself to be fed.
The baby actively sucks the breast or receives a mixture from a bottle, it is more difficult for his body to cope with the digestion of enzymes that enter his gastrointestinal tract along with new food. In addition, with food, in the process of sucking, air is swallowed and the work of the digestive system is difficult. In addition to these main causes, pediatricians identify other factors for the appearance of colic.
Causes of intestinal colic in newborns:
- Immaturity of the central nervous system of infants, which regulates the vital processes of the body. The central nervous system is just beginning to form and the newborn's body does not receive the impulses necessary to process certain products.
- During feeding, new bacteria enter the body of newborns, including beneficial ones, and the intestinal microflora is gradually formed. Dysbiosis of the intestinal microflora can cause intestinal colic.
- Since the size of the baby's stomach is too small, the large volume of food and gases formed during digestion, stretching its walls, lead to pain.
Also, pediatricians do not exclude that the cause of colic attacks in infants can be a stressful situation in the family, as well as the bad habits of a nursing mother. Women who smoke during lactation themselves provoke the appearance of colic in a child. Nicotine, supplied with food, impairs gastric motility, disrupting the absorption of nutrients.
How to understand that a newborn has colic: symptoms of pain
Attacks of colic are most actively manifested after feeding, are especially pronounced in the evening and last for quite a long time. Consider the main symptoms of intestinal colic in a child:
- With colic, the baby's tummy is tense, swollen, the baby tries to help himself by tucking his legs. During colic, the child feels severe discomfort, behaves restlessly, groans, is naughty, clenches his fists.
- With a strong spasm, the baby screams piercingly, then calms down for a while. This is due to the fact that pain in the intestines occurs in waves, attacks. During this period, it is impossible to calm the baby.
- When feeding, the child turns away from the breast or bottle, is naughty, demonstrating a refusal to eat. Sometimes the baby may actively begin to suck, and then scream piercingly from an attack of colic.
- Sudden and sharp crying of the baby during wakefulness or play may indicate an attack of intestinal colic.
- During crying, gas discharge is observed, which greatly alleviate the suffering of the baby.
If you notice that the child has become capricious, restless, and he has the symptoms that were listed above, we recommend that you perform the following procedures to eliminate pain and alleviate the suffering of the crumbs.
- The first thing mom needs to do is calm down and take the baby in her arms so that he relaxes and is not afraid of anything. The child subtly feels the emotional state of the mother, and babies, along with mother's milk, receive both the hormones of happiness and the hormones of anxiety and stress. Therefore, only a positive attitude and the belief that together you will cope with such a problem as intestinal colic!
- You should not swaddle the baby much, you need to give him freedom of movement. So, the accumulated gaziki will quickly leave the intestines.
- After feeding, it is necessary to hold the baby vertically, to give him the opportunity to burp the excess air that has entered the stomach.
- A warm compress on the tummy will relax the muscles and relieve spasmodic tension. Fold the flannel diaper into quarters and iron it with a hot iron. Apply a warm compress to your baby's tummy. Also, mom can cover her stomach with a warm diaper and put the baby on it, tummy down. Babies love to sleep on their mother's tummy. This effective "grandmother's method" is quite effective during sharp bouts of pain from intestinal colic.
- Lay the child down, lightly stroke his tummy around the navel, moving clockwise. Place your hand on his tummy, warming him and soothing the pain.
- With colic, light gymnastics is excellent. At the same time or alternately, pull the crumbs' knees to the tummy. So you will make a natural massage of the abdominal cavity, which favors the passage of gases.
- In the fight against colic, exercises on a fitball are effective, when the baby is placed on the ball, tummy down and slightly swayed on it. Light wiggles soothe children, help release gas.
- For those kids who love water procedures, you can make a warm bath. Add a decoction of chamomile, infused in a water bath, to the water. Bathing in water at a comfortable temperature will relax the baby.
- A gas tube is an emergency measure to combat colic and should be used in an emergency when other methods of struggle have failed. It is worth remembering that inept use of the gas outlet tube can lead to serious consequences and injure the intestines. Check with your pediatrician before using it. If the baby protests and resists the insertion of the tip into the anus, stop this procedure.
Safe home remedies for colic in babies
Alternative methods effectively help eliminate painful spasms in the intestines. The most common folk method is herbal teas, which can be taken by both mother and newborn. Dill water, tea with fennel, chamomile perfectly cope with the problem and soothe the pain.
Ready-made teas can be purchased at the pharmacy. Trademarks such as Nutricia, Hipp, produce tea in granules, it is enough to dilute it with warm water and give the child to drink before feeding as a prophylactic against the accumulation of gas. You can also prepare dill water yourself: pour 1 teaspoon of dill or fennel seeds with one glass of boiling water, leave for half an hour. Strain the remedy, offer the baby 1 teaspoon 3 times a day.
Treatment of colic with medicines
To relieve severe and prolonged pain in the tummy, pediatricians recommend medical treatment with drugs that are safe for babies and that effectively improve the condition.
Probiotics
These drugs are designed to normalize the intestinal microflora. Their action is aimed at suppressing the growth of bacteria that cause fermentation. Allowed from birth and taken by the course (3-4 weeks). These drugs include Lacidofil-WM, Liveo, Lactobacterin.
Plantex and Bebinos
Antispasmodic herbal preparations that reduce pain and the frequency of attacks of intestinal colic. Allowed for babies from the 15th day of life.
Espumizan, Baby Calm, Babotik
Simethicone preparations. This is a substance that breaks up gas bubbles in the intestines. After taking these drugs, painful spasms in the intestines quickly go away. Approved for admission from the 20th day of life.
What should a mother do if a newborn has colic?
Children who are breastfed are most often prone to attacks of intestinal colic, the culprit is the malnutrition of the mother. You should take a closer look at your daily diet and exclude from it those foods that can provoke a painful spasm in the child's intestines.
Products that promote gas formation in the intestines of a child during breastfeeding:
- Homemade cow's milk can cause severe spasms in the baby. Sometimes pediatricians recommend completely eliminating it from the diet.
- It is not recommended to consume fresh vegetables and fruits that have not undergone heat treatment. Eat only boiled, stewed and baked foods.
- Dried apricots and dried fruits, raisins and even fresh grapes can cause excessive gas formation in the baby's intestines.
- It is necessary to exclude from your menu all legumes, fresh cabbage. These products contribute to the accumulation of gas in the intestines of the baby and cause severe pain in the intestines.
- Eliminate yeast dough products from the diet. Replace white bread with wholemeal bread or cereals. Useful buckwheat bread or dry biscuits - crackers.
- Provoke colic can be excessive consumption of butter, which mom adds to dishes.
- Temporarily exclude all sweets from the menu, including condensed milk.
- Do not abuse black coffee and tea. Pediatricians recommend that mothers drink herbal teas and infusions of linden, mint, fennel, anise, lemon balm, thyme. These teas are safe for newborns and promote greater milk production.
Babies whose mothers daily consume kefir and other fermented milk products are less likely to suffer from intestinal colic.
Prevention of colic in newborns
- To reduce attacks of intestinal colic, in addition to eliminating harmful foods, the mother must properly breastfeed the baby. It is necessary to ensure that the child captures the halo with the mouth along with the nipple.
- Let the baby take the breast as much as he needs. If possible, do not supplement with infant formula or cow's milk, as introducing new foods into the baby's diet will only exacerbate the problem. Any new product is a colossal burden for the baby's digestive system, and he does not have the enzymes for digesting cow's milk at all. Therefore, use all methods to increase lactation and continue to breastfeed your baby, while not forgetting about the diet.
- After feeding, hold the baby upright and wait for the burp.
- Take small breaks between feedings of 2-2.5 hours to allow food to be digested well. If the baby has bloating and the tummy is tense, do not feed him. Help your baby get rid of excess gas by doing light exercises aimed at eliminating them.
Should I continue breastfeeding if my baby has colic?
Many mothers mistakenly believe that if they stop breastfeeding and pick up an expensive, good formula for feeding, they will solve the problem of intestinal colic in infants. This is absolutely not recommended. Breastfeeding is an important and necessary period in the life of a baby, not even the best mixture can replace mother's milk, which helps strengthen immunity, provides the child with all the nutrients, trace elements and vitamins he needs.
Why is colic dangerous?
Despite the fact that colic in infants is a natural physiological process, parents are still required to consult a pediatrician. In some cases, in the absence of supervision by a doctor, you can not notice and ignore the diseases of the baby's digestive system. Only an experienced doctor will be able to distinguish the symptoms of ordinary intestinal colic from serious disorders and pathologies of the development of the newborn.
Symptoms, in the presence of which you should immediately consult a doctor:
- a prolonged attack of pain that lasts more than 4 hours, a significant deterioration in the baby's condition;
- elevated temperature, with colic it remains normal;
- vomit;
- diarrhea or loose stools with bloody or greenish discharge.
Parents should remember that the cry of a baby is a cry and a request for help. The task of adults is to recognize the cause of the baby’s bitter crying and come to his aid. Intestinal colic is not a disease, but a natural physiological process in a child's life. This difficult period for everyone brings him closer to his mother, allows her to better understand and feel the needs of the crumbs. Use our advice and do not forget that this temporary phenomenon will end soon, and you can continue to enjoy happy motherhood.