Safely Treats Acid Reflux
Sodium bicarbonate is one of the active ingredients used in manufacturing gripe water. It is a known neutralizer of stomach acid. Presence of sodium bicarbonate in gripe water works as an effective relief for babies with reflux. It is also a fast way to treat your infant if he or she is suffering from acid reflux
What Are The Ingredients Found In Gripe Water For Newborn
The earliest gripe waters contained alcohol, sodium bicarbonate, and dill seed oil. These days, however, alcohol is not used as an ingredient any more. Sodium bicarbonate remains one of the key ingredients. It is best to opt for gripe water that is natural and made from natural and organic herbs. Ginger, cardamom, lemon balm and fennel are the popular herbs that go in gripe water. Glycerin is added to lend it the sweet taste.
What Exactly Is Gripe Water
Discovered by English pharmacist William Woodward in the 1850s while treating fen fever, the original mix of alcohol, dill, bicarbonate of soda, sugar and water, was adopted by physicians to soothe fretful babies.
Today it comprises mainly of bicarbonate of soda and dill seed oil, and works by breaking down trapped air bubbles that cause wind, a common symptom associated with colic.
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Is It Normal For A 2 Week Old Baby Not To Poop
Breastfed babies, especially if they have not started solid foods, can easily go two weeks without a poopy diaper once they are 2-3 months old. Breastmilk is exactly what your baby needs, and so there is little waste product left for the baby to poop out. Exclusively breastfed babies are almost never constipated.
How Do You Give A Baby Gripe Water
If you buy an over-the-counter boxed brand, make sure you read the instructions carefully they can differ from brand to brand. Other than that, the box should give you clear details about how to administer gripe water to your child. The bottles usually come with their own little droppers or syringe for easy use. As you may have guessed from the ingredient list, gripe water can have a strong flavor that isnt pleasing to babies. Should your little one decide they dont like it, you can try mixing it with breast milk or formula. However, its considered most effective on its own.
To administer, its first important to note that you should never give liquids to a crying baby. Hold your baby upright and insert the syringe against the inside corner of your babys cheek. Administer slowly, allowing your baby to swallow after each application.
Watch for allergies when introducing any new foods or medication to a baby, if your baby develops hives, turns red, or acts fussy, immediately call your pediatrician for a consult.
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Is It Safe For Babies
It merits mentioning upfront that gripe water is classified as a supplement and not a medication. What does that mean? Its not regulated by the United States Food and Drug Administration . In other words, theres no guarantee that the label on the gripe water bottle you buy will match the ingredients inside.
Also, since there are so many different gripe waters out there, its pretty much impossible to issue a one-size-fits-all yes, its safe declaration. For example, some gripe water is still made with alcohol. Others are made with high levels of sucrose which, while not dangerous, can cause tooth decay. If the gripe water you choose has sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda, you should be aware that it can interfere with the natural pH level in your babys stomach . And gripe waters containing peppermint can aggravate a babys reflux.
Having said all of that, gripe water especially the trusted over-the-counter varieties are generally considered safe for babies and newborns. Always, always consult your childs pediatrician before giving any sort of supplement to your baby, though.
/5do You Think It Is Safe
Taking care of a newborn can be incredibly overwhelming. You have to understand when they are feeling sleepy or hungry, just by the way they are crying. Although crying is normal, but sometimes they do it incessantly without any reason, which clearly indicates that there is some serious issue. Mostly this happens when the baby is feeling bloaty or is colic .
In such cases, parents prefer to give a herbal remedy called gripe water, which is believed to be very effective and safe. Gripe water has been used from decades to soothe a crying baby. But the question is, is it really safe to give this concoction to the infants?
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When To Start Giving Gripe Water To My Baby
You can start giving gripe water to a baby after they are 1 month.
However, note there are some experts who suggest that you should not give it to an infant during the first six months of life.
This is because they consider that doing this may increase the risk of introducing bacteria that causes allergies and can irritate the babys intestines.
IMPORTANT:
Please make sure you speak to your paediatrician and ALWAYS read the label before giving anything to your baby.
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As a caregiver, you can feel powerless seeing baby in discomfort. While the scientific proof is lacking, anecdotal evidence from parents suggests that gripe water might work to ease stomach pain and perhaps even help calm colic. Want to give gripe water for babies a try? Now you can feel informed in your decision-making. Less bellyaching and fewer gripesthats the goal.
About the experts.
Danelle Fisher, MD, FAAP, is a pediatrician and vice chair of pediatrics at Providence Saint Johns Health Center in Santa Monica, California. She earned her medical degree at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University.
Patricia Garcia, MD, MPH, is a pediatrician at Connecticut Childrens Medical Center and an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, where she also served as chief resident. She received her medical degree at Rutgers University in New Jersey.
Ashanti Woods, MD, is a pediatrician at Mercy Family Care Physicians in Baltimore, Maryland. He received his medical degree from Howard University College of Medicine in Washington D.C.
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What Are Other Solutions For Colic
If your baby has colic, there are other ways to help. If all else fails, call a friend or family member to come and help so you can take a break from your crying baby. Or if you need to lay your baby in their crib and take a break, thats OK too. In their crib, youll know theyll be safe even if they are upset. Keep in mind that there is no targeted solution for colic, but you can figure out what works for your baby.
Feeding
Breastfeed or offer a bottle as your baby may be hungry or need comfort. If you use formula, talk to your doctor about switching to a different kind. If you breastfeed, some foods you eat may pass through breast milk and bother your babys tummy, like caffeine, dairy, soy, egg, and wheat.
You can also take breaks during feedings to burp your baby more often. If you use bottles, try different bottles that have ventilation filters, allowing less air into the milk as your baby drinks.
Movement
Babies often feel comforted by motion. Try walking around with your baby or rocking them in a rocking chair. You can even put them in the stroller and push them around, or take them for a ride around the block in your car.
Sound
Speak to your baby softly or play music that they respond to. If you have a sound machine or a white noise machine, turn it on.
Less Stimulation
When to Call Your Doctor
Is Gripe Water Baby
Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Jawaharlal Institute of Post graduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry, IndiaAddress for correspondence:
Sir,
WHO recommends mothers worldwide to exclusively breastfeed infants for the child’s first six months to achieve optimal growth, development and health. The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding are the foundation of the WHO/UNICEF Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative . According to the sixth step of BFHI, newborn infants should not be given food or drink other than breast milk, unless medically indicated. Though WHO guidelines on infant and young child feeding do exist, in reality they are often not practiced. The beliefs and customs of people have a greater impact on the child rearing practices pushing the aforementioned guidelines to the back seat. One such irrational practice is the use of gripe water for infants on a routine basis and for colic. Anything other than breast milk administered to a baby during the first six months may increase the risk of introducing bacteria, causing allergies and irritating the baby’s intestines. Gripe water just like any other prelacteal given soon after birth may cause delay in establishment of breastfeeding and reduce breast milk supply.
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Beware Of Gripe Water Marketing Claims
Gripe water is considered a dietary supplement, meaning it doesnt need Food and Drug Administration approval to be sold in the U.S. Companies can send their gripe water product to market and it can be put on store shelves without any safety or quality testingsuch as clinical trials to prove their products alleged health benefits, safety and effectiveness. In other words, dietary supplements are considered safe until proven unsafeonly after they cause harm. This is the opposite of how prescription and non-prescription drugs are handled.
The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act says companies cannot claim a supplement will cure an illness, but they can say a supplement may be helpful for certain conditions. Its a bit of a play on words. For example, brands cant say their gripe water will cure colic, but they can say it may help babies with colic.
Supplement makers are very good at advertising along the fine line of not actually claiming their product is a medical treatment, says San Diego, California-based pediatrician Jennifer Chen, M.D. She encourages parents to use caution any time they see something like pediatrician recommended on a label, as the American Academy of Pediatrics does not endorse or comment on the effectiveness of specific products or equipment.
What Are Gas Drops
Gas drops contain simethicone. This active ingredient breaks up larger gas bubbles into smaller ones, which are more comfortable for a baby to pass.
Caregivers can give the drops directly to a baby or mix them in with formula or expressed breast milk.
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggest that gas drops are safe to give to newborn babies, and adverse side effects are rare.
However, if a baby is also taking thyroid hormone medication, do not give them gas drops as simethicone
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What Is It Used For
Because babies internal organs are still developing, they sometimes have trouble with gas buildup. If they cant relieve that pressure on their own, it naturally leads to discomfort and, sadly, a lot of crying. If your baby cries more than three hours a day three or more times a week, they may have colic. Either way, gripe water is thought to help ease a babys discomfort since the herbs used to make it help with digestion. It goes without saying that you should always consult with your babys pediatrician before giving any new supplements or medication. Including gripe water.
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Is It Ok To Use Gripe Water Everyday
The general limit is four doses a day, but only under the care of your practitioner. If your doctor says gripe water is fine for your baby and it seems to work, you should stop using it by the time your little one is 4 to 6 months old, when gassiness typically becomes less of an issue.
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Can I give my 3 week old gripe water?
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/5is It Safe For Baby
Gripe water has been used across the world for a long time and is believed to be quite effective, but the paediatrician does not support this claim.
As per Dr Rohit Arora, Head of Neonatology & Pediatric, Miracles Mediclinic & Apollo Cradle Hospital, parents should completely avoid giving gripe water to their child. “I won’t recommend gripe water at all. The companies selling gripe water are not regulated. So they do not exactly specify the ingredients they use to process the liquid. You do not know if the ingredients are safe or not.”
Although Dr Arora does not recommend gripe water, he said if you are still willing to give it then it is important to remember two things- “First It should not be given to a baby less than three-month-old and second it should be homemade.”
Even Dr Sumit Kumar Gupta, Consultant Paediatrician, Columbia Asia, Ghaziabad, supported Dr Aroras statement and added that gripe water is neither beneficial nor harmful. “Gripe water is just fennel seed water. Sometimes it even contains chemicals. So, we don’t advise parents to give gripe water to their child. It is useless.”
As per a study published in the National Center for Biotechnology Information, giving anything other than breast milk to the infants in the first six months may increase the risk of introducing bacteria, causing allergies and irritating their intestine. The same thing applies with gripe water.