How To Reduce Colic In Newborn

Advice For Colic If Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding your baby can help them to relax and relieve pain.

Try emptying your milk in one breast during a feed before changing breasts. You create two types of milk when breastfeeding and the second half of your milk has more fat in it.

Fat slows down digestion and helps to release food slowly, helping with digestion.

If breastfeeding, avoid drinking tea, coffee and other drinks that contain caffeine.

Advice for colic if bottle-feeding

Try making up bottles with 1 to 2 oz more milk than your baby drinks. This will allow feeding to appetite and you can tell when your baby is full.

Minimise the amount of air in the bottle and feed your baby in the correct position.

Avoid changing the type of formula your baby is using. Always talk to your public health nurse before changing your baby’s formula milk.

What Can You Do

If you went through a traumatic event during childhood, seek professional help if you have not already done so!

Luckily, in many countries, there are programs and support groups sponsored by the government. Do not hesitate to make use of such programs and groups! They are here to help and ultimately make you feel better.

Keep in mind that the beneficiaries of such actions are not only yourself, but also your baby!

What Can You Do If You Have Emotional Problems And/or Anxiety

Pregnant women usually receive lots of help from all kinds of organizations, so use that help! Accept the fact that you might have emotional problems and dont be ashamed of them! After all, you are not alone! Millions of other expecting mothers go through the exact same phase!

If, for some reasons, professional help is not an option, make sure you have at least some friend or family member you can talk to! But keep in mind, that they cannot replace the professional support that you would receive from a trained person!

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Avoid Stress During Pregnancy

However, sometimes, people are not even aware of the fact that they are stressed. Plus, some stress out for no apparent reason.

That is why it is important to live your life in a more conscious way! Observe yourself and keep track of everything that causes stress in your body! And dont forget to keep track of the things that relax you too!

This will help you reduce the number of unnecessary stressors ! And it will also help you to put more emphasis on the relaxing moments in your life.

And here is why this is so important during pregnancy:

Supporting A Pregnant Woman To Avoid Baby Colic

Side Note: What was the study all about?

The same was found for happiness in a mothers relationship. In other words, the happier a mother in her relationship during pregnancy, the lower the risk of her baby to develop colic.

Finally, the more the partner gets involved with newborn care, the lower the risk of the baby to develop colic. But this is obviously a post-pregnancy matter. I just mention it for your information.

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Diet Changes For Infant Colic

Review question

Do colicky infants show an improvement when breastfeeding mothers follow a low-allergen diet, or when formula-fed infants are fed a special formula?

Background

Infantile colic is a common problem afflicting otherwise healthy infants in the first three months of life. It is characterised by episodes of inconsolable crying lasting for longer than three hours per day, for more than three days a week, for at least three weeks.

It can be very distressing for parents.

Dietary changes, such as removing cows’ milk from a breastfeeding mother’s diet or switching formula-fed babies to a special soy-based formula, might reduce the symptoms of colic.

Study characteristics

We found 15 randomised controlled trials, a type of study in which participants are randomly assigned to one of two or more treatment groups, involving a total of 1121 babies with colic. The evidence is current to July 2018.

Infants were less than three months of age.

Key results

Most studies reported data on a combination of outcomes: duration of crying, number of responders in each group after treatment , or frequency of crying episodes. We present these findings below. No study reported on parental or family quality of life, infant sleep or parental satisfaction. Six studies reported that there were no side effects as a result of the dietary changes.

Low-allergen diet

Hydrolysed formula milk

Lactase enzyme supplementation

Fennel, chamomile and lemon balm extract

Soy protein-based formula

Follow A Clean Nursing Diet

If youre a breastfeeding mama, you may also want to give up foods that can trigger baby colic symptoms. Dairy is a huge culprit, as are other common allergens like wheat/gluten, eggs, shellfish, citrus, caffeine, and spicy foods. While its certainly no fun to give up some of your favorite foods, its worth your effort. After eliminating these foods from your diet, give it a good 2-4 weeks to be sure they are cleared from your body and milk. Consider looking into paleo recipes, as these are often free from the most common allergens.

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How Long Does Colic Typically Last

Colic episodes can last for about 3 hours a day until your baby is about 6 weeks old then, these episodes may get shorter and last about 1 or 2 hours a day until your little one is about 3 or 4 months old.

In general, colicky crying tends to stop when you child is about 4 months old, but it can sometimes last until around 6 months of age.

Mom’s Diet May Be Key To Cutting Baby’s Colic

Study Shows Breastfeeding Moms Should Consider Avoiding Allergenic Foods

Nov. 7, 2005 — Breastfeeding mothers who are concerned about colic may want to watch what they eat.

A study published in the current issue of Pediatrics suggests that excluding highly allergenic foods from a nursing mother’s diet could reduce crying and fussiness in her newborn’s first six weeks of life.

The study involved 90 breastfeeding mothers whose infants showed significant signs of colic. Breastfeeding-only infants with colic who were less than 6 weeks of age were asked to participate.

For the 10-day study, about half of the mothers avoided eggs, cow’s milk, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy and fish the other half continued to eat those foods for a week. The mothers first recorded how often their babies cried or fussed on days one and two of the study. Then each group of mothers started its diet regimens for a week. The mothers recorded their babies’ crying and fussing again on days eight and nine.

At the end of the study, 74% of infants in the low-allergen group experienced at least a 25% reduction in crying and fussing. Only 37% of infants in the standard-diet group had a similar reduction. “These findings suggest that maternal intake of food allergens is an important factor in the of infantile colic among breastfed infants,” the researchers write.

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Colic Relief Tips For Parents With Colicky Babies

Even though no one completely understands colic, lets make two assumptions: First, baby has pain in the gut. Secondly, the whole baby is upset as a result. Treatment for colic relief, therefore, is aimed at relaxing the whole baby and particularly the babys abdomen.

While parents need to experiment with comforting measures, most of them come down to motion, untensing tiny tummies, and administering the right touch at the right time. Some strategies for colic relief to try are:

Infantile Colic: Recognition And Treatment

JEREMY D. JOHNSON, MD, MPH KATHERINE COCKER, DO and ELISABETH CHANG, MD, Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, Hawaii

Am Fam Physician. 2015 Oct 1 92:577-582.

Patient information: A handout on this topic is available at .

• References

Infantile colic is a benign, self-limited process in which a healthy infant has paroxysms of inconsolable crying. The standard diagnostic criteriaknown as the rule of threeis crying more than three hours per day, more than three days per week, for longer than three weeks.1 Symptoms typically resolve by three to six months of age.

SORT: KEY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Parents should be educated about the benign and self-limited nature of infantile colic.

A = consistent, good-quality patient-oriented evidence B = inconsistent or limited-quality patient-oriented evidence C = consensus, disease-oriented evidence, usual practice, expert opinion, or case series. For information about the SORT evidence rating system, go to .

SORT: KEY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PRACTICE

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Avoid Passive Smoking During Pregnancy

Not quite!

A study from 2000 found evidence that environmental tobacco smoke can be detrimental for your babys birth weight ! And I am going to explain in just a minute how a babys birth weight is related to colic.

Definition: What is environmental tobacco smoke?

Scientists compared the birth weight of babies of non-smoking women to the weight of babies of women who were smoking during pregnancy. Indeed, they found that the birth weight of the babies of smoking women was lower by 119 grams.

So far, no surprise, since the negative effects of smoking have been well documented in countless studies.

However, the actual surprise is this:

If non-smoking mothers were heavily exposed to environmental smoke during pregnancy, their babies birth weight was lower by 189 grams on average compared to babies of non-smoking mothers who were not exposed to environmental smoke.

Even more surprising, their birth weight was also 70 grams lower compared to babies of mothers who were smoking during pregnancy!

So, why should you care about the birth weight of your baby?

Its simple! Scientists found that babies with a lower birth weight are more likely to develop colic .

The take-away is this:

It seems that it is not only sufficient to avoid nicotine during pregnancy! You could also be required to eliminate any exposure to environmental tobacco smoke at home or at work! Both could help decrease the likelihood of your baby to develop colic according to scientists!

Try Tummy Rolls For Colic Relief

While laying a securing hand on babys back, drape him tummy-down over a large beach ball and gently roll in a circular motion. Another use for a large beach ball is the baby bounce. Hold baby securely in your arms and slowly bounce up and down while sitting on the ball. We still have the big red ball rolling around our house as a memento of our bouncing past.

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How To Help A Crying Baby

• Respond quickly if your baby is crying. This may mean that they will cry less later on.
• Crying babies tend to arch their backs and stiffen their legs. Holding them curled in a C position helps to calm them down.
• Check that your baby is not too hot or cold or uncomfortable in some way.
• Wrapping or swaddling in a cotton sheet can be calming.
• Many babies soothe themselves by sucking, so a dummy can be helpful, once your breast milk supply is going well.
• Patting can help soothe a baby.
• Soft lighting can also help some babies who may be distressed by harsh lights.
• Baby slings are great to provide comfort and contact if the baby needs to be held.
• Deep baths and gentle massage relax some babies, but they often dont help if your baby is already crying.
• Soft music or noise that has a beat or rhythm, such as a loud clock, may help.
• You may be trying too hard to calm the baby . Put your baby down somewhere safe for a while and see if they settle.
• Take the baby for a walk in a pram or a sling or for a ride in the car. You might find yourself going out for many rides in the car for a couple of weeks, but this will not last forever and many babies seem to find it helps them calm down. Dont drive if you are too stressed to drive safely.

Coping With A Colicky Baby As A Parent

When your baby has colic, itâs important to pay attention to your own emotional state. Caring for a colicky baby can be tough, and can make many parents feel anxious and inadequate, not to mention stressed.

No matter how frustrated you feel, never shake your baby. Shaking an infant can cause bleeding in the brain, leading to permanent damage and even death.

If you find yourself feeling out of control and unable to cope with your babyâs crying, try one or more of the following steps:

• Take deep breaths and count to 10

• Put your baby in his crib or another safe place, and leave the room to take a break

• Ask for and accept help from family and friends who can take care of your baby for a short period, giving you a much-needed break

• Donât feel guilty about soothing your baby. You are not spoiling her. By holding and comforting her, you are trying to make her feel better, and eventually the colic will subside.

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Foods That Cause Colic In Babies

Most of the foods that are known to cause gas in adults will most likely also induce colic in babies. The gas inducing elements sip to the baby through the breast milk, causing production of gas and subsequently colic. Here are some of the foods to avoid to reduce the symptoms of colic in your baby.

When To See Your Healthcare Provider

If your babyâs crying persists and nothing seems to help, it could be time to visit your babyâs healthcare provider. He will be able to determine whether your little one has colic or pinpoint another medical condition.

Also, if your baby still shows signs of colic once heâs more than half a year old, speak to your babyâs healthcare provider to find out if there is an underlying cause.

Seek immediate medical attention if your baby

• is sleepier than usual for a baby .

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How Can You Help A Colicky Baby

Your mother, next-door neighbour and hairdresser probably know someone whose babys colic was cured by rice cereal, a rocking chair or voodoo. Many fixes help for a short time, and everything seems to work at three or four months, when colic usually disappears. Still, there are some things parents can try that offer a genuine chance of relieving their babys symptoms.

Carrying your baby as much as possible has been shown to reduce crying. In The Baby Book, paediatrician William Sears writes that parents should carry babies around or start a comforting routine before the colic kicks in. Once your baby is all wound up, shell be harder and harder to soothe. He suggests using a baby sling or carrier. Other traditional colic remedies include a warm hot water bottle on the babys tummy, music, slow rhythmic rocking and running a vacuum cleaner or hair dryer for calming white noise. Some parents have tried putting their babies in a car seat on top of a running, cool clothes dryer.

Some infants respond well to being snugly swaddled in a cuddly blanket. Parents spend scads of cash on swings, crib vibrators and other gadgets that claim to calm babies, but there are no guarantees these will work. As Friedman points out, some babies respond to less stimulation, not more. If nothing else seems to work, you might want to try putting your baby down in a dark room and listening to see if his crying slows after a few minutes.

Heres a look at some of the other treatments used for colic.