Parents often do not know how to help their baby with sudden colic attacks that occur periodically during or after feeding. The EMC pediatrician, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Maria Shilko, tells how to alleviate the condition of crumbs.
What is colic in infants?
Colic is intestinal cramps caused, as a rule, by a violation of its motor function and increased gas formation. To characterize this condition in toddlers, pediatricians use the "rule of three": colic lasts a total of about 3 hours a day, occurs at the 3rd week of life and lasts about 3 months. Parents should understand that colic in infants is not a disease, it is a temporary condition that passes by the age of four months.
The exact cause of infantile colic has not yet been established. Experts associate the phenomena of digestive discomfort in newborns with immaturity and reduced activity of enzymes that help digest and digest food.
How do I know if a child has colic?
The baby cries and screams violently, moves his legs restlessly, pulls them up to his stomach, during an attack the baby's face turns red, the stomach may be swollen due to increased gas formation. Crying occurs most often in the evening, but it can occur at any time of the day. The child is calm between attacks.
How can I help my baby?
If mom is breastfeeding:
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Limit milk and dairy products in your diet. It is enough not to use them for 8-10 days so that the mother notices an improvement in the child's condition.
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Try to avoid foods that cause flatulence and increase fermentation in the intestines: beans, peas, cabbage, radishes, grapes.
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Do not overuse caffeinated drinks (tea, coffee, Coca-Cola).
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Make sure that you are properly applying the baby to the breast. Make sure that the baby captures the entire areola of the nipple and does not swallow air.
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Let the baby empty one breast completely. If the mother changes her breast too often during feeding, the baby gets a lot of "front" milk with low fat content and rich in milk sugar – lactose. Relatively low-fat milk quickly leaves the baby's stomach and a large amount of lactose, entering the intestines, causes increased gas formation, bloating and abdominal pain.
If the child is on artificial feeding:
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Consult a pediatrician. He can choose a mixture that is easier to digest and does not cause discomfort after feeding.
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Use special bottles and anti-colic nipples that allow you to regulate the flow rate of the milk mixture, the baby will not "choke" and swallow air.
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Try to feed the baby in a calm environment.
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When diluting milk mixtures, carefully observe the dosage.
After feeding, be sure to hold the baby in an upright position so that the "excess air" comes out.
If the baby starts to scream, take him in your arms, hold his tummy to you, stroke his back. From the changed position and the increasing intra-abdominal pressure, the baby's gases will go away, and the pain will go away.
A clockwise abdominal massage with light pressure, warmth (a freshly ironed diaper on the stomach), and a gas outlet tube will help relieve colic.
A walk in a wheelchair in the fresh air and quiet pleasant music will have a calming effect.
Prevention of colic in a newborn
For the prevention of colic, special children's teas are traditionally used, containing medicinal herbs (fennel, chamomile), plant-based drug Plantex, which have a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract, improve digestion, and prevent the accumulation of gases.
It is important for parents to remember that functional intestinal colic is not a disease and occurs in 20% of healthy children. However, it is possible to talk about intestinal colic only if the baby is otherwise healthy, develops correctly and gains weight well.
Consult with a pediatrician. The doctor will examine the child, determine the exact cause of the baby's anxiety and give the necessary recommendations.
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