Acute pain syndrome, resulting from an underdevelopment of the digestive system, provokes a spasm. The baby begins a piercing paroxysmal crying. The child can not calm down. So that intestinal disorders do not exhaust the baby and his parents, you need to know how to help the baby with colic. The advice of the doctor, as well as the coordinated and competent actions of mom and dad, will help alleviate his condition. If the baby screams and bends its legs to the tummy, then in this way it tries to explain what is bothering it. You need to be patient and together to survive this difficult period, which lasts up to four months.
Causes of colic in newborns
To know how to help the baby with colic and gas, we will find out the reasons leading to these processes. Intestinal spasm, provoked by increased gas formation, causes colic. In this case, the baby cries, blushes, bends in an arc or begins to raise its legs to the tummy. To date, the true cause of colic has not yet been established. The most likely factors leading to this condition include:
- With insufficiently formed intestinal microflora, the baby is tormented by colic. This is due to the predominance of pathogens and the lack of beneficial microorganisms. As a result, food is poorly digested, which is especially noticeable in children on artificial feeding. Constipation occurs or gases are produced intensely.
- Lactose deficiency. Breast milk, like milk formulas, is broken down by enzymatic substances. With insufficient production of lactose by the pancreas, colic forms, since the sugar available in milk is processed poorly.
- Incorrect attachment to the chest. The baby swallows air, which provokes colic and regurgitation. If a baby holds a small amount of time near her breast (about twenty minutes), then he does not have time to get back milk. And in the front there are more carbohydrates that cause the fermentation process.
- The wrong diet for a nursing mother. The use of a large number of flour, sweet, bean products, as well as cow's milk (natural), fresh vegetables and fruits.
- Incorrectly selected mixture. This is true for children on artificial feeding.
- Psychological and physical stimuli - hunger, poor health, wet diaper, etc.
When colic begins, how long does it last
According to the experience of practicing pediatricians, this problem begins to bother the baby from the third week after birth. Duration of colic - from 30 minutes to several hours. They usually torment the baby until they reach three to four months. Colic begins after feeding in the evening or at night. The baby alone can not cope with this problem, he needs the help of his parents. The digestive system begins to work fully by three to four months, so colic stops exhausting the baby. If parents observe this phenomenon after four months, then it is necessary to visit a doctor in order to identify the cause and selection of therapy.
Symptoms
How to help your baby with colic? First you need to clearly understand that these are colic, and not another reason that bothers him. Symptoms of this problem are:
- Crying in the evening is intense, prolonged. It is almost impossible to reassure the child, as there is a strong pain syndrome. Usually this condition is characteristic of a monthly crumb.
- The abdomen is tight, tight, swollen.
- The legs are raised or pressed to the stomach.
- Spitting up - can be triggered by colic, as the baby grunts and pushes hard. As a result, food goes out.
- The face takes on a deep red tint.
- Colic and constipation occur in newborns at the same time.
- Refusal of food.
If the baby does not calm down in the arms of the parents, then he has colic. He ceases to cry only after the exhaustion of gases or an act of defecation, but after eating he is again weeped. This condition is characteristic of the first three months of life. Even the so-called “rule of three” has been deduced: by the third week of life, colic begins, lasts three hours and is observed for three months.
The diet of a nursing mother
If the baby is colic in 1 month, how to help? Mom, who is breastfeeding her child, must be sure to monitor her diet. Properly selected foods will help to cope with colic. It is recommended to completely exclude:
- Marinades.
- Alcohol-containing and carbonated drinks.
- Margarine.
- Condensed milk.
- Canned food.
- Smoked meats.
- Chocolate.
In limited quantities it is allowed:
- Fruits - apples, bananas.
- Pasta.
- Dairy products.
- Tea and coffee drinks.
- Hen.
- Cabbage.
- Raisins.
- Yeast bread.
It is possible to use without restriction:
- Various cereals.
- Still water.
- Green tea.
- Bread with bran.
- Biscuits.
- Braised, boiled, baked carrots, pumpkin, zucchini, onions, beets.
- Hard cheese.
- Oils: butter about 15 grams, olive, sunflower, corn.
- Dried fruits compote.
Drug therapy
In some cases, they resort to medical treatment for colic in a newborn. How to help your baby with medication? A pediatric doctor may recommend:
- Soothing - Pantogam, Anvifen, Phenibut.
- Probiotics - “Acipol”, “Bifidumbacterin forte”, “Lactobacterin”, “Probifor”, “Linex”.
- Laxatives - Espumisan, Smecta, Sub Simplex.
And mothers are advised a course treatment using chamomile, valerian or motherwort herb, which has a calming effect.
If the baby’s colic is caused by dysbiosis, then he is shown such drugs: “Bifikol”, “Atzilakt”, “Florin forte”, “Probifor”. If the cause of the problem is acid reflux, Maalox, Ranitidine, Famotidine, Cimetidine are recommended.
How to help your baby with colic? To reduce gas production, pediatricians recommend taking "Gaviscon" and "Milicon", and to improve bowel function - "Pancreatin", "Lactazar". It is important to remember that it is possible to give medicines to the baby only as prescribed by the attending doctor and after the examination, as a result of which pathologies that provoke colic will be revealed. In all other cases, be patient, as this is a temporary phenomenon.
Folk remedies
How to help a baby with colic using folk recipes? Despite the many positive reviews about the benefits of such methods of getting rid of colic, it is not recommended to use them without consulting a specialist. Herbalists for getting rid of colic offer:
- Water made from dill or anise seeds.
- Tincture of fennel fruits.
It seems that folk remedies are harmless, but it is rather difficult to assess the effect of plant materials on the baby's body.
Preventive actions
Very often, mothers ask the doctor how to help the baby with colic in 2 weeks, a month or more? It turns out that colic is not found in all children. A huge role in their occurrence is played by preventive measures. Among them are:
- Choosing a comfortable posture for feeding.
- Exclusion of annoying factors (loud music, noise, bright light) that interfere with the baby.
- It is recommended that a nursing mother avoid stress, both emotional and physical, as well as exclude products that provoke gas formation.
- Choosing the right bottle to prevent swallowing.
- After feeding, hold the baby in an upright position. Such a pose will help him burp the air that got into his stomach while eating.
- Before each feeding, lay the baby on the tummy - this will help improve bowel function.
- Timely detect and treat gastroesophageal reflux, dysbiosis, infants migraine and lactose intolerance.
All of the above measures will help reduce pain and ease the condition of the baby.
Non-drug methods
How to help your baby from colic? Doctors recommend the following:
- On the tummy, put a diaper warmed up by the iron and rolled up several times or a warm linen bag with flaxseed.
- Clockwise massage the tummy with light movements.
- Make a warm bath, in it the baby will relax and the condition will improve.
- Hold upright, pressing against your body.
- Put the vent pipe.
- Shake the baby, humming a little to calm.
Tips Komarovsky
If the baby is colic, how to help the baby? Komarovsky explains that the problem lies in the physiology of the newborn. Especially often colic makes itself felt in the evening. The doctor advises:
- Try not to overfeed or overheat the crumbs.
- More often walking in the fresh air.
- Constantly ventilate the room in which the newborn is located.
- Do a tummy massage, which helps to distract the baby from painful and unpleasant sensations.
- Gradually change the diet.
- Track that the child ate the required amount of food. Excess food provokes the constant functioning of the digestive system, which contributes to childhood obesity and frequent colic.
Flatulence in infants
Flatulence is bloating and increased gas production, which leads to colic. In children, increased gas formation occurs for the following reasons:
- Imperfect gastrointestinal system.
- Poor digestibility of food.
The above reasons do not apply to pathologies, they are temporary. How to help the baby with colic and bloating? Initially, you should try to do without medications, using effective and proven over the years methods:
- Spreading crumbs on the stomach before feeding or an hour after it.
- Put a warm heating pad or diaper on your tummy. As a result, the spasm goes away, and the pain weakens or disappears.
- Hand do a massage of the abdomen in a clockwise direction.
- Buy dill water at the pharmacy and drink the baby. It helps relieve spasm and cope with gas.
- Use a vent pipe. How to do this, the pediatrician should tell.
When the above methods do not bring the desired result, the pediatric doctor recommends medications. They are sold in pharmacies without a prescription, but they should not be purchased without consulting a specialist to rid the baby of colic and gas. How to help using drugs so as not to harm the baby? It is important to remember that medication is indicated in exceptional cases. Do not forget that this is not a disease, but a temporary situation associated with a physiological problem. The most commonly used drugs are:
- "Bobotik."
- Espumisan.
- Drotaverinum.
In addition, it is recommended that a nursing mother revise her diet and diet, excluding products that provoke gas formation.
How to help your baby with colic and constipation
A newborn quite often has problems with the work of both the intestines and the entire digestive system. In addition to colic and swelling, in infants there are constipation. Lack of feces or difficulty with bowel movements caused by malabsorption and digestion of food is constipation. The baby has the following clinical picture:
- The abdomen is swollen and hard.
- The kid is naughty and cries when trying to empty.
- Refuses food.
- Pulls legs to the stomach.
- Feces dense texture.
Basically, constipation occurs with mixed and artificial feeding. In some cases, it indicates signs of a serious pathology. All methods that resolve this problem should be agreed with the doctor. As with colic, with constipation it is recommended:
- Put a warm diaper on your stomach.
- Give dill water.
- Laxatives
- Massage the abdomen.
- A warm bath.
- Laying on the tummy.
Conclusion
Colic that a baby experiences due to an accumulation of gas in the intestines occurs in about 70 percent of babies. We have given many recommendations of experts how to help the baby. Colic in a newborn is most often found with artificial feeding, but they do not bypass the babies that mothers breastfeed. When the baby's digestive system improves, colic will completely stop. This usually occurs three to four months after the birth of the baby.