Colic is one of the most obvious and common causes of crying in newborns. Absolutely healthy children with excellent appetite and without development problems can experience such pains. For a newborn, as well as for his parents, colic turns into a real test. To alleviate the condition of the child, many medications are used. The most natural, harmless and effective way to fight colic in a newborn is to massage the abdomen. It improves the digestion process, promotes the passage of gases and facilitates the process of defecation.
How to identify intestinal colic?
Colic in a newborn is considered to be spasmodic pain in the intestine that occurs with the formation of gases. The walls of the intestines of the child are not yet fully formed, sterile, and the ingress of bacteria, air and milk into them provokes the formation of gases. Also, colic is observed when overeating due to rotting undigested food. So that parents can independently verify that the cause of the crying child is colic, they need to rely on the following characteristics:
- The child begins to abruptly and suddenly cry, which is accompanied by tension and redness of the skin. The kid jerks his feet all the time, pressing them to his stomach.
- The abdomen of the child swells and becomes hard (this is noticeable upon palpation), a loud “rumbling” is heard in the intestinal region.
- The baby has belching and frequent burping.
Medical statistics say that about 70 - 80% of newborns suffer from an upset gastrointestinal tract. This fact should encourage parents to regularly massage against colic in the newborn.
“Rule of Three”
Specialists studying the processes associated with infants, highlight some patterns related to intestinal colic. These patterns are part of the “rule of three” and are as follows:
- Pain appears after about 3 weeks of a baby's life. Until this time, the child’s body is still under the influence of the mother’s hormones, the effect of which decreases with time. For 3 weeks, the newborn can grow stronger and gain strength in order to deal with the problem on its own.
- Cramped pains last about 3 hours a day.
- Intestinal colic disturbs the baby until about 3 months of age.
It is believed that such pain in the intestines is somehow related to the number 3. Even some movements during massage from colic are repeated 3 times. Upon reaching the baby 3 months of age, his digestive system is finally formed and adapted to extrauterine nutrition. Problems with the tummy occur in most newborns, regardless of their gender and developmental features. It is worth noting that the prevalence of the problem and the patterns of its appearance have not been fully studied.
Causes of colic in newborns
The most common causes are:
- Immaturity of the functions of the gastrointestinal tract. The walls of the intestines do not absorb enough nutrients, which contributes to the excessive accumulation of gases (flatulence). Such an accumulation provides strong pressure on the walls of the organ, as a result of which a spasm of the intestinal muscles is formed.
- The imperfect department of the nervous system, which is responsible for the performance of the digestive system.
- Incomplete composition of intestinal enzymes, which leads to prolonged separation of milk protein. This reason primarily concerns the children of those mothers who overfeed their child.
- Regular constipation.
- Improper nutrition of a nursing mother. The use of foods that provoke the formation of gases. It is important to remember that the younger the child, the more dangerous it is to experiment with the nutrition of the mother, new products should be gradually introduced.
- Air ingestion during sucking (aerophagy). Most often this happens when the mom’s nipple is not grasped correctly or the sucking process is fast. Due to inappropriate nipples on the feeding bottle, air can also be swallowed. With obvious signs of aerophagy, you need to hold the child for a while with a column so that the accumulated air can come out with an eructation.
- Improper preparation of the mixture (applies to those children who eat artificially).
- Weak abdominal muscles.
If you massage the newborn from colic and gas, then many of the causes of pain disappear by themselves. A nursing mother should not forget about her diet in order to prevent the appearance of intestinal problems in her baby. If the child is on artificial feeding, parents should carefully study the instructions for preparing the baby formula.
Features of massage for colic
Imagine that you do not move for several weeks, do not walk and lie all the time. What do you think, the work of your digestive tract will be normal? Of course not. And so a child with an still imperfect intestine tries to digest new food, and the mobility of the body is minimal. To facilitate this process, there is a special massage for colic, which helps to remove gases and facilitates the process of defecation. So that problems with the tummy do not take parents by surprise, preventive massage techniques should be studied and started to be applied as soon as possible.
Complete healing of the umbilical wound occurs after 10-14 days, at which time and should begin to massage the abdomen from colic. Before this period, massaging movements are prohibited, although the appearance of colic during this period is rare. It is important for parents to wait for the final healing of the umbilical wound and only then, having studied the massage technique, proceed with the actions.
The effect of massage on the baby's body
Massage from colic has a beneficial effect on the baby's body:
- The relaxing effect, which increases if the parent does the massage, because the contact with the father and mother is so important for the baby.
- It activates the digestive system.
- Subject to all the rules for performing massage from colic - contributes to the discharge of gases.
- Facilitates the bowel movement.
- It is necessary for the prevention of colic.
The condition of the baby improves after a couple of minutes after the massage.
Procedure Efficiency
The positive effect depends on the following nuances:
- The most important thing is to observe the technique of performing a massage of the abdomen.
- Repeat the procedure up to 6 times a day, preferably a few minutes before feeding and before bedtime.
- Touch should be combined with mother’s tender words or songs.
- Experts advise to prevent the spread of the newborn more often on the stomach. In this position, the abdominal muscles are involved, which contributes to the proper functioning of the intestines.
- At the end of the massage, it is advised to apply a warm diaper to the tummy (it is important not to overheat the tissue so as not to harm the baby). Pediatricians also recommend giving the newborn tea from chamomile or fennel.
Parents should not worry during the massage, as the child feels everything and will also be restless.
Massage preparation
Massage from colic in a newborn requires compliance with certain rules:
- During the procedure, the child should be stripped naked, so it is important to maintain the temperature regime so that the baby is neither cold nor hot (recommended temperature + 24 ° C).
- Parent preparation consists in thorough hand disinfection with an antiseptic. Also, the palms should not be cold, otherwise the baby will be unhappy and begin to cry.
- During the massage, the child should be on a hard surface, a changing table is ideal.
- Massage in warm water increases the positive effect of the procedure, but the water level should be minimal.
- The table needs to be laid with a clean diaper and put on him an undressed baby. It is important for parents to know that often after a massage from colic, bowel movements can occur, so you can not remove the diaper from the baby.
- Before the massage, you can put a warm diaper on the baby’s stomach, which will help the muscles relax and reduce abdominal pain. You need to hold it for a couple of minutes while the fabric is still warm.
- Use of massage aids (oil, cream, talcum powder) is undesirable because of the high probability of allergies.
- Before the procedure, the baby needs to be laid on the stomach for a couple of minutes or hold in a column so that excess air comes out.
- The duration of the massage should not exceed 6 - 7 minutes.
The main thing is not to forget about the reaction of the child. If the baby is unpleasant, and he is crying, then do not forcibly continue the procedure. It’s better to analyze your actions, maybe you are doing something wrong.
How to massage for colic?
The main technique for performing massage is a gentle stroking and easy tingling. Such manipulations help the digestive system and contribute to the removal of excess gases from the intestines in a natural way. When performing a massage in water, only stroking is allowed. It is very important for parents to remember that all movements should be performed only clockwise, identical to the course of gases in the intestine.
Massage Elements
According to the recommendations of Dr. Komarovsky, massage for colic in newborns is performed using the following techniques:
- To start the manipulation is worth stroking clockwise.
- Next, draw the letter “P” on the stomach.
- The child should be laid out on the stomach and stroking the back in different directions.
- Lay the baby on his back and follow the covering movements along the oblique muscles of the side of the abdomen. Finish the action in the navel area.
- The “mill” movement consists of horizontal strokes with light pressure in the area of the sides. This exercise is used to prevent umbilical hernia.
- “Bicycle” - the parent needs to alternately bend the baby’s legs in the lap.
- The “folding” movement is performed by pressure on the intestines, when the legs are gently pulled to the head. After such an exercise, the gases will depart completely.
All elements of the massage need to be repeated 5 times in order to succeed and ease the condition of the baby.