How to recognize infant colic ? Are there solutions against these colic?
What is baby colic?
In the first weeks of life, it is common for a baby to suffer from colic. They would affect up to 20% of babies, and would manifest themselves by intense crying. Only, the cause and the exact content of these famous colic has never been clearly identified. It only seems obvious that the baby is in pain, and manifests it by crying.
Colic generally appears from the second or third week of the child’s life, and can last up to four months. They affect both breastfed and formula-fed babies.
How to recognize infant colic?
When a baby has colic, he seems uncomfortable, especially in the area of the digestive system. This phenomenon is benign, but unpleasant for the child, and it can give rise to a feeling of helplessness in young parents, who struggle to relieve their baby.
Because of this discomfortthe baby squirms, stiffens, he seems to have the bloated belly and tense, it can also emit gas. It accompanies these signs of intense, inconsolable, and frequent crying, but also of a general unrestand of sleeping troubles. The crying lasts at least three hours every day. They are sometimes called “evening cries” because they often occur in the late afternoon or evening.
However, colic does not cause eating disorders, delayed weight gain, fever, vomiting, or abnormal bowel movements. If you notice these symptoms in your child, it is likely that colic is not the cause, and you are strongly advised to see a doctor quickly.
What causes infant colic?
Studies have been conducted for years to understand the origin of infant colic, but this remains a mystery, the conclusions are not the same from one study to another. It could come fromimmaturity of the baby’s gastrointestinal systemwhich would cause bloating and painful gas, but also spasms, due to an intestinal flora in formation.
It could also be a sensitivity, close to a food allergyand in particular to cow’s milk protein. They are present in most infant milks, but also in breast milk if the mother consumes dairy products.
Finally, colic is sometimes considered a simple stage of child development. Babies cry a lot after a few weeks of life, in order to communicate with their parents, in reaction to their own development, and to external stimuli. A period of adaptation would therefore be necessary for them.
Can infant colic be relieved?
It is very difficult for parents to see their baby suffer and cry so much. Don’t hesitate to talk to the pediatrician or doctor following your child, he may have some advice for you.
But in the meantime, you can try some tricks. The first thing is to let your baby know that you are there for him, take him in your arms, rock him, in a calm environment, without intense sound, visual or light stimulation. Even if he does not stop crying, he will feel accompanied.
Be careful, if you feel overwhelmed by the crying and you can’t bear to hear it anymore, don’t hesitate to put your baby in his bed and take a few minutes for yourself to breathe. If you can, pass the baton to another adult.
You can also carry your baby against you, using a sling or a baby carrier. The feel of his belly against yours, with warmth and gentle pressure, can relieve him. In addition, the upright position can also help him, and hearing your heartbeat can calm him down.
If you don’t have a means of carryingyou can try two positions to relieve your child’s colic: put him flat on his stomach on your forearm, in the leopard stance on his branch, gently massaging his back; or in a semi-sitting position, knees bent against the torso, while rocking it.
Finally, other advice can be useful, such as giving probiotics for infants, massaging the belly, positioning a hot water bottle on his belly (following the safety rules so as not to burn him), burp him after meals, etc.
Sources:
Vidal, Pharma GDD, Qare, National Institute of Public Health of Quebec, mpedia
Read also :
⋙ Baby colic: causes, symptoms, treatments and how to relieve the attacks
⋙ Infant colic: definition, age, symptoms, duration and treatments
⋙ Anti-colic bottle: what are the most effective models?