We all know that in most cases, in the first months of life, a baby is worried about the tummy. Colic in a newborn is common. Doctors have an unspoken rule of three: if colic lasts no more than 3 hours a day, from about 3 weeks of age to 3 months of life, then this is regarded as an absolutely normal phenomenon in which parents should not sound the alarm. But if colic interferes with the baby's normal development, it's time to think about drugs that alleviate the condition. For example, dill water for newborns.
Causes of colic
Intestinal colic most often occurs for the following reasons:
- The intestines of the newborn are colonized by microflora.
- The mother of the baby does not follow a diet.
- Improper attachment to the breast.
- Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
In practice, the first three reasons most often prevail.
You don't need to do anything with the first one, this is an absolutely normal process that will end by about 3-4 months of the newborn's life.
The second reason is also easily solved in the colic problem. Mom should follow a certain diet. It is necessary to exclude from the diet foods that increase gas production in the intestine. These are muffins, legumes, sweets, carbonated drinks, cabbage, fried, smoked, alcohol, canned food, garlic, spices.
If the mother does not correctly apply to the breast, the baby swallows a large amount of air, which also leads to colic.
Make sure your baby is breastfeeding correctly. And after feeding, hold the "column" for 15 - 20 minutes, so that the excess air moves away.
The fourth reason should be dealt with by your doctor.
Colic relief drugs
To relieve colic attacks in a baby, there are carminative drugs that reduce gas production.
Preparations based on:
- simethicone (Espumisan-L, Espumisan baby, Bobotik, Sub Simplex, Colikid, Infacol);
- fennel fruits (Plantex, dill water for newborns, Baby-Kalm).
In our article we will tell you in detail about dill water.
Many are familiar with dill water. She helps both adults and kids. You can buy it at a pharmacy, its price is several times cheaper than drugs based on simethicone. Allowed from 2 weeks of age, when simethicone preparations according to the instructions are allowed only from 1 month. The price of dill water ranges from 100 - 200 rubles in the Russian Federation, depending on the volume of the bottle and the pharmacy.
Dill water composition
Dill water is made on the basis of pharmaceutical dill (fresh fruits of fennel) and its essential oil. It is packed in bottles as a concentrate of 15, 50, 100 ml. Prepared under sterile conditions with the addition of substances that ensure long-term storage in the refrigerator. Tea is also produced in filter bags.
Drug action
It has a carminative (reduces gas formation), antispasmodic and some antibacterial effect, has a mild diuretic and mild laxative effect. Promotes reproduction and faster colonization of the intestines with beneficial microflora.
When used in nursing mothers, it enhances lactation, reduces flatulence, which has a beneficial effect on the behavior of the baby.
How to give your baby dill water
If you have purchased a concentrate of dill water, then you should dilute 10 - 15 drops in a teaspoon of water, mixture or breast milk. Starting to give from 1 - 3 times a day, increasing the frequency of reception to 6 - 8 times a day.
In this case, it is necessary to monitor the reaction of the baby's body to the drug in the form of an allergic reaction, a rash. If this has happened, then you should stop taking the drug and contact your pediatrician.
You need to give dill water about 20 minutes before feeding and regularly, only in this case you will see the effect of the drug.
If you have tea in filter bags, then the principle of preparing the infusion is as follows. Brew 1 bag in 200 ml of boiling water, leave for 15 minutes, cool and give ½ teaspoon before feeding. Or add 50 ml of boiled water and 3 - 4 teaspoons of infusion to the bottle and give it during the day before feeding.
Usually, the effect occurs 15 - 20 minutes after taking the drug - gases leave, the child poops and calms down. If you do not see the effect after a long time from the start of taking the drug, you should contact your doctor.
If the baby refuses to take a remedy for colic, you need to make its taste more familiar. To do this, before giving the newborn dill water, mix it with a small amount of expressed breast milk (adapted formula).
Benefits of dill water
Why, you ask, is it easier to buy dill water at a pharmacy, and not buy the same Plantex or even make a dill broth yourself?
Plantex is a preparation based on herbal ingredients (fennel fruits, fennel oil) and lactose. Allowed from 2 weeks of age. In addition to the same restrictions as that of dill water (allergic reactions), it has other contraindications. So, it is forbidden to give it to children with lactase deficiency and impaired glucose absorption.
The granules must be diluted in 100 ml of boiled water. Only fresh solution can be used. Therefore, a large amount of the drug will go away during the day, since it is problematic for a baby to drink such a volume at a time, and you need to give it 2 - 3 times a day, which in turn is costly for the family budget.
Also, a large intake of fluid, in addition to breast milk, can lead to a decrease in the production of the latter. And the price of Plantex is much higher. On average, you will pay 300 rubles for 10 bags, and 600 rubles for 30 bags.
You can make the dill water yourself, you say. Yes, you can. And it's real. But the raw materials for the infusion should not be taken on the market, from the wrong hands. Because it is not known how the seeds are processed and how fennel was grown. Water for the preparation of the broth must be used boiled. If you do not take these points into account, then it is easy to catch an intestinal infection or even get toxic poisoning in a baby.
How to make dill water at home
Fennel fruits (seeds) can be easily purchased at the pharmacy. For 50 grams of fennel seeds in a pharmacy, you will give about 50-60 rubles. Use boiled water, and preferably sterile dishes. You will also need a coffee grinder or blender.
Method number 1
Grind 1 tablespoon of fennel seeds in a blender or coffee grinder. Pour 200 ml of boiling water and let it brew for about 45 - 60 minutes. Then strain through a fine sieve or cheesecloth several times so that no small particles of seeds remain in the broth. Cool the infusion to room temperature and give ½ tsp. before feeding.
Ready dill water can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, with a closed lid in a sterile container. It is not necessary to warm up the cooled infusion before use. It is worth waiting until the broth reaches room temperature.
Method number 2
We buy fennel essential oil at the pharmacy. Add 0.05 grams of oil to 1 liter of boiled water. And put it in the refrigerator. Shelf life - up to 1 month.
Method number 3
As in the first method, grind the seeds. Pour hot water for 20 minutes, then put the infusion in a water bath, boil for 20 minutes, remove from heat and insist for another 40 minutes. Then we filter, pour into a sterile container and put it in the refrigerator for storage.
Method number 4
This method has been used for a long time, and the older generation of your family probably knows it.
If fennel seeds and essential oil are not available in pharmacies or for other reasons you cannot get them, and dill seeds are available at home, you can use them.
Those inflorescences that are collected by you are suitable. Perhaps they were collected and dried in the summer by my grandmother in her garden, without treating the plants with any pesticides. Store-bought dill seeds for planting do not need to be used. You don't know how they were processed and how they were obtained.
So, take 1 tablespoon of seeds, grind it, as in all the methods mentioned above. Pour 200 - 250 ml of boiling water and leave for one hour. We cool and consume.
You can also make dill tea at home. You can drink it both for a nursing woman in order to increase the volume of breast milk and prevent constipation, flatulence, and for a newborn in case of colic. Add 100 ml of boiling water to 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped dill, leave for one hour, after which the drink is ready for use.
Side effects
I would like to focus on allergic reactions to dill water. Dear parents, if, after taking dill water preparations or using homemade broths, you noticed a child's reaction in the form of a rash, and even more so skin swelling, difficulty breathing during the first day, you should cancel the drug and consult a doctor.
Do not hesitate and wait for a doctor's appointment if a bright rash like urticaria increases in size and turns red right before your eyes, this condition can threaten with serious consequences. In this situation, call an ambulance, and while you are waiting for the brigade, give an antihistamine by age according to the instructions.
Medicines based on herbal raw materials, herbs (more often made at home on their own, since the correct proportions are not always observed) can often cause such allergic reactions, especially if the child is predisposed to them and allergic diseases are noted in the family of parents and close relatives.
Output
The ideal option to cope with colic is to purchase dill water at the pharmacy. But if there are no other drugs at hand or pharmacies are already closed, you can make such a drug yourself. All four methods are economical and quickly help your baby get better digestion.
