Infant colic is perhaps the most common problem new parents face. Almost all children suffer from this scourge: both infants and toddlers who are fed with formula. Only a few can boast of the absence of colic in a child. In most cases, intestinal colic in children begins at 3 to 4 weeks of age. In some cases, babies begin to suffer from spasms while still in the hospital. This often occurs with complicated childbirth, when it becomes necessary for the mother to take antibiotics, as well as with pathology on the part of the newborn (infections, intrauterine hypoxia). Colic disappears by 3 - 4 months.
Causes of colic
It is believed that the cause of colic in the abdomen in newborns is the immaturity of the intestine and its enzymatic system. Also, this process is influenced by the colonization of the internal environment of the body with symbiotic bacteria.
What a nursing mother eats affects the processes in the intestines of the baby. Although recent research by scientists shows that this is not the case. I think that there is no parent who dares to eat cabbage while breastfeeding her baby. Indeed, in this case, the chances of a sleepless night with a crying baby increase to 100%.
Symptoms
How to understand that it is a painful spasm that is the cause of the tearful cry of a newborn?
- the baby begins to worry more often in the late afternoon;
- when he screams, his face turns red;
- the baby squeezes the arms into fists and presses the legs to the stomach;
- sometimes gaziks leave;
- crying and anxiety of the baby begins soon after feeding;
- after the baby poops, the scream subsides.
Colic does not affect the general condition of the baby. He does not have a fever, his appetite is preserved, the child pissing and pooping as usual.
What to do if the child has colic?
Perhaps this moment will find you in the hospital or after a few weeks.
Parental peace of mind
The very first thing parents need to do is calm down. By and large, this applies to the parents of the first-born. Young children have a subtle sense of the general mood of the people around them and the environment. Of course, it can be quite difficult to pull yourself together under the crying of a child, especially against the background of general lack of sleep and fatigue, but there is no choice.
Organization of feeding
Organize the feeding process correctly. How to do it?
- lay the newborn on the tummy before feeding. This simple technique has many advantages - it strengthens the muscles of the back, neck and abs; gaziks are leaving. In the first weeks it will be even more difficult for the baby, because this process requires certain physical efforts. Toddlers often do not like lying on their tummy, which they loudly report;
- do not make long intervals between feedings. A very hungry baby will rush to swallow excess air with breast milk or mixture. This will lead to stomach fullness and rapid apparent satiety;
- for babies, the next aspect is important - the breastfeeding technique. The nipple should be captured by them absolutely completely, and the area - more than half. This will help prevent cracks in the nipples and air being sucked in.
If there is a lot of milk, it is better to express a little the first portion. So the baby is less likely to choke. In addition, by expressing a little of the front milk, the baby will receive more back milk, which has a certain anti-colic effect;
- for children who are fed with formula, the selection of artificial nutrition is especially important. If the child is picky about the mixture, its selection must be carried out together with the pediatrician;
Another point is the choice of the bottle. There is a huge selection of nipple bottles on the baby products market that have anti-colic properties. They are designed in such a way that during feeding, air does not enter the baby's digestive tract and the likelihood of hyperextension of the intestinal walls with gas is significantly reduced.
When bottle feeding your baby, pay close attention to sanitation. Wash bottles and nipples thoroughly. Indeed, with artificial feeding, the possibility of developing intestinal disorders is much higher.
- after feeding, swear the baby in a column. This will vomit air or excess food.
Maternal diet
The products that will definitely cause colic are fruits, most vegetables (especially cabbage, peas), fresh baked goods. They enhance the fermentation processes in the intestines. Dairy products often provoke discomfort.
Start with a diet that lacks the variety you're used to. These are buckwheat, rice, potatoes, hypoallergenic meat (turkey, rabbit), tea and dry lingering cookies (or crackers without additives). Then expand your diet. The new product is best eaten in the morning. Keep a food diary, write down what you ate and how the child reacted, whether he had a rash or especially severe colic. Gradually, you will be able to eat everything.
Correct baby position
When your child has a colic attack, find the optimal position.
There is such a hypothesis that, in fact, the child at such moments is not worried about a spasm in the intestines. The cause of suffering is infantile migraine. The obstetrician-gynecologist, the author of textbooks on obstetrics Gerasimovich Georgy Ignatievich speaks about this. Migraine develops due to "jumping" intracranial pressure due to the immaturity of brain structures. And the most important thing in such a situation is to accept with the child a position in which the parameters of this pressure are normalized.
In most cases, the position that brings visible relief is the following: the mother is reclining on the pillows, the baby is on her stomach. The baby's head is above body level. Variations are possible. Find yours.
Massage and other techniques
In the release of gas and relaxation of the smooth muscles of the intestines, the first assistants are stimulation of peristalsis and warmth. A gentle tummy massage copes with this task with a bang:
- rub your palms together until you feel warm or even hot.
- put your palm on the belly of the crumbs and make stroking movements clockwise around the navel. Do not press hard.
Many parents ask why clockwise. It's all about the direction of intestinal peristalsis. It is in this direction that contractions of the intramural muscles are carried out and food progresses. The warmth of the palm and stroking, coordinated in the direction, stimulates peristalsis and the movement of intestinal contents.
As a source of warmth and relaxation, a diaper comes in handy. Iron it well, bringing it to a comfortable temperature, and place it on your stomach.
Try it on yourself first. A hot diaper can burn a baby's delicate skin.
There is one more exercise. It consists in pressing his legs, bent at the knee and hip joints, to the baby's tummy. This should be done gently, without undue pressure. You can press the legs in sequence or together. From the outside, it looks like a bicycle exercise. This will provide a gentle massage of the internal organs and stimulate the discharge of gases.
If all methods have been tried and nothing has worked, use medication and a gas vent.
Colic can not be ignored in any case. The child is in pain and needs relief. A prolonged cry worsens the general mood and is fraught with the occurrence of an umbilical hernia. The fact that colic goes away on its own does not mean that you should not try to get rid of them. But perhaps the best medicine for them is time and your patience.
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