Colic in the baby's tummy. How to calm your baby: colic in newborns and infants, the reasons for their occurrence

– the most common cause of concern for parents of children. This feature of the condition is observed in children aged from 3 weeks to 4 months. At this age, children can cry and worry, frightening their parents and causing them a lot of anxiety.

Inexperienced mothers begin to run to doctors, expecting to find help. But due to insufficient knowledge of this condition and the reasons that provoke it, modern treatment methods do not bring the desired results.

Most babies suffer from colic.

Infantile colic affects children of both sexes. Approximately 30% of young children suffer from discomfort in.

The word “colic” itself is translated into Russian as “pain in the colon.”

To protect your baby from painful sensations, you need to clearly understand what factors can provoke them. The most common causes of colic in babies are:

  • Immaturity of the digestive organs, which leads to the consumption of foods that cause fermentation. This is black bread, fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy. This may be the first complementary feeding, and during breastfeeding, it may be the mother’s excessive consumption of the listed products.
  • Pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, manifested in the reflux of gastric juice into the esophagus. This happens with gastroesophageal reflux.
  • Excessively developed sensitivity of the baby to various external factors. This can manifest itself on both a physical and psychological level.
  • Infant migraine.
  • Incorrectly placed breastfeeding, in which the child swallows air.
  • Lactose intolerance.
  • The psychological state of the mother, which during breastfeeding is quickly transmitted to the baby.

It is possible to exclude certain factors only by conducting laboratory diagnostics. Since it is difficult to determine exactly what influenced the baby’s discomfort, we must try to exclude all the reasons listed above, because they are all potentially possible.

However, it is necessary to decide what causes colic in parallel with a deep study of the baby’s condition. After all, signs of something serious can be attributed to this rather harmless behavioral feature.

Symptoms of colic

Prolonged crying indicates colic in the baby.

The following signs will help you navigate the intricacies of the child’s condition and determine whether the baby really has colic and not something else:

  1. Prolonged crying - plaintive, strong, loud.
  2. It is difficult to calm a baby; in the first month of life it is almost impossible. It is believed that in children of this age the pain syndrome is very pronounced.
  3. Children cry mostly in the evenings.
  4. While crying, the child intensely pulls his knees towards his stomach.
  5. If you touch it, you can feel that it is as if inflated, elastic, and the abdominal muscles are tense.
  6. Due to the strain of crying, regurgitation is possible.
  7. The face becomes intensely red.
  8. The condition often develops with constipation.
  9. Poor appetite.
  10. Continuous twitching of arms and legs, arching of the back. All behavior taken together is a reflection of strong anxiety.

To make sure that this is not just crying, you need to carry the baby in your arms, caress him, talk in a calm tone. If there is no response, crying is a consequence of poor condition.

Another indicative sign characteristic of colic will be visible relief after the release of gases or after. But food calms him down for a short time.

If the baby is fed, he will only feel normal while eating. And as soon as the meal is finished, pain will appear in his tummy again, and the baby will report it by crying loudly. The average duration of an attack is 3 hours.

If it has been possible to establish that the child really has colic, you need to understand that after the child reaches 4 months, the colic will subside. Observant people have noticed that in relation to infant colic, the number “3” is important. The pathological condition begins at 3 weeks. The duration of the attack is 3 hours. The condition lasts 3 months.

Ways to eliminate pain

Massaging the tummy will help eliminate colic.

The causes of colic vary from person to person, so it is necessary to help babies based on the individual characteristics of the body. There is no general treatment regimen.

It is better for parents to try all the methods suggested by experts and stick to those that really help. The most common recommendations are listed below:

  • Perform a light abdominal massage a quarter of an hour after feeding.
  • Do gymnastics for the baby. To do this, bend your legs, pressing your knees to your tummy, and straighten them.
  • After feeding, do not put him down immediately, but keep him in an upright position for at least 10 minutes.
  • The baby should be given the opportunity to lie on his tummy. This pose helps many people.
  • If the abdomen is full of gases, and they cannot escape naturally, occasionally a gas tube can be inserted. But this method can only be used as a last resort.

TO How to help your baby with colic? It is necessary to provide the child with maximum physical and psychological comfort. It will be easier for him if the conditions around him resemble his mother's tummy. Therefore, it must be worn so that it feels the warmth of its mother.

You can expose his tummy and place it on his mother’s bare belly. It is recommended to rock the baby, and this can be done both in your arms and in cradles with automatic rocking. In the room, you can turn on a recording of natural sounds that are calm and monotonous.

It could be the sound of the surf, rain, waterfall. Often children calm down to the sound of household electrical appliances, for example, to the whirring of a hairdryer. Just the sound should not be loud or harsh.

If you cannot achieve a correct latch on the breast, you can feed your baby expressed milk from a spoon in the evenings. This will help minimize the amount of air you swallow.

Every effort must be made to keep the nursing mother calm and in a good mood. If your efforts fail to return her to a healthy mental state, it is better to turn to specialists.

A breastfeeding woman definitely needs to be reconsidered. After all, it is the harmful foods on her menu that can cause colic in a newborn. Experts recommend creating a nursing menu from the following products:

  • oatmeal, rice, buckwheat, corn, barley porridge;
  • compote without sugar from;
  • weak green tea;
  • up to 15 g butter;
  • unrefined vegetable oils;
  • hard cheeses;
  • lean meat;
  • biscuits, bran bread, regular crackers;
  • stewed, baked, boiled vegetables.

You should also drink plain still water. The diet is diluted with the products listed below. But their number should be moderate.

  1. , bananas, grapes;
  2. boiled pasta;
  3. fresh vegetables, cabbage;
  4. kefir, milk, sour cream, ice cream, yogurt;
  5. chicken (lean parts);
  6. eggs;
  7. raisin;
  8. bread, rolls;
  9. garlic.

The following products were completely banned:

  • chocolate;
  • condensed milk;
  • canned food, marinades;
  • semi-finished products, smoked meats, pickles;
  • mayonnaise;
  • soda.

If a nursing mother pulls herself together, she will certainly be able to resolve the situation and bring the baby’s condition back to normal. A complex effect and attentive attitude towards the baby will help you “stand” for up to 4 months, help the baby endure this difficult time and painful sensations.

If the listed methods do not give any result, you need to contact.

Drug treatments

Linex is a drug for restoring intestinal microflora.

The pediatrician must be informed about infant colic.

He will examine the child, conduct the necessary examinations, and prescribe treatment. The most commonly prescribed treatment regimen looks something like this.

  1. Taking probiotics. These include Acipol, Probifor, Bifidumbacterin Forte, Bifiliz. These products help restore normal microflora.
  2. Carminatives. This is a group of simethicone (Bobotik, Smecta, Espumisan). They help eliminate excess gases naturally, which immediately relieves pain.
  3. Sedative. Phenibut, Anvifen, Pantogam. If the mother is breastfeeding, she will be prescribed soothing herbs, in particular valerian and motherwort.
  4. If dysbiosis is detected, Probifor, Acilac, Bobakton, Florin Forte are prescribed.
    If reflux leads to the reflux of hydrochloric acid into the esophagus, then antacids, for example, will be required. Histamine neutralizers are also prescribed, in particular Ranitidine, Cimetidine, Nizatidine.
  5. In case of increased gas formation, Milikon and Gaviscon are given.
  6. Enzymes (Creon) may improve stomach function.

The wide range of drugs that are given for colic does not mean that this is the only panacea for ills. Many of them cannot help the child at all and alleviate his condition. Therefore, experts believe that the best treatment option is watchful waiting.

You just have to survive these 4 months. Moreover, you should not give the above remedies yourself without a doctor’s prescription. Alternative medicine methods must be used with extreme caution. Before using any method, you should consult your local pediatrician.

After all, it is impossible to independently predict the consequences of the action of certain means. Advice from loved ones cannot be used as an authoritative source of information. After all, each organism is individual. What helps some may harm others.

Treatment with folk remedies

The most common way to relieve pain in infants with colic is to take medicinal herbal infusions.

This method was used many centuries ago, when loud children’s crying was constantly heard in a house where there was a newborn baby. Using any of the decoctions described below, everyone should understand that they are all imperfect and have their own side effects.

In past centuries there were no other ways to help children, and today turning to traditional medicine is not always justified.

Fennel drink

Fennel tea will help get rid of increased gas formation in your baby.

Fennel seeds are brewed with boiling water (one glass per spoon). The composition is infused for 60 minutes.

Then the product is filtered and given to the child one spoon at a time. The drink must be given warm.

Dill water

The proportions and process are the same as for the fennel potion. For a spoonful of seeds - a glass of boiling water.

You need to infuse the composition for an hour and a half. To simplify the process, sachets purchased at the pharmacy are dipped into boiling water.

Anise drink

Anise seeds are boiled in water. For a glass - half a spoon. The seeds should boil for 10 minutes. Then the product is cooled, filtered, and the resulting anise water is placed in the refrigerator. The child should be given food in small doses: add 3 drops to the water.

When deciding to resort to folk remedies, you must remember that any have a multifaceted effect on the body. Since the child’s body is weak, it is simply impossible to predict the consequences. After all, each medicinal herb is a whole complex of substances that have the ability to actively act on humans.

Prevention measures

Since not all babies have colic, it is quite possible to avoid this unpleasant condition if you do not forget about preventive measures.

Having become acquainted with the main causes of unpleasant sensations in the baby’s tummy, we must do everything to minimize the effect of all these factors.

Mom should exclude any foods that cause gas formation. After all, the condition of a breastfed baby almost entirely depends on what the mother eats and what her diet is.

Examine the child for the presence, and if detected, treat. To do this, they are examined under the guidance of a pediatrician. The treatment regimen is determined by a specialist, taking into account all the circumstances. Create the most calm environment possible: eliminate loud sounds, unpleasant intonations in conversation, remove other irritants.

Create emotionally favorable conditions for mom. Only with complete calmness of the nursing wife is the calmness of the baby possible. Ensure proper feeding with gripping of the halo to prevent air ingestion. To do this, vary the posture and position of the baby.

It is unlikely that it will be possible to completely rid a child of colic. But adults can alleviate the baby’s condition and give him the opportunity to be in a comfortable state for at least some time. Following the advice is a help not only to the baby, but also to the parents themselves. It is still easier to prevent possible negative developments than to suffer from the desperate cries of a baby.

You will learn how to help a child with colic from the video.

Colic in newborns means headaches and sleepless nights for moms and dads. Colic is a physiological condition of a small child, an adaptive reaction of the newborn to the environment. They begin around the 2nd week of the baby’s life, reach their peak intensity at 6–8 weeks and gradually disappear by 3–4 months. Occurs in 75% of babies, and 15–25% of them suffer from severe painful colic.

  • Colic appears at the same time, in the evening or at night, rarely in the morning, the child suddenly begins to scream shrilly, while he closes his eyes or, conversely, opens them wide, his face turns red, the child clenches his hands into fists, and may press his legs to his stomach .
  • Due to accumulated gases, the tummy may be round and bloated.
  • The attack lasts about 3 hours and occurs at least 3 times a week.
  • During colic, the child may refuse to eat and his sleep is disturbed.
  • In the morning and afternoon hours, the baby is alert, eats and sleeps well.
  • Attention! Frequent loose stools and vomiting are symptoms of an intestinal disease. Be sure to call a doctor.

Cause of colic in newborns

  1. The main cause of colic lies in the immaturity of the newborn's digestive tract. The intestines do not yet know how to move the contents well, as a result of which large gas bubbles accumulate, which burst the intestinal wall, causing severe pain in the baby.
  2. Increased gas formation due to.
  3. Lack of lactase enzyme, which is necessary to break down milk sugar.
  4. Immature digestive enzyme system.
  5. Colic can also be an allergic reaction to some product, most often sugar.
  6. Many parents complain that their children experience colic even with the strictest diet of the mother; scientists have noticed that sometimes colic can be mental in nature. This means that colic is a baby’s response to the capriciousness and nervousness of its mother.

Interesting to know! In 2012, at the Congress of Neurologists of America, scientists from the University of California (San Francisco) presented the findings of a study in which they proved that colic is 2.5 times more common in children whose mothers suffer from migraines.

Should I continue breastfeeding if my baby has colic?

Colic is not a reason to stop breastfeeding. Mother's milk is the most suitable food for a baby!

Dear mothers, I would like to note that colic is not a reason to stop breastfeeding. Maybe you will be able to choose a mixture that will really save you from the evening cries of the baby, but you must understand that colic is not a disease, it is a normal physiological condition, and no mixture can fully support immunity, resistance to disease, provide the necessary amount of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. In addition, artificial babies also suffer from colic.

Why is colic dangerous?

If a child had colic at an early age, this does not mean that at an older age he will be more prone to diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. This is a normal condition that the child safely outgrows and does not cause any harm to health.

What to do if your baby has colic?

From mom's side:

  • Mom's diet. In breastfed babies, colic usually occurs as a result of poor nutrition by the mother. To understand what exactly causes colic in your baby, you need to follow the following diet:

Remove all foods from the diet except: water porridge with added vegetable oil, herbal tea, boiled meat, fish, kefir (up to 0.6 liters per day) and plain yogurt without added sugar, berries, fruits. By eating this way for 2-3 days, you will notice that your baby will become calmer in the evenings.

On a note! Nursing mothers who drink at least 1/2 liter of kefir per day have babies much less likely to suffer from colic.

From the 3rd day we begin to introduce one new product per day. It is better to try cottage cheese or cheese first, as they are extremely necessary for the body of a nursing mother. Don’t be surprised if these products are not suitable for your baby: it has already been proven that they can cause excessive gas formation in the intestines. We try in small quantities (10–20 g) and only in the morning, i.e. before 11 o’clock: if this new product causes colic in the baby, then by 22:00–23:00 it will have passed and the family can sleep peacefully all night. If the baby develops colic in the evening due to the introduced product, then we remove it from our diet for a month.

On the 4th day, if everything was fine in the evening of the third day, you can try the same product to be sure. Or you can try something new. And so you continue until you have introduced into your diet all the foods that you ate before giving birth.

Carefully! You should not introduce several products in one day, otherwise you will not understand which of them did not suit the child. And reassure yourself that in 4 months you will be able to eat any food.

  • No cigarettes.
  • There are no hysterics or worries on the part of the mother; the child feels and reflects the mother’s mood. Both hormones of joy and hormones of stress and anxiety are transmitted with milk. Therefore, kisses on the cheeks, forehead and head! Feel sorry for him at this moment and give him more love and affection. The baby should feel the warmth and care of the person he loves.

The list of products presented below is based on a survey of breastfeeding women; these products can cause severe colic in the smallest amounts:

  1. Apple. Even a thin slice, which is why some mothers started eating a baked apple only from the 2nd month of the child’s life.
  2. Fresh vegetables and fruits. Mom should introduce vegetables into her diet in boiled, stewed or baked form.
  3. Dried apricots. One little thing is enough and the child will scream for several hours.
  4. Cow's milk. Some mothers can easily afford a glass of milk a day, but there are times when milk should be completely eliminated for 3 months.
  5. Grapes, raisins, grape juice. Causes excessive gas formation.
  6. Cabbage, legumes, it is also better not to eat them in the first months for the same reason.
  7. Black and white bread, yeast dough. Buy bread instead; for variety, you can alternate different grains; buckwheat bread is good for nursing mothers; you can eat dry Maria cracker cookies.
  8. Fatty foods, sometimes the child is sensitive even to a piece of butter that the mother adds to the porridge.
  9. Sugar and everything containing it. You should not eat condensed milk either.
  10. Products containing , i.e. black and green tea, coffee. In the first months after the maternity hospital, it is better to drink linden, thyme, black currant leaves, mint and lemon balm. They are safe for the baby and will increase milk volume.

From the child's side:


Massaging the tummy clockwise will ease the condition of a newborn suffering from colic.

First step

  • If the child is completely on artificial nutrition, then it is necessary to change the formula and, perhaps, more than one, you can try a formula with added bacteria; usually more expensive formulas do not cause colic.
  • Apply heat to the tummy area. This could be a dry diaper or a warm shower. Heat is known to relieve spasms. Fold a regular diaper in several layers and place it on the tummy; if it gets cold, warm the second one with an iron - and so on until the baby feels better. Usually, after taking a warm shower, children calm down and fall asleep soundly.
  • Massage the tummy clockwise. Do this with a warm hand for at least 10–15 minutes. You can make it with natural vegetable oil. You can purchase specialized oil at a pharmacy or children's store.
  • Exercise for legs. The child is lying on his back, take his legs, bend them at the knees and press them in turn towards the tummy, then both legs at the same time, this exercise will help the accumulated gases to move away, perhaps after it the child will poop, which will also bring him relief.
  • Tummy pose. Place your baby's tummy on the inside of your forearm; place your baby's bare tummy on your bare stomach.
  • Music. Sometimes it distracts the baby well, turn it up loud, take the baby in your arms and dance to the rhythm of his favorite song.

Second step

Go to it if all of the above does not bring results.

  • A decoction of chamomile, dill seeds (dill water), fennel. They are produced by such manufacturers as Bebivita, Hipp, etc., and can be purchased at the pharmacy. The decoction can be given both for the onset of colic and for the purpose of preventing it in the afternoon after each feeding in a volume equal to 1/2–1 tsp.

Recipe for dill water:

1 tsp. dill seeds or fennel fruits are poured with one glass of boiling water, left for 30 minutes, after which the broth is filtered. A fresh decoction should be prepared every day. Give approximately 3 tsp per day.

  • Probiotics. These drugs are approved from birth. They populate the baby’s intestines with normal flora and create favorable conditions for its growth, suppress the growth of bacteria that cause the fermentation process. The most popular drugs are Lacidofil-WM, Liveo, you can also try Lactobacterin, Bifidumbacterin. It is necessary to take a course of this drug for 3–4 weeks.
  • Plantex and Bebinos. Plantex is an excellent carminative and antispasmodic, it reduces the frequency of colic attacks and reduces their pain intensity. The drug is herbal, based on fennel, safe for babies, and can be administered to children from the 15th day of life. It has a pleasant taste, and children usually drink it with pleasure. There are a lot of positive reviews about it from mothers. Bebinos is a complex preparation based on fennel with the addition of chamomile and coriander. A very effective remedy in eliminating painful flatulence and cramps.
  • Espumisan, Babotic, Sub Simplex, Baby Calm. With very severe colic, ordinary physical exercises can stop the baby’s screaming for a short time, and parents have to resort to the help of these drugs. They are based on simethicone, a substance that breaks up large gas bubbles in the intestines and relieves pain from colic within the next half hour after ingestion. These drugs are not absorbed from the intestines and are absolutely safe for use in children. Allowed from the 20th–30th day of a child’s life. Read the instructions carefully before use.
  • For very severe and prolonged colic, American doctors consider it acceptable to give the child paracetamol. However, in order not to harm the baby’s stomach and liver, I recommend using paracetamol suppositories and no more than 2 times a week.
  • Gas outlet pipe. I believe that they should be used extremely rarely and in special cases, since any foreign body can negatively affect the natural process of formation of the baby’s digestive tract.

Under the age of 6 months, a child does not know how to be capricious or do something out of spite; if he screams, this is a request for help! Approach your baby with understanding, give him more affection and love, follow the tips listed above, communicate on the forums of young parents (after all, only parents are able to find the most unpredictable methods of treating their baby, which doctors could not guess), and your family will have peace and love reign.

The program “Dr. Komarovsky’s School” will tell you about the causes of colic and how to get rid of them:



Colic and gas in infants are a temporary phenomenon, but cause a lot of trouble and anxiety. Typically, a child experiences colic from the second half of the first month of a baby’s life until 2-3 months, sometimes longer or later. During the day - rarely or weakly, in the morning and at night - stronger, and in the evening - most often and painfully. Whether it’s daily or not depends on different things.


When there is pain in the abdomen, the baby behaves restlessly: he tightens his legs, straightens them tensely; may squeak, scream, refuse to eat.

If the tummy is hard and hurts, then young parents cannot always cope with it easily. But after giving birth, it is important for a mother to get a good night’s sleep, rest, and feel calm and confident.

Once upon a time, my husband and I didn’t know how to help our baby - we chronically didn’t get enough sleep and didn’t have time to do anything! The visiting nurse advised giving the child dill water, which had to be first ordered at the pharmacy. It often helps - you can use it with confidence!

They also applied it to the tummy warm diaper, warm cottage cheese or grated beets. It helped well. By the way, some people still prefer such a folk remedy as a warm compress of grated beet. Give it a try.


Wash the beets, pour boiling water over them, and grate them on a coarse grater. Squeeze lightly and wrap in gauze or diaper. Apply it warm to your tummy, cover it with parchment or something waterproof, and secure it on top with a vest, blouse, bodysuit, diaper - whatever is comfortable for you. Just be careful - things don't wash out. You can keep the compress for a long time until it dries.

Cottage cheese is even easier to use. It is very easy to apply a diaper heated with an iron or on a radiator.

Be sure to check that it is warm and not hot.

We put the bundle on the lid of a warm dish in the kitchen, heated it and wrapped it again.

It was easier with my second daughter - we learned to use a “gas tube.” It was problematic to buy it, so the acquisition was considered a great success smooth tip pipettes. The rubber band was thrown away, and the glass part was carefully used. Sometimes she helped out well, helping the baby pass gas and fart, and sometimes not so much.


How to use? - Place the child on his left side or on his back, tuck his legs. Insert the smooth tip of the pipette, lightly lubricated with Vaseline oil, into the anus. Sometimes a lot of gas passes at once, sometimes the child starts pooping mixed with gases. Fix the pipette firmly with dry fingers. You can move it a little, irritating the anus.

In my opinion, this is a very gentle method. You can just massage the anus with a clean finger lubricated with baby butt cream. For some, this is enough.

With the next ones, twins, there were no problems at all. We were already very good at doing tummy massages. In especially difficult cases, they could give an enema. All comes with experience.


However, even what we learned then, about thirty years ago, I would now reject, having adopted new knowledge.

Currently, despite the fact that there are a lot of materials available, not everyone can successfully cope with the problems of regurgitation and colic. Perhaps the strangest thing for me in this matter is that today, as in Soviet times, some of the medical staff advise using far from the best methods.

I mean gas tubes, yes, especially enemas, which cause great harm to the intestinal microflora of a little person.

A nursing mother should adjust her diet. You should not eat multi-ingredient foods (for example, cake), hot, smoked, spicy, fried foods, as well as those that cause flatulence. Milk and sweets should be limited, the amount of liquid should be increased. It is better to eat everything homemade and not buy semi-finished products.

There is no need to get too hung up on various kinds of restrictions; fanaticism is inappropriate here. Nutrition should be as simple as possible, but varied, without excesses in favor of any one or two products. If you occasionally want something you can’t do, then it’s better to eat a little, I think, than to drool.


There is no point in observing restrictions throughout the entire feeding period; it is better to loosen them little by little.

Mom should get enough sleep and walk in the fresh air. It is advisable to accept any help from loved ones in order to be calm and well rested.

Before each feeding, try to place the newborn on his tummy on a hard surface or on your lap, stroking his back and talking to him tenderly. While he is small, he can lie like this for a little while, help him.

Please note that a very tiny baby often reflexively scatters his hands. Frightened, he begins to cry. Immediately take his hands in yours, limiting his freedom, as in the womb. He calms down quickly! At such moments, you can give him a fetal position by pulling his legs towards his tummy.

You should regularly perform tummy massages between feedings, or 15-20 minutes before feeding, which are shown to every young mother by a visiting nurse. This is very important for relaxing the abdominal muscles, reducing intra-abdominal pressure, and eliminating gases naturally. If you learn how to perform them, you will not have to resort to extreme measures - gas tubes and, especially, enemas. Unpleasant phenomena will decrease and soon disappear altogether.

Most often, babies' tummies hurt in the afternoon, evening, or closer to night. You need to help the baby relax his abdominal muscles so that he can fart safely. To do this, lay him on his back and, talking tenderly, place a warm diaper folded in several layers on his tummy, which you can then lightly squeeze with your palms or massage in a clockwise direction. In the first month of a baby’s life, it’s not so much a massage as light stroking.

After working with your tummy, press your legs with your knees towards your stomach several times - together or alternately. Nothing should be done through force, but only after achieving relaxation. How? - Affection, tenderness, confidence in the voice.

You can teach your baby to a very useful position. To do this, we connect the baby’s soles (as if making “hands-on-hands” with his feet), simultaneously lifting them to the navel. The shins lie parallel to the small of the back, and the butt sticks out like a diving gosling. Press the soles of both legs with your palms in this way to your stomach, hold for a minute or two.


In this position, he rests, relaxes, can fart, and even poop sometimes. Therefore, lift the edge of the disposable diaper on which the baby is lying, covering your clothes so as not to stain them (why do you need extra washing?).

Talk to your child constantly, hum - just always quietly, gently. Never try to talk over him. Children scream louder the louder the people around them talk. On the contrary, the quieter you behave, the faster, after shouting, as if complaining to you, the baby will begin to listen to you. Moreover, each time you become more attentive, and then a smile is just around the corner! And soon it will begin to gurgle, calling out to you.

The baby begins to writhe, tuck his legs, - don’t wait for a cry, but quickly, but carefully, put him on his back. Start with the feet, with the legs - perhaps your baby will allow your palms to his painful tummy faster. There is no need to delay the process. Your goal is the tummy. They stroked, massaged, turned the baby onto his stomach, and stroked his back affectionately.

Twist and twirl it more often, but carefully, gently, so that he likes it. If he doesn’t perceive songs and speech well, distract the baby with different sounds that are interesting to him: coo, babble, hum, come up with anything. Don't be silent, otherwise he will scream.

Work out with him on the fitball. You can immediately use a fitball instead of a massage. Don't be afraid to experiment. The child is yours and only you can choose the method that suits your baby. Perhaps he will enjoy swinging on the ball for a couple of days, and then he won’t let him do it for a week. Well then, adapt to it, “agree”. He studies the world around him, you, himself, his sensations, which change from day to day, as his internal organs and systems grow, changing their ratio, location and functions, taking on an increasing load.

If the baby is calm, you can walk around the apartment with him, placing his stomach on your hand, back up, holding him with your other hand. This is what dads often wear - they are strong, their palms are wide. You can carry the baby on his tummy in both palms, holding him close to you and turning his head so that he “looks around” and let his legs hang down.

Press both legs, foot to foot, and lift to the navel, to the tummy. In this position, pressing the baby with his back to you, you can carry the baby for a long time, performing the necessary household chores, moving him first to the left, then to the right. It is very comfortable. It is advisable to involve dad in this so that mom doesn’t overstrain her spine from constant stress.

When dad is resting, let him press the baby’s bare belly to his bare chest or stomach - the warmth causes the muscles to relax and the pain to subside. Post it to yourself more often. Such contact is very useful. Sometimes just one is enough to relieve colic.

Don't be afraid to mess around with your little one. Be bolder, look for your own ways.

Don't overheat your baby, expose it more often, especially the lower part of the body. Give him freedom of movement more often. If you swaddle his arms for sleep so that he doesn’t wake himself up, then leave his legs free.

There are different opinions about overfeeding. Some experts say that it is simply unrealistic to overfeed a baby. Even if he gains up to 2 kg per month, he will still lose it when he begins to actively develop. And others do not advise overfeeding.

Bathing and swimming in a large bathtub help very well.

If your baby is bottle-fed, try using Dr.Brown's anti-colic bottles.

It is important to constantly talk and hum. The baby will remain calm longer, hearing his native voice, even if you are vacuuming in another room. And you, in turn, will be more free. Independence or helplessness of a person is laid down from birth, according to my observations.

You can play calm music for your baby, but you should carefully select the repertoire. Over time, you may notice which melody or tune he prefers, falls asleep better, lies calmly in the crib, even if he is not sleeping.

This is such a vicious circle. The closer and closer you are to your child, the faster he becomes self-confident. The main thing is trust. If he believes in you, he will believe in himself. She will develop better and more correctly, learn to be independent earlier, and give you a chance to become a happy mother. If there is peace and grace in the family from the very beginning, then the baby’s nervous system will not be harmed and you will approach the preparation of the next test - teething - smoothly, meeting the teeth much easier and calmer.

Especially for the article, I watched a lot of videos with massages for babies in the first three months of life and gave preference to this one. I suggest you watch it and learn completely simple, but very useful techniques.

Only as a last resort, in my opinion, gas tubes, enemas and medications, be sure to consult with your pediatrician. At the same time, remember that any medicines are chemicals, even those based on herbs. In addition, according to various sources, fakes now range from 50 to 80%. Do you need it?

For bottle-fed babies, the doctor will likely choose the most appropriate nutrition. They are more likely to experience constipation and the troubles described above than those who grow up on mother's milk.

Here you will read about how to properly feed a baby so that he does not take in a lot of air, and how to remove this air from the stomach so that his tummy does not hurt.

Intestinal colic is one of the most pressing problems in the first months of a baby’s life. Intestinal colic is the name given to abdominal pain associated with increased gas formation in the child’s intestines. This is due to the adaptation of the baby’s gastrointestinal tract to the new conditions of postnatal development. The child begins to show restlessness, which usually ends in uncontrollable, prolonged crying. The first colic in infants may appear after 2-4 weeks after birth and usually resolves by 3 months. Colic occurs in completely healthy children who have a good appetite and normal development.

Causes

  • Incorrect infant feeding technique, when the baby swallows air along with the milk. (how to breastfeed correctly)
  • If the baby is bottle-fed, the bottle should be at an angle of up to 45° so that air accumulates at the bottom.
  • Overfeeding. Consuming large amounts of milk can cause gas in the stomach and regurgitation. In this case, it is better to feed the baby more often, but in small portions.
  • Inappropriate mixture (See how to choose the right mixture).
  • Incorrect diet for a nursing mother.
  • Colic occurs more often in children if the nursing mother smokes.

ATTENTION, if a nursing mother during breastfeeding drinks teas containing fennel, cumin, lemon balm, anise, then colic in infants can be completely avoided! Keep this in mind!

It is better for a nursing mother who is breastfeeding to exclude from her diet:

  • Cabbage;
  • Dishes with added spicy seasonings;
  • Corn;
  • Cow's milk and some dairy products;
  • Tomatoes;
  • Nuts;
  • Products containing caffeine;

(See the article on nutrition and what a nursing woman can eat - read the article)

If the occurrence of colic is associated with the listed products, then after eliminating them from the diet, the mother will experience colic. disappear within 1-2 days after their exclusion.

With colic, a newborn baby will be helped by the following methods that parents can do at home on their own without going to the doctor:

  • Before each feeding, the baby should be placed on a hard, flat surface on his tummy;
  • Hold your baby upright after feeding and wait for him to burp;
  • Make a warm compress from an ironed diaper. Heat the diaper with an iron and wrap it around the baby's belly. This grandmother's method is very effective during acute attacks of colic in infants;
  • Also, mothers can put a hot diaper on their stomach, and place the baby on top of the heated diaper, tummy down. IMPORTANT! The diaper should not be scalding hot, otherwise you will simply harm the baby;
  • Massage the baby's tummy with light clockwise movements;
  • Press his tummy to your chest;
  • When a baby develops colic, place the baby on his back and press your palm against his tummy;
  • After feeding, give dill water;
  • You can give your baby tea with fennel (teas can be given starting from the first month);
  • Remove gases with a gas outlet tube;
  • If intestinal colic bothers bottle-fed infants, we recommend trying to replace the formula;
  • Use medications as prescribed by your doctor (list of medications for colic).
  • Give your baby a tummy massage.

Despite the anxiety and concern, parents must understand that colic and gassy are common in newborns, and to This will pass in 3-4 months, because By this time, the child’s gastrointestinal tract will be quite well developed.

We also read:

  • Gas pumps for infants
  • Why does my baby have a tummy ache?
  • Special anti-colic warming belt for newborns

The digestive system in infants is not fully formed, for this reason, children in the first three months of life may feel discomfort associated with the accumulation of gases in the intestines, which provoke colic. This problem has physiological causes, does not require special treatment, and, as a rule, goes away on its own by three months. The task of parents is to prevent the occurrence of colic, in all available ways, and to alleviate the baby’s condition if pain in the tummy does occur.

Babies express their feelings and needs by crying. The cause of crying can be fear, boredom, discomfort from wet diapers, hunger, changes in ambient temperature and pain. The source of anxiety can be determined by the intensity of the crying, its intonation and the baby’s characteristic behavior. So, in case of pain, the baby’s cry is sharp and piercing, and does not stop after the child is picked up. The child may refuse food and not respond to soothing words or lulling.

Pain syndrome in infants occurs most often with otitis media, intracranial pressure, infectious diseases accompanied by inflammatory processes, as well as various pathologies of the digestive system. Therefore, only a doctor can determine what exactly is hurting a baby.

If the baby has a normal temperature, there are no signs of intoxication of the body and visible inflammatory reactions, and sharp crying is replaced by periods of calm, when the baby walks, sleeps normally, eats with appetite and gains weight, infant colic is diagnosed. Colic is an attack of intense pain caused by increased gas formation and stretching of the intestinal walls, resulting in spasm.

The main symptoms of colic are:

  1. Sharp crying that appears suddenly, often in a dream, or after the child has eaten. A baby can scream incessantly from several minutes to several hours, most often in the evening and at night. The crying stops as suddenly as it started, rather than subsiding gradually, while the baby may immediately begin to smile or fall asleep. After some time, everything repeats again.
  2. With pain caused by colic, the baby may turn pale or, conversely, blush. Muscle tone is increased, the stomach is tense.
  3. The child pulls his legs towards his tummy or twists them.
  4. After the gases pass, the child feels better.

Unfortunately, not only gases can bother a baby; some pathological conditions of the digestive system, accompanied by pain in the abdomen, are potentially dangerous to the health and life of the baby. Parents should know how certain diseases manifest themselves in order to promptly seek medical help.

If a child, in addition to the signs characteristic of infant colic, has other symptoms indicated in the table, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Causes of colic in infants

Colic in infants appears in the third week of life and stops when the baby is three months old. The main reason for their occurrence is called functional immaturity of the digestive system, which leads to increased gas formation in the intestines.

There are a number of factors that contribute to the appearance of infant colic, as well as influencing their intensity and duration:

  1. Swallowing air during feeding. Incorrect attachment to the breast or incorrectly selected nipples on formula bottles (too large or small hole) contribute to the swallowing of air, which bursts the walls of the stomach and intestines.
  2. Enzyme deficiency in newborns. To digest food, the baby needs enzymes; if the baby was born ahead of schedule, their production in the stomach has not yet been established. This can lead to indigestion, which results in frequent regurgitation of curdled milk. Incompletely digested food causes fermentation processes in the intestines and leads to increased flatulence. As you get older, the problem goes away on its own. In addition to the factor of gastrointestinal immaturity, overfeeding leads to digestive disorders.
  3. Changes in intestinal microflora. At birth, the child’s intestines are sterile, the colonization of its microflora occurs gradually, and its composition can constantly change. Any changes may be accompanied by constipation or diarrhea. Doctors do not diagnose dysbacteriosis until one year, since the quantitative and qualitative composition of the microflora is at the stage of formation.
  4. Non-compliance with diet by a nursing mother. The composition of breast milk varies depending on the foods a woman consumes. For this reason, foods that cause flatulence, constipation, and food allergies should be excluded from the menu. And also, you should not get carried away with increasing the fat content of milk, as this can lead to digestive upset in the baby.
  5. Incorrect feeding regimen. Pediatricians recommend feeding babies as needed. When a child is hungry, the stomach secretes a sufficient amount of juices and enzymes necessary for digestion. When feeding on time, the digestive system may not be ready, which causes heaviness and pain in the abdomen, and puts additional stress on the pancreas.
  6. Violation of the temperature regime in the room. The microclimate in the room where the baby is located affects the digestion processes. If the child is hot and the air in the room is dry, the baby refuses food, feels thirsty, and may experience constipation and colic. When you feel cold, a large amount of energy is spent on thermoregulation, while intestinal function slows down, and cramps may occur.
  7. Weak abdominal muscles. The condition of the abdominal muscles affects intestinal motility - with hypertonicity and severe crying, overexertion of the abdominal muscles can cause vomiting. Weak muscles with hypotonicity, on the contrary, lead to a slowdown in intestinal motor function, which is accompanied by constipation.
  8. Unstable emotional situation in the family. Even after birth, the baby and mother are one, physically and emotionally. So, a mother can anticipate the baby’s awakening; she releases breast milk a few minutes before the baby’s hungry cry. Children, in turn, also adopt the mother’s mood and emotional state, show anxiety during her long absence and fall asleep better in the same room with the parent. Therefore, it is not surprising that stress, postpartum depression and quarrels in the family can affect the behavior of a baby, cause anxiety in him, and with it colic of psychosomatic origin.

What to do if your newborn has a stomach ache

Pediatricians, including Dr. Komarovsky, are inclined to believe that infant colic is a temporary phenomenon that simply needs to be endured. However, there are a number of recommendations that, if followed, can prevent the appearance of abdominal pain or relieve the symptoms of colic in infants. Before performing them, you should make sure that the cause of crying and discomfort was colic, and not other pathologies of the digestive system, the treatment of which requires medical attention.

How to help a baby?

  1. At the first symptoms of colic, a compress from a warm diaper will help. To do this, a diaper folded in four and ironed is placed on the tummy. Instead of a diaper, you can use a salt heating pad purchased at a pharmacy.
  2. Another way to distract your baby from pain is to switch his attention to a bright object or a uniform sound. Many parents note that the baby stops crying when water comes from the tap or the steady hum of a vacuum cleaner or blender.
  3. Placing the baby on its tummy, on the mother’s bare belly, is no less effective. Moderate warmth eliminates the spasm, and the usual rhythm of breathing and heartbeat lull the baby to sleep.
  4. Warm water also helps eliminate intestinal spasms. Often, babies suffering from constipation and abdominal pain due to intestinal spasms have bowel movements immediately after taking a warm bath, so immediately after bathing you should not swaddle the baby or put a diaper on him; it is enough to wrap him loosely in a terry diaper.
  5. If gases accumulate, a gas outlet tube or, as a last resort, a pipette without a rubber tip will help. This method should be used only as a last resort, if other methods have not alleviated the baby’s suffering.

Abdominal massage for colic

Another effective way to eliminate infant colic is to massage the tummy, which relaxes spasming muscles, stimulates peristalsis, the release of gases and eliminates pain due to the release of gases and accelerating blood circulation.

It’s very easy to do this massage yourself, just follow some rules:

  • the air temperature in the room should be 21–23 degrees;
  • Mom’s hands should be dry and warm; you can preheat your palms by rubbing them against each other;
  • movements are performed clockwise, and in no case in the opposite direction;
  • You should perform light, massaging strokes, without affecting the right hypochondrium;
  • massage should be done daily, 15 minutes before feeding.

Tummy massage for colic - video

Gymnastics for constipation and increased gas formation

  1. Place the baby on the back and pull the legs brought together and bent at the knees towards the chest, briefly holding them in this position. Number of repetitions 5–6 times.
  2. Alternately pull the leg bent at the knee towards the opposite elbow. So, you need to try to reach your right elbow with your left knee and vice versa. Do 3 pull-ups on each leg.
  3. Turn the baby over onto his tummy and stroke his back from top to bottom, from the shoulder girdle to the lower back, without touching the line of the spine.
  4. After the navel has healed, you can lay the baby on a large ball (fitball), after covering it with a diaper. The baby is placed on the surface of the ball, tummy down, holding the lower back with one hand and the feet with the other, and rocked back and forth. The amplitude of rocking should not be strong, as this will cause fear and resistance in the baby, which will lead to a negative effect from the exercises.

It is better to do gymnastics immediately after bathing, when muscle tone is relaxed and the child is in the mood for communication. If the baby is very tired, wants to sleep or eat, it is better to refuse gymnastics, since there will be no positive result from such activities.

Medicines for colic and abdominal pain

For severe abdominal pain caused by increased gas formation, drugs based on simethicone are used; such drugs are not absorbed into the blood, do not accumulate in the body and are not addictive. Simethicone helps eliminate gas bubbles during flatulence by reducing their surface tension. The gases that are released can be either absorbed by the intestinal walls or excreted naturally, thanks to intestinal peristalsis. Most often, pediatricians prescribe the following safe drugs:

  • Espumisan;
  • Bobotik;
  • Simikol;
  • Infacol;
  • Sub Simplex;
  • Colikid.

Herbal preparations that reduce gas formation in infants:

  • Bebinos;
  • Plantex;
  • Dill water;
  • Baby Calm.

If the cause of abdominal pain in an infant is associated with changes in the intestinal microflora, probiotics are prescribed:

  • Bifiform baby;
  • Linex baby;
  • Bifidumbacterin;
  • Acipol.

In case of enzyme deficiency, the doctor may prescribe medications containing the enzymes amylase, protease, and lipase. Such medicines improve the digestion of food, eliminate constipation and flatulence. Enzyme-containing products are unsafe because they can be addictive, and if they are abruptly discontinued, they can provoke inflammation of the pancreas. The most commonly used medications are:

  • Lactazar;
  • Mezim;
  • Creon.

Medications for colic - photo gallery

Pain may occur due to the mother's failure to follow a special diet. So, the list of prohibited foods that should not be consumed by a woman breastfeeding a baby includes:

  1. Vegetables that increase gas formation are white cabbage, legumes, radishes, cucumbers, onions, garlic, eggplants, radishes.
  2. Fruits that cause heaviness in the stomach - pears, cherries, plums, grapes, raisins.
  3. Products that promote fermentation in the intestines - whole cow's milk, hard cheese, black and malt bread;
  4. Foods that cause constipation - nuts, chocolate, baked goods, strong black tea, semolina porridge;
  5. Allergens - more than one egg per day, citrus fruits, strawberries, honey, orange and red fruits and vegetables in large quantities.
  6. Products that contribute to inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract - smoked sausages and fish, canned food, products containing dyes or flavor enhancers.

In the first months of breastfeeding, the mother's diet is very limited, however, gradually, the menu can be expanded, adding new dishes to it. It is important to keep a food diary so that if your baby develops digestive disorders, you can know exactly what caused the malaise.

Medicines, although considered safe for babies, however, in addition to simethicone, contain additional components (flavors and sweeteners), which, if used frequently, can cause diathesis in the baby. For this reason, many parents resort to equally effective folk remedies to eliminate the symptoms of flatulence and abdominal pain in infants. The easiest to prepare and time-tested are decoctions made from chamomile flowers, dill seeds or fennel.

If such products are used by a nursing mother, then the likelihood of colic in the baby is reduced by half.

Infant colic is not a disease - it is a physiological process of development of the digestive system that does not require special treatment. Taking medications only briefly relieves the symptoms of pain, without eliminating the root cause of their occurrence. Pediatricians note that there is no universal remedy for getting rid of colic; some babies are helped by massage and a warm bath, others only by medications, and others are distracted from pain and calm down at the first sounds of the rhythmic hum of household appliances.

When an infant exhibits abdominal pain, it is important to exclude other causes of its occurrence, since an incorrect diagnosis can lead to complications. Thus, warming the tummy with a heating pad is contraindicated in case of inflammatory processes in the body, and taking medications based on simethicone can harm the baby with intestinal obstruction. Therefore, at the first signs of abdominal pain, parents should not prescribe treatment on their own, but be sure to show the child to a pediatrician.

It is impossible to prevent the occurrence of infant colic; this is the path that all parents and children must go through, however, by eliminating the factors that contribute to its occurrence, the frequency and intensity of the pain syndrome can be significantly reduced.

Methods for preventing colic in infants are:

  1. Daily regime. In order to normalize digestive processes, you should not put your baby to bed immediately after feeding. After the child wakes up, it is necessary to maintain a wakefulness regime, the duration of which depends on the age of the baby. It is better to do active communication or gymnastics in the first half of the day, and in the late afternoon schedule a relaxing massage and bathing so as not to overstimulate the baby’s nervous system.
  2. You should not overfeed the baby, since the amount of food for which there are not enough enzymes undergoes a process of rotting in the intestines, which leads to increased gas formation.
  3. Correct attachment to the breast, preventing air from being swallowed and injury to the nipple. If cracks in the nipples have already formed, silicone pads should be used until they heal, since the fear and pain that the mother experiences during feeding are transmitted to the baby and can trigger an attack of colic.
  4. It is necessary to dress the child in loose clothing made from natural fabrics. Swaddling, an incorrectly worn diaper, or tight-fitting onesies can create pressure on the intestines, which can affect bowel function. When choosing clothes, you should exclude outfits made from synthetic fabrics that disrupt thermoregulation and cause overheating of the baby.
  5. Carrying your baby upright after each feeding allows air to escape as a burp.
  6. Strengthening the abdominal muscles with the help of gymnastics, massage and regular laying on the stomach improves peristalsis, prevents constipation and flatulence.

Colic is normal in babies and requires a little patience and common sense from parents. Modern medicine has not yet found an intelligible answer to the question - why does colic occur in babies? As well as remedies that are 100% effective in eliminating this pain syndrome.

New parents are often concerned about the reasons for their baby's crying. One of them is colic in a newborn, so it is important to know the symptoms and effective treatments. This problem is faced by most mothers and fathers who are frightened by their screaming babies. Colic can appear in babies who are fed breast milk and in those children who are bottle-fed.

According to statistics, 80% of children suffer from this disease. Infant colic is associated with the appearance of intestinal gases, which cause pain. Until they leave the body, the child cries and is capricious. Colic occurs in completely healthy children and often does not affect loss of appetite or weight gain. However, they cause a lot of discomfort for both children and their parents.

Colic is accompanied by severe pain in the intestines, so the first sign of its appearance is considered to be capricious behavior and crying of the baby. When babies suffer from colic, some try to “bite” the hand, while others begin to wave their upper limbs and arch desperately. In this case, the following signs of colic in newborns may appear:

  • there is crying and anxiety after feeding;
  • a piercing cry for several hours, often in the late afternoon, although the child seemed healthy during the day;
  • the baby presses its legs to its stomach, which indicates discomfort in the intestinal tract;
  • pallor may appear;
  • After passing gas or going to the toilet, he feels better.

Pediatricians cannot reliably determine why gases occur in infants. However, there are a number of theories:

  1. When feeding, the child does not latch onto the nipple correctly, and when consuming baby food, an inappropriate bottle for the formula is used. As a result, a mixture of food and air enters the baby's digestive tract.
  2. When feeding, the child did not regurgitate excess air from the stomach, which went into the baby's body.
  3. The baby spends a lot of time lying down. This slows down the process of digestion of milk and artificial formulas.
  4. At the birth of a baby, there is an immaturity of the digestive system, in which colic begins at 2 weeks of age and ends by 3-4 months.
  5. Using unsuitable infant formula.
  6. The child cries a lot, and when sobbing, he takes in air, the passage of which is reflected in pain.

Due to the incorrect diet of a nursing mother, gases can also form. To eliminate colic, you should exclude the following foods from your diet:

  • dishes with added spicy seasonings;
  • cow's milk and fermented milk products;
  • cabbage;
  • peas, lentils and other legumes;
  • apples, grapes, raisins, bananas, tomatoes;
  • products containing caffeine;
  • yeast dough.

No matter how worried parents are about their baby’s crying and would like to save him from the problem, it is worth accepting the fact that it cannot be avoided. This is a harmless and inevitable symptom that goes away on its own over time. Intestinal colic in newborns begins in the third week of life. They finally pass by the time the baby reaches three months of age..

When colic continues for several weeks, it can lead to other intestinal disorders: diarrhea, regurgitation, vomiting. If even with treatment with special means the symptoms do not go away, it means that they may be caused by another disease. If there is a prolonged period of recurring colic in newborns, you should consult a doctor. Another reason to go to the doctor is gas flow, which lasts a significant amount of time - more than 4 hours.

Several treatment methods can relieve symptoms and relieve pain. Tummy massage is recognized as an effective way to help a baby with colic. To do this, place the baby on a hard surface before feeding. Lightly stroke your tummy in a clockwise direction. Massage should be performed daily, then there will be a good effect.

Medicines and traditional methods of treatment can help calm the child. To remove gases, you can use a special tube or an enema. The end of the device must be inserted into the anus lubricated with Vaseline no more than 2 centimeters. After using an enema or gas tube, you need to be prepared for the child's possible bowel movement.

With infant gas, time and patience will help. It is worth understanding that it is painful, but not fatal, you just need to wait out the attacks of pain. It is important for a child to know that his parents are nearby. Close contact with the mother can help calm the baby; for this, you can lay the baby on his stomach. If the symptoms become constant over several days, then medications can help relieve them.

When colic appears in a baby, it is very important to treat it with the help of the special medications prescribed by the pediatrician. You can't do it without qualified help. The drugs are divided into several groups, each of which has a different mechanism for treating intestinal gas. In the presence of prolonged painful spasms, it is recommended to take Nurofena.

Simethicone medications are aimed at combating gas, they destroy the membrane of the vesicles and help eliminate colic. One of these means is Espumisan. This is an emulsion that is not absorbed by the intestines, but acts inside it on gases, the elimination of which leads to a reduction in bloating and pain. 25-30 drops should be given to little girls and boys to help relieve gas.

Bobotik reduces pain symptoms due to the active substance – simethicone, which is not absorbed in the intestines. Acting internally, it comes out unchanged with feces, without being absorbed into the bloodstream. If a child suffers from colic, then give 8 drops of medicine. Infacol helps reduce intestinal spasms by combining gases and promoting their natural release. Newborns are prescribed 0.5 ml of the drug. The advantage of simethicone-based products (Espumizan, Bobotik, Infacol) is that they are not absorbed into the blood and have a systemic effect.

Newborns do not yet have their own intestinal microflora. They receive beneficial bacteria through breastfeeding. To speed up the colonization of intestinal microflora, you can use probiotics. These drugs are prescribed by the doctor as a specific course of treatment, which must be completed with a specified dosage and duration. These drugs include: Acipol, Linex for children, Bifidumbacterin Forte, Bifiform Baby.

When colic bothers you, you can use herbal preparations. They help eliminate attacks of intestinal spasms. One of them - Plantex. This product is based on dry extract and fennel oil and lactose. One sachet of medicine is dissolved in liquid and given to the baby. The advantage is that it is of plant origin, but the disadvantage is that it cannot be used if you are allergic to lactose.

Traditional methods are good because they are completely environmentally friendly and safe for the child; they are easy to try at home, without having any special means at hand. A good auxiliary remedy when colic begins in a baby is a warm compress. To do this, you need to heat the sheet with an iron. Next, warm swaddling of the baby’s belly is done. A mother can treat bloating this way: place a sheet on her torso, and place the baby on top of a warm cloth.

These methods are good because they are based on natural ingredients.. Dill water, a tincture of fennel seeds, is recognized as an effective folk remedy. To do this, pour 250 g of dry extract with a glass of boiling water for 40-45 minutes, then filter and cool. The warm tincture is given to the child to drink after feeding. Another equally effective remedy is the use of nutmeg. It must be grated. The resulting gruel is used to lubricate the nipple before feeding. A medicinal bath with chamomile decoction also helps.

In order not to fight the problem, you can try to prevent it. Methods to help avoid colic in babies:

  1. Mom should avoid foods that increase gas formation.
  2. Choose the right position for feeding. The child should be at a slight angle, not horizontally.
  3. After feeding, hold the baby in a horizontal position, allowing the food to descend into the esophagus.
  4. When feeding with artificial formula, choose the appropriate position, because the wrong choice can cause gas formation.

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The digestive system in infants is not fully formed, for this reason, children in the first three months of life may feel discomfort associated with the accumulation of gases in the intestines, which provoke colic. This problem has physiological causes, does not require special treatment, and, as a rule, goes away on its own by three months. The task of parents is to prevent the occurrence of colic, in all available ways, and to alleviate the baby’s condition if pain in the tummy does occur.

How to tell if your child has a stomach ache

Babies express their feelings and needs by crying. The cause of crying can be fear, boredom, discomfort from wet diapers, hunger, changes in ambient temperature and pain. The source of anxiety can be determined by the intensity of the crying, its intonation and the baby’s characteristic behavior. So, in case of pain, the baby’s cry is sharp and piercing, and does not stop after the child is picked up. The child may refuse food and not respond to soothing words or lulling.

Pain syndrome in infants occurs most often with otitis media, intracranial pressure, infectious diseases accompanied by inflammatory processes, as well as various pathologies of the digestive system. Therefore, only a doctor can determine what exactly is hurting a baby.

If the baby has a normal temperature, there are no signs of intoxication of the body and visible inflammatory reactions, and sharp crying is replaced by periods of calm, when the baby walks, sleeps normally, eats with appetite and gains weight, infant colic is diagnosed. Colic is an attack of intense pain caused by increased gas formation and stretching of the intestinal walls, resulting in spasm.

The main symptoms of colic are:

  1. Sharp crying that appears suddenly, often in a dream, or after the child has eaten. A baby can scream incessantly from several minutes to several hours, most often in the evening and at night. The crying stops as suddenly as it started, rather than subsiding gradually, while the baby may immediately begin to smile or fall asleep. After some time, everything repeats again.
  2. With pain caused by colic, the baby may turn pale or, conversely, blush. Muscle tone is increased, the stomach is tense.
  3. The child pulls his legs towards his tummy or twists them.
  4. After the gases pass, the child feels better.

Unfortunately, not only gases can bother a baby; some pathological conditions of the digestive system, accompanied by pain in the abdomen, are potentially dangerous to the health and life of the baby. Parents should know how certain diseases manifest themselves in order to promptly seek medical help.

Symptoms and manifestations of pathologies that may be accompanied by abdominal pain in infants - table

PathologyPossible reasonsSymptoms and manifestations
The intestinal microflora of newborns is in the process of formation. Any changes in the diet of a nursing mother can affect the digestive processes. When bottle-fed, babies experience a lack of beneficial bacteria, and physiological dysbiosis can last longer than in infants. Concomitant factors affecting the qualitative and quantitative composition of microflora include the use of antibiotics in the treatment of a baby or a nursing mother.Unstable stool - greenish diarrhea with mucus may be replaced by constipation. The child is restless, refuses food, and loses weight. After feeding, regurgitation, rumbling in the intestines and bloating are possible.
Lactase deficiencyLack or deficiency of the lactase enzyme, which is involved in the breakdown of milk sugar. The pathology can be congenital with a genetic predisposition, as well as acquired. The secondary form occurs in children born before the 24th week of pregnancy, as well as when the baby is overfed.Milk sugar (lactose) is not digested and disrupts the intestinal microflora, causing fermentation and impaired intestinal motility. FN is accompanied by bloating, rumbling, belching or vomiting after feeding. If severe diarrhea and vomiting occur, symptoms of dehydration may appear and develop rapidly. This condition is dangerous for the baby's life.
Allergic reactionIt occurs with the early introduction of complementary foods, as well as if new food is introduced during the period of illness, when the baby’s immune system is activated. In newborns, food allergies can occur when the nursing mother does not follow the diet.Indigestion is accompanied by diarrhea, abdominal pain and skin rashes.
ConstipationIn breastfed children, constipation occurs when the body is dehydrated or the mother's milk is high in fat. Artificial people are more susceptible to the disease. A mixture that is too thick or inappropriate can cause constipation, accompanied by cramping.Constipation in a breastfed baby is considered to be a prolonged absence of stool, accompanied by restlessness in the baby. The child, when trying to have a bowel movement, strains and turns red. With constipation, stool is defragmented and has a dense consistency.
Intestinal obstructionIn infants, the main cause of intestinal obstruction is volvulus or pinching of the intestine, which is associated with impaired peristalsis. In some cases, obstruction occurs due to a tumor or the presence of intestinal abnormalities, as well as severe constipation.
  • prolonged absence of stool;
  • bloating;
  • vomiting with bile.
Acute intestinal infection due to infection with various types of Shigella.
  • increase in body temperature to 39–40 degrees;
  • weakness;
  • vomit;
  • diarrhea mixed with mucus and blood.

If a child, in addition to the signs characteristic of infant colic, has other symptoms indicated in the table, you should immediately consult a doctor.

For infant colic, the rule of “three” applies - they appear in the third week of life, last three hours a day, three days a week and go away on their own as soon as the baby is three months old

Causes of colic in infants

Colic in infants appears in the third week of life and stops when the baby is three months old. The main reason for their occurrence is called functional immaturity of the digestive system, which leads to increased gas formation in the intestines.

There are a number of factors that contribute to the appearance of infant colic, as well as influencing their intensity and duration:

  1. Swallowing air during feeding. Incorrect attachment to the breast or incorrectly selected nipples on formula bottles (too large or small hole) contribute to the swallowing of air, which bursts the walls of the stomach and intestines.
  2. Enzyme deficiency in newborns. To digest food, the baby needs enzymes; if the baby was born ahead of schedule, their production in the stomach has not yet been established. This can lead to indigestion, which results in frequent regurgitation of curdled milk. Incompletely digested food causes fermentation processes in the intestines and leads to increased flatulence. As you get older, the problem goes away on its own. In addition to the factor of gastrointestinal immaturity, overfeeding leads to digestive disorders.
  3. Changes in intestinal microflora. At birth, the child’s intestines are sterile, the colonization of its microflora occurs gradually, and its composition can constantly change. Any changes may be accompanied by constipation or diarrhea. Doctors do not diagnose dysbacteriosis until one year, since the quantitative and qualitative composition of the microflora is at the stage of formation.
  4. Non-compliance with diet by a nursing mother. The composition of breast milk varies depending on the foods a woman consumes. For this reason, foods that cause constipation and food allergies should be excluded from the menu. And also, you should not get carried away with increasing the fat content of milk, as this can lead to digestive upset in the baby.
  5. Incorrect feeding regimen. Pediatricians recommend feeding babies as needed. When a child is hungry, the stomach secretes a sufficient amount of juices and enzymes necessary for digestion. When feeding on time, the digestive system may not be ready, which causes heaviness and pain in the abdomen, and puts additional stress on the pancreas.
  6. Violation of the temperature regime in the room. The microclimate in the room where the baby is located affects the digestion processes. If the child is hot and the air in the room is dry, the baby refuses food, feels thirsty, and may experience constipation and colic. When you feel cold, a large amount of energy is spent on thermoregulation, while intestinal function slows down, and cramps may occur.
  7. Weak abdominal muscles. The condition of the abdominal muscles affects intestinal motility - with hypertonicity and severe crying, overexertion of the abdominal muscles can cause vomiting. Weak muscles with hypotonicity, on the contrary, lead to a slowdown in intestinal motor function, which is accompanied by constipation.
  8. Unstable emotional situation in the family. Even after birth, the baby and mother are one, physically and emotionally. So, a mother can anticipate the baby’s awakening; she releases breast milk a few minutes before the baby’s hungry cry. Children, in turn, also adopt the mother’s mood and emotional state, show anxiety during her long absence and fall asleep better in the same room with the parent. Therefore, it is not surprising that stress, postpartum depression and quarrels in the family can affect the behavior of a baby, cause anxiety in him, and with it colic of psychosomatic origin.

Improper feeding is one of the most important factors in the occurrence of colic. Inappropriate or thick formula, a large hole in the nipple, incorrect inclination, large portions - all this leads to increased gas formation and abdominal pain

What to do if your newborn has a stomach ache

Pediatricians, including Dr. Komarovsky, are inclined to believe that infant colic is a temporary phenomenon that simply needs to be endured. However, there are a number of recommendations that, if followed, can prevent the appearance of abdominal pain or relieve the symptoms of colic in infants. Before performing them, you should make sure that the cause of crying and discomfort was colic, and not other pathologies of the digestive system, the treatment of which requires medical attention.

How to help a baby?

  1. At the first symptoms of colic, a compress from a warm diaper will help. To do this, a diaper folded in four and ironed is placed on the tummy. Instead of a diaper, you can use a salt heating pad purchased at a pharmacy.
  2. Another way to distract your baby from pain is to switch his attention to a bright object or a uniform sound. Many parents note that the baby stops crying when water comes from the tap or the steady hum of a vacuum cleaner or blender.
  3. Placing the baby on its tummy, on the mother’s bare belly, is no less effective. Moderate warmth eliminates the spasm, and the usual rhythm of breathing and heartbeat lull the baby to sleep.
  4. Warm water also helps eliminate intestinal spasms. Often, babies suffering from constipation and abdominal pain due to intestinal spasms have bowel movements immediately after taking a warm bath, so immediately after bathing you should not swaddle the baby or put a diaper on him; it is enough to wrap him loosely in a terry diaper.
  5. If gases accumulate, a gas outlet tube or, as a last resort, a pipette without a rubber tip will help. This method should be used only as a last resort, if other methods have not alleviated the baby’s suffering.

Methods for eliminating colic in babies - photo gallery

This heating pad emits heat at the optimal temperature and eliminates cramps. Modern gas outlet tubes have a retainer that does not allow the tip to penetrate deeply and prevents injury to the rectum Warm water and a feeling of weightlessness relaxes the baby and promotes better removal of gases Tactile contact with the mother's skin eliminates infant colic and calms the baby

Abdominal massage for colic

Another effective way to eliminate infant colic is to massage the tummy, which relaxes spasming muscles, stimulates peristalsis, the release of gases and eliminates pain due to the release of gases and accelerating blood circulation.

It’s very easy to do this massage yourself, just follow some rules:

  • the air temperature in the room should be 21–23 degrees;
  • Mom’s hands should be dry and warm; you can preheat your palms by rubbing them against each other;
  • movements are performed clockwise, and in no case in the opposite direction;
  • You should perform light, massaging strokes, without affecting the right hypochondrium;
  • massage should be done daily, 15 minutes before feeding.

Tummy massage for colic - video

Gymnastics for constipation and increased gas formation

  1. Place the baby on the back and pull the legs brought together and bent at the knees towards the chest, briefly holding them in this position. Number of repetitions 5–6 times.
  2. Alternately pull the leg bent at the knee towards the opposite elbow. So, you need to try to reach your right elbow with your left knee and vice versa. Do 3 pull-ups on each leg.
  3. Turn the baby over onto his tummy and stroke his back from top to bottom, from the shoulder girdle to the lower back, without touching the line of the spine.
  4. After the navel has healed, you can lay the baby on a large ball (fitball), after covering it with a diaper. The baby is placed on the surface of the ball, tummy down, holding the lower back with one hand and the feet with the other, and rocked back and forth. The amplitude of rocking should not be strong, as this will cause fear and resistance in the baby, which will lead to a negative effect from the exercises.

It is better to do gymnastics immediately after bathing, when muscle tone is relaxed and the child is in the mood for communication. If the baby is very tired, wants to sleep or eat, it is better to refuse gymnastics, since there will be no positive result from such activities.

Medicines for colic and abdominal pain

For severe abdominal pain caused by increased gas formation, drugs based on simethicone are used; such drugs are not absorbed into the blood, do not accumulate in the body and are not addictive. Simethicone helps eliminate gas bubbles during flatulence by reducing their surface tension. The gases that are released can be either absorbed by the intestinal walls or excreted naturally, thanks to intestinal peristalsis. Most often, pediatricians prescribe the following safe drugs:

  • Espumisan;
  • Bobotik;
  • Simikol;
  • Infacol;
  • Sub Simplex;
  • Colikid.

Herbal preparations that reduce gas formation in infants:

  • Bebinos;
  • Plantex;
  • Dill water;
  • Baby Calm.

If the cause of abdominal pain in an infant is associated with changes in the intestinal microflora, probiotics are prescribed:

  • Bifiform baby;
  • Linex baby;
  • Bifidumbacterin;
  • Acipol.

In case of enzyme deficiency, the doctor may prescribe medications containing the enzymes amylase, protease, and lipase. Such medicines improve the digestion of food, eliminate constipation and flatulence. Enzyme-containing products are unsafe because they can be addictive, and if they are abruptly discontinued, they can provoke inflammation of the pancreas. The most commonly used medications are:

  • Lactazar;
  • Mezim;
  • Creon.

Medications for colic - photo gallery

Espumisan L Plantex Bifiform baby Lactazar

Diet

Pain may occur due to the mother's failure to follow a special diet. So, the list of prohibited foods that should not be consumed by a woman breastfeeding a baby includes:

  1. Vegetables that increase gas formation are white cabbage, legumes, radishes, cucumbers, onions, garlic, eggplants, radishes.
  2. Fruits that cause heaviness in the stomach - pears, cherries, plums, grapes, raisins.
  3. Products that promote fermentation in the intestines - whole cow's milk, hard cheese, black and malt bread;
  4. Foods that cause constipation - nuts, chocolate, baked goods, strong black tea, semolina porridge;
  5. Allergens - more than one egg per day, citrus fruits, strawberries, honey, orange and red fruits and vegetables in large quantities.
  6. Products that contribute to inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract - smoked sausages and fish, canned food, products containing dyes or flavor enhancers.

In the first months of breastfeeding, the mother's diet is very limited, however, gradually, the menu can be expanded, adding new dishes to it. It is important to keep a food diary so that if your baby develops digestive disorders, you can know exactly what caused the malaise.

Folk remedies for colic in babies

Medicines, although considered safe for babies, however, in addition to simethicone, contain additional components (flavors and sweeteners), which, if used frequently, can cause diathesis in the baby. For this reason, many parents resort to equally effective folk remedies to eliminate the symptoms of flatulence and abdominal pain in infants. The easiest to prepare and time-tested are decoctions made from chamomile flowers, dill seeds or fennel.

NameIngredientsHow to cookHow to give to a babyIndications
Dill water
  • dill seeds - 1/2 tsp;
  • boiling water - 100 ml.
  1. The seeds are ground in a coffee grinder or by grinding in a mortar.
  2. The seed powder is poured with boiling water and left in a thermos for 30 minutes.
  3. The finished water is filtered through several layers of gauze.
Dill water is given to the child 10 minutes before meals, 3 times a day.
  • infant colic;
  • flatulence;
  • bloating with constipation.
Fennel seed infusion
  • fennel seeds - 1 tsp;
  • water - 200 ml.
  1. The seeds are ground to better extract essential oils from them.
  2. Pour a glass of boiling water and place in a steam bath for 10 minutes.
  3. The resulting liquid is filtered through a non-metallic sieve and cooled.
A decoction of fennel seeds is given to the baby 1 teaspoon before each feeding.
  • improves digestion;
  • eliminates excessive gas formation;
  • improves peristalsis;
  • relieves spasm of intestinal smooth muscles.
Chamomile decoction
  • dried chamomile flowers - 1 tsp;
  • water - 150 ml.
  1. Dry raw materials are poured with water and brought to a boil.
  2. Boil the broth over low heat for 5 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat and strain;
  4. Boiled water is added to the resulting broth to bring it to its original volume.
Chamomile decoction is given in the intervals between feedings, 1 tsp three times a day. In the summer, you can dilute the decoction with boiled and cooled water and give it as herbal tea.Chamomile helps eliminate inflammation and activates the digestive system.

If such products are used by a nursing mother, then the likelihood of colic in the baby is reduced by half.

Treatment prognosis and possible complications. Consequences

Infant colic is not a disease - it is a physiological process of development of the digestive system that does not require special treatment. Taking medications only briefly relieves the symptoms of pain, without eliminating the root cause of their occurrence. Pediatricians note that there is no universal remedy for getting rid of colic; some babies are helped by massage and a warm bath, others only by medications, and others are distracted from pain and calm down at the first sounds of the rhythmic hum of household appliances.

When an infant exhibits abdominal pain, it is important to exclude other causes of its occurrence, since an incorrect diagnosis can lead to complications. Thus, warming the tummy with a heating pad is contraindicated in case of inflammatory processes in the body, and taking medications based on simethicone can harm the baby with intestinal obstruction. Therefore, at the first signs of abdominal pain, parents should not prescribe treatment on their own, but be sure to show the child to a pediatrician.

Prevention

It is impossible to prevent the occurrence of infant colic; this is the path that all parents and children must go through, however, by eliminating the factors that contribute to its occurrence, the frequency and intensity of the pain syndrome can be significantly reduced.

Methods for preventing colic in infants are:

  1. Daily regime. In order to normalize digestive processes, you should not put your baby to bed immediately after feeding. After the child wakes up, it is necessary to maintain a wakefulness regime, the duration of which depends on the age of the baby. It is better to do active communication or gymnastics in the first half of the day, and in the late afternoon schedule a relaxing massage and bathing so as not to overstimulate the baby’s nervous system.
  2. You should not overfeed the baby, since the amount of food for which there are not enough enzymes undergoes a process of rotting in the intestines, which leads to increased gas formation.
  3. Correct attachment to the breast, preventing air from being swallowed and injury to the nipple. If cracks in the nipples have already formed, silicone pads should be used until they heal, since the fear and pain that the mother experiences during feeding are transmitted to the baby and can trigger an attack of colic.
  4. It is necessary to dress the child in loose clothing made from natural fabrics. Swaddling, an incorrectly worn diaper, or tight-fitting onesies can create pressure on the intestines, which can affect bowel function. When choosing clothes, you should exclude outfits made from synthetic fabrics that disrupt thermoregulation and cause overheating of the baby.
  5. Carrying your baby upright after each feeding allows air to escape as a burp.
  6. Strengthening the abdominal muscles with the help of gymnastics, massage and regular laying on the stomach improves peristalsis, prevents constipation and flatulence.

There is no point in misleading new parents about infant colic: you must immediately accept the fact that colic in a newborn is a painful but normal phenomenon for which there is currently no cure. At its core, infant colic is severe abdominal pain. That is why the baby cries and screams so shrilly that the whole entrance is worried about him. However, even in this difficult situation, there is something to console yourself with: firstly, the child’s colic goes away on its own over time. Secondly, there are several methods that theoretically help relieve pain during colic.

The nature of the origin of colic in a newborn

Young children - newborns and infants - often scream, which brings a flood of stressful experiences to their loved ones. The most common cause of infant crying is colic. Simply due to the fact that by the nature of colic in infants there is nothing more than pain. More precisely, severe, “blatant” pain in the abdomen that repeats for some time.

An amazing fact: as long as humanity has existed, it has been dealing with infant colic for as long. However, medical science still cannot accurately describe the nature of the occurrence of these very colics - neither in a newborn, nor in a child several months older (whose gastrointestinal tract system is already somewhat stronger and more adapted).

The most common hypothesis about the cause of colic in infants says that the culprit is the air that the baby, willy-nilly, swallows during feeding or when crying loudly.

This air, entering the “bowels” of the child, compresses the fragile walls of the stomach and intestines, thereby causing hellish pain. Then the baby screams all over the area as loud as he can. As a rule, an attack of intestinal colic in a newborn ends after 3-4 hours, in a baby 2-3 months old - after 1.5-2 hours.

The only thing that doctors were able to clarify in more or less detail are the circumstances that (theoretically!) can provoke the occurrence of colic in newborns and infants, and most likely simply increase their duration and pain:

The baby does not latch onto the nipple correctly when feeding(and the artificial baby “has” a formula horn that is not suitable for him) - in other words, there is a “low-quality” feeding technique. In this case, the baby swallows a large amount of air, which, even if it does not directly cause colic, definitely increases its painful course.

After feeding, you did not give the baby the opportunity to burp excess air from the stomach, so this air went towards the “back door”, through the intestines, squeezing the walls and causing unbearable pain in the baby.

The baby spends too much time lying down, due to which the digestion process (including gas formation and the passage of air through the intestines) causes additional discomfort, a feeling of heaviness and pain. Still, no one has canceled such a wonderful physical phenomenon as gravity. When we spend almost half of our day in an upright position, the natural passage of “food” through the intestines resembles a slightly slower descent of an obese tourist down a winding water park slide. Now imagine that we place both the slide and the tourist in a horizontal plane - how long and how difficult will it be for him to crawl to the finish line? Of course, a newborn baby is still deprived of the joys of solid and varied nutrition, however, his intestines are never empty. And what is in it (including air) passes through the vertical intestine much easier and faster than through the horizontal one.

The child cries a lot. This is the real trap. Experiencing severe pain from colic, a newborn baby, of course, screams and cries. But, opening his mouth wide, bursting into tears and roaring, he inevitably swallows more and more portions of air. Which, in turn, can cause further attacks of colic.

The child is overfed. If a child eats an amount of food that he is not able to digest (in other words, you overfed him), then in his intestines the remains of food that lacked enzymes begin to ferment - a larger amount of gases appears, pressing on the intestinal walls. In other words, infant colic occurs.

How to understand that a newborn has colic: symptoms of pain

Symptoms of infant colic mainly come down to certain behavioral characteristics of a newborn or infant. The main feature is loud screaming and crying, which begins suddenly and can stop just as unexpectedly. Often, in infants, colic generally occurs “by the clock,” starting 20-30 minutes after evening feeding and suddenly stopping on average 3 hours later.

The classic behavior of a baby during colic is a loud cry, crying, clenched fists and legs tucked up.

In any case, you must understand that the symptoms of colic are nothing more than symptoms of pain. And every person - even a tiny one - has their own. Some children may try to “bite” the hand, others may actively “wave” their arms and kick their legs, some desperately arch their backs, etc. After all, when you yourself are in unbearable pain, you also do not behave “according to a strictly described scheme,” right?

And one more important point for parents: colic in newborns and infants is a conclusion that only a doctor can make. Because infant colic itself always refers to the so-called diagnosis of exclusion. In other words: if your child suddenly howls and nothing can even console him, you should show him to the pediatrician.

During the examination, the doctor must understand that the baby is screaming not because it itches unbearably, and not because the ear “explodes” from “shooting,” and not because... And only after eliminating all possible variants of ailments, the doctor can assume that the baby's siren does not stop due to stomach and intestinal colic.

How to help your baby: methods of “treating” infant colic

Treatment methods for colic in a newborn and an older baby are approximately the same. All of them are aimed solely at ridding the baby of a painful symptom - the pain will disappear, and the problem itself will disappear.

Alas, the situation around infant colic is such that it is sometimes impossible to separate safe and effective methods of “treating” it from ineffective advertising propaganda or even theories built, like sand castles, literally out of nothing. Let us give as an example several hypotheses about the origin of colic in newborns and infants, which in turn gave rise to corresponding treatment methods - most often simply ineffective, but sometimes unsafe for the health of the baby.

  • HYPOTHESIS: It is believed that colic in a newborn is caused by certain foods that a nursing mother eats. And as soon as she reconsiders her diet, the colic will disappear.
    COUNTER ARGUMENT: Where then do these substances get into the body of bottle-fed babies? And finally, the categorical verdict from Dr. Komarovsky: “The nutrition of a nursing mother in no way, in any way, affects colic in a newborn and baby.”
  • HYPOTHESIS: It is believed that colic in babies is caused by dysbiosis.
    COUNTER ARGUMENT: Everything would be fine, but you can’t argue with science - many years of research prove that during the period of “formation” (while the baby is in tender infancy), the gastrointestinal tract system does not have a more or less stable microflora at all. That is why such a disease as dysbiosis is not listed in any register of childhood diseases.
  • HYPOTHESIS: Newborns and infants up to 3-4 months have “immature” intestines, so colic occurs during digestion.
    COUNTER ARGUMENT: According to statistics, about 70% of all newborns and infants up to 3 months experience infant colic. It turns out that the remaining 30% are born with a perfectly functioning, “adult” intestine?
  • HYPOTHESIS: Often parents (especially under the influence of a whole retinue of peripheral relatives) believe that colic in newborns occurs due to lactose intolerance (a carbohydrate of the disaccharide group that is included in the milk of all mammals, including humans).
    COUNTER ARGUMENT: And not one, but two at once: firstly, where does colic come from in babies fed lactose-free formulas? And secondly, statistics: about 70% of all babies under the age of 3 months suffer from colic, while only 1 newborn toddler out of 130,000 of their peers suffers from congenital lactase deficiency.

So, rescue measures from infant colic, which stem from unproven hypotheses regarding the causes of colic in infants, cannot in any way be considered adequate and effective. In other words - by radically changing the diet of a nursing mother, selecting medications for dysbiosis, any additional enzymes or drugs that help digest lactose - you are doing amateur activities that not only will not help in getting rid of colic in the baby’s stomach, but can also cause potential damage baby's health.

Isn’t it better to use proven methods of “treating” colic, which are advised to parents by experienced doctors? Without guaranteeing, of course, that this will certainly “work” (remember, until the nature of colic is determined, no method of getting rid of it can be considered 100% effective and correct), but assuring worried moms and dads that these methods are completely safe. You can even safely “overdo it” with them - there will be no harm to the child’s health from your efforts.

Safe methods of dealing with colic in newborns and infants

Despite the fact that the modern pharmacological market is literally inundated with remedies for “infant colic,” many doctors rightly argue that in reality there is not yet a single proven remedy for this disease. Simply due to the fact that the very nature of colic in infants has not yet been determined.

Approximately the same position is expressed by our respected pediatrician, Dr. Komarovsky:

“With infant colic, only two things really help - time and parental patience. Colic in newborns is painful, but not scary. And what’s most important is that it’s temporary: regardless of whether you fight them or not, the baby will go away with them in about 3 months.”

Therefore, the first thing your pediatrician will advise you as a countermeasure against colic will most likely not be any pharmaceutical drug. To begin with, he will offer you:

  • Do it daily (or maybe several times a day) for your baby belly massage. Something like this: Press (but without pressure!) the heel of your palm against your baby's pubic bone. And without moving your hand, make fan movements with your fingers strictly clockwise, gently stroking the baby’s tummy.
  • More often (and not only after meals!) carry baby upright, calling on the force of gravity to help the young, unformed intestines.
  • If possible from time to time carry the baby in a sling or a special backpack- in addition to the fact that this is good prevention, it is also some kind of movement for the baby, and therefore for his intestines.
  • Makes sense if you're breastfeeding invite an experienced, competent and modern breastfeeding consultant for consultation. And not “from the street,” but from the center with good recommendations. Russians, for example, can use the services of the Association of Consultants on Natural Feeding (AKEB).
  • If the baby is artificial, buy a special bottle for him that has a special tube for venting air and which thereby qualitatively minimizes the entry of air into the baby’s stomach during feeding.
  • Use a gas outlet tube in cases where your baby has been actively pushing for some time, but at the same time (pardon the physiological folklore) neither poops nor farts. Just keep in mind - this device really helps to remove gases, but only those that have already “reached” the rectum. Alas, the most painful accumulations of air are those that pass through the intestines (large and small). They are the ones that cause painful colic, but, alas, no tube can speed up their movement.

What to give a newborn with colic to relieve pain

Despite the fact that many pediatricians (including the respected Dr. Komarovsky) are convinced that today there are no medications that can reliably relieve babies from painful colic, there is a small list of drugs, the use of which they do not forbid and consider to some extent justified for severe colic in newborns and infants. It is not known for sure whether these remedies help with colic in infants, but the fact that they help reduce gas formation is absolutely certain. For example:

  • 1 Group of drugs containing simethicone- a chemical compound that reduces gas formation in the intestines. The substance simethicone does not interact with human cells and tissues; it acts directly on the gas bubbles themselves, turning them into liquid and thus reducing pressure on the intestinal walls (which means it is a fair assumption that it helps reduce pain during colic in newborns).
  • 2 Products containing fennel fruit. They have a so-called carminative effect and reduce gas formation in the intestines.

For practical parents: you don’t have to look for and remember the names of any specific drugs containing simethicone or fennel fruits. Any pharmacist at the pharmacy will offer you a range of remedies and they will all have a similar effect. Take the cheapest or “attractive” one for you - there is no significant difference between them, they work the same and are equally safe for the baby.

Colic in newborns and infants: summary

Colic in a child is a normal occurrence in the life of a beginner. The phenomenon, unfortunately, is painful, and it is precisely because of pain that this person screams and cries sometimes louder than the trumpet of Jericho.

Modern science has not yet come up with any cures for infant colic, so the most that a sane, adequate parent can do is be patient and master several techniques that help to some extent (and even then only supposedly!) relieve the child’s pain. Patience should be enough for about 3 months, after which the baby’s colic will go away on its own.

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