Colic is a common condition that affects babies.
Will colic affect your baby is hard without establishing your baby’s health condition, so this blog post will help you understand what colic is and why it may happen.
Colic causes pain in the stomach area for most babies, which leads them to cry inconsolably for hours at a time.
You may not have any idea what’s wrong with your baby if they are experiencing these symptoms, but luckily there are things you can do to make them feel better.
Check out this blog post for tips on how to take care of your baby during colics spells and prevent future occurrences.
It’s important that all parents learn about colic because their children might suffer from it during their first year or beyond.
What you can do about colic?
Colic is a common condition in babies, affecting between 10 to 30 percent of newborns. The cause of colic is unknown and there is no cure for it.
While it can be very distressing for parents and carers, colic usually goes away on its own during the second four months of an infant’s life.
What can I do if my baby has colic?
There is currently no evidence that there is a link between breastfeeding and colic. However, breastfed babies with colic often have more frequent bowel movements than those fed formula milk.
If this applies to your baby, you can try expressing some milk onto your skin and let your baby suck the milk off, which might help. It is important that babies are fed.
Therefore, if your baby has colic you should continue breastfeeding or bottle-feeding as usual, but also try the following too.
Methods to help ease colic
Your baby may pass wind after a feed. This can happen when they have an immature digestive system and gas builds up in their tummy.
Try burping your baby more often after feeds and try massaging their tummy in a clockwise direction (from the baby’s head down towards the belly button).
If your baby does not pass wind after a feed, you can try gently winding them by holding them upright over your shoulder with their head lower than their bottom.
Patting or rubbing their back does not usually help.
If the wind does not relieve the colic, try using gripe water or infant massage (using olive oil) to soothe your baby’s tummy pain.
Gripe water is available over-the-counter from pharmacies and other retail outlets. It can be given in small quantities just before feeding to aid burping and help your baby pass wind.
You can give infant paracetamol to reduce your baby’s pain if gripe water or infant massage does not help, but check with your pharmacist for the correct dosage before giving any medication to babies.
Your pharmacist might also be able to recommend other medications that can help treat colic in babies. If you are breastfeeding, you should continue to do so.
Paracetamol may be present in very small quantities in breast milk but it is unlikely to cause any harm.
What if my baby doesn’t have colic?
If your baby does not have colic you can carry on with business as usual. You might want to think about other things that could be upsetting your baby and make him or her cry, such as hunger, tiredness, or a need to be cuddled. If this is the case, you should try the following:
If your baby cries when they are being fed, try burping them more often during feeds and altering their position during feeding.
It is also important that their tummy is full before they go to sleep. You should try keeping them awake for longer after feeds and waking them up more often during the night to ensure that their tummy does not get too full.
Ensure your baby has great sleep sessions
If your baby cries when you put him or her down, it could be because they are not comfortable or sleepy enough to settle.
You should keep them awake for longer after a feed and try playing with them more. If they are still unsettled, you might want to think about swaddling or using a sleepsuit as they may not feel as restricted as they would in a blanket.
If your baby needs stimulation before bedtime, it might be because he or she is over-stimulated earlier in the day.
You should keep them awake for longer after a feed and try to reduce stimulation during the day, or if possible give your baby some time on their own before bedtime.
If your baby is not sleeping well at night, you should try making sure they are tired enough to sleep by keeping them awake for longer after a feed and playing with them more before bedtime.
Bathing to help your baby sleep
You might also want to think about giving them a bath or massage during the day which will make them sleepy.
It could also help to keep their bedroom cooler and make sure there is no excess noise.
If your baby seems anxious, unhappy, or over-stimulated during the day, you should try to keep them awake for longer after a feed and reduce stimulation.
If they are still unsettled, swaddling or using a sleepsuit might help them feel more secure. You could also try giving them more time on their own and keeping their bedroom cooler.
If your baby’s nappies stink, you should consider changing them more often as they could be dirty or have a rash that is causing the problem.
If your baby has a mild skin rash or a mild nappy rash, you can try gently wiping it with water every day. If the rash persists, you should see your GP.
In conclusion
If you have a baby with colic, it’s important to know what is going on and how best to help your little one.
Colicky babies can experience pain from gas or intestinal problems that cause them discomfort.
This article has provided some great information about the symptoms of colic as well as potential treatments for this common issue of infantile distress.
We hope this knowledge will be helpful for both parents and caregivers who want their children to feel better quickly without medication if possible.
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