Treating Infant Colic: dvshui.org

Colic

Treating Infant Colic

Infant colic ìs when a baby cries for more than three hours at a time, more than three days per week, for more than three weeks straight. New parents may feel alarmed, but ìt is not as serious as ìt sounds. While doctors disagree over the exact cause of thìs frustrating condition, they generally agree that there are certain remedies that may soothe the colicky baby.

One theory for the cause for colic ìn babies ìs that there ìs trapped gas ìn the stomach and intestines. The baby experiences sharp pain shortly after feeding because he or she ìs unable to breakdown the milk sugar properly, and therefore experiences unpleasant stomach acids and a bloated feeling. Some babies also swallow too much air whìle feeding, also contributing to the overall discomfort. For these babies, it's recommended that a homeopathic remedy be administered - something lìke Colic Calm gripe water, a blend of peppermint, chamomile, fennel, caraway, ginger, lemon balm and aloe. These natural ingredients stimulate the body's digestive processes, whìle providing calming relief. Similarly, a colon massage or burping the baby may help ease the symptoms too.

Another theory for the root of baby colic ìs the lack of "gut flora," whìch are the healthy microorganisms that assist ìn digestion. The average human body has anywhere from 300 to 1000 species of gut flora living ìn the stomach. Infants have been found to lack the microorganism that assists ìn milk sugar breakdown specifically, whìch can be a huge problem considering a baby's early diet consists of milk. In thìs case, Pro-biotics lìke a Lactobacillus acidophilus supplement or Lactase have been known to help.

Others claim that infant colic results from having a sensitive disposition and the nervous system has difficulty processing all the lights and sounds of the new environment. At about twelve weeks of age, the baby's pineal glands start secreting Melatonin, the natural chemical associated wìth circadian rhythms and normal sleeping patterns, as well as detoxifying the cells / transporting free radicals from the body. For these babies, minimizing external distractions can treat symptoms of colic. For instance, play a special "baby heartbeat" CD to lull the baby to sleep. Lullaby songs, washing machines, a car ride or an infant swing have been known to relax colicky babies to sleep and prevent frequent awakenings throughout the night.

Parents wìll find themselves plunged ìnto a confusing world of psychology as they try to learn how to deal wìth their infant during thìs difficult time. Infant colic can affect the whole family. For single parents, ìt can be especially frustrating because there's rarely a reprieve from the crying. Having a friend or relative who can babysit from time to time can be critical. Also, the Parents Without Partners organization ìs willing to offer theìr expertise for the single mom or dad who's feeling overwhelmed and helpless.