Colic in a newborn

Many pediatricians like to joke that colic is a small problem for a child, which becomes a huge problem for parents. Doctors who constantly monitor newborns are well aware that colic will definitely pass, you just need a little time and patience. But how to explain this to young parents who cannot calm a screaming baby for hours, and, of course, begin to think that something is wrong with their child. They beg the doctor to prescribe tests, prescribe treatment, “to do at least something.”

In fact, colic is not a disease, but in most cases a natural physiological phenomenon that accompanies the maturation of the intestines of a newborn. After the baby is born, the intestines begin to work, its microflora is formed, the enzymes necessary for the digestion of food begin to be produced. While they are still not enough (this is why temporary lactase deficiency can occur), intestinal motility is reduced, as a result, gases accumulate in it, and their discharge is difficult, intestinal loops are overinflated and overstretched, and the newborn has sharp paroxysmal pain. This is how you can describe what infant colic is.

Colic symptoms

Usually it is not difficult for parents to understand that the baby has colic. Here are some signs and symptoms that tell you that this “big little” problem has not bypassed you. 

• Anxiety in the baby began two weeks after birth. As a rule, it is at this time that colic makes itself felt.
  
• Pain in a newborn during colic is usually paroxysmal. Mostly, colic makes itself felt in the evening, it can last for several hours.
  
• The child tightens his legs, sorts them out, while crying a lot, often so that nothing can calm him down, even his mother’s chest.
  
• If you touch the tummy of a newborn during periods of attacks, you will see that it is enlarged and swollen, rather hard.
  
• At the same time, immediately after the stool or the passage of gases, the baby feels relief and he calms down.

How long do colic last and what does colic depend on

Usually colic lasts up to three months, sometimes up to four. The peak of colic occurs at 6 weeks after the baby is born. 

What determines whether the newborn will suffer from colic, testing the strength of his mom and dad, or will sniff quietly in the crib? In fact, there is no exact answer to this question. Colic can appear in absolutely any child. However, there are a number of factors that increase the likelihood of colic in a newborn. 

• Premature babies have colic much more often than babies born at term.
  
• Formula-fed newborns are more likely to develop colic than breastfed babies.
  
• At the same time, incorrect attachment to the breast, when the newborn swallows a lot of air and it accumulates in the stomach, also increases the risk of colic.
  
• Overfeeding the newborn also contributes to the development of colic.

“There is also evidence that the severity of colic depends on the psycho-emotional climate in the family, especially the psychological state of the mother, when she becomes nervous, exhausted, sleeps very little,” notes pediatrician Anna Levadnaya, candidate of medical sciences, author of a blog about pediatrics. – Parents should understand that they have a healthy child, this problem will be resolved soon, you need to try to calm down, if necessary, ask your grandmother or other relatives for help in caring for the baby so that mom can rest and sleep. 

What to do with colic at home

Colic is indeed a problem that can be dealt with at home, which does not require medication and constant medical supervision. 

– It is important to understand that there is no magic remedy that will save the baby from colic. You all need to get through this period. However, there are quite a few ways to help a newborn, namely to reduce pain and minimize colic, for parents, says Anna Levadnaya. “They are simple and effective.

What to do during an attack of colic

1. Give your baby a tummy massage, movements should go clockwise. 
2. Lay the baby on your stomach.
3. Put a warm diaper or heating pad on your abdomen.
4. Press the legs of the newborn to the tummy, hold in this position, repeat this action several times.
5. Lay your baby on your stomach, skin-to-skin contact helps the newborn to calm down.
6. Carry your baby in your arms, including in a sling, in the “buddha” position.
7. To comfort the baby, use sounds, for example, “white noise”, you can sing a song to him.
8. Bathe your baby – this will help the newborn relax and be distracted.
9. If you are nervous at this moment, give the child to dad or grandmother, and go for a walk yourself, take a breath.
10. Try other feeding positions, feed while motion sick.

As a last resort, if none of what we have listed helped, you can use a gas outlet tube. Special for newborns can be purchased at the pharmacy, carefully read the instructions. The catheter must be inserted to a depth of no more than 2 cm, the tip must first be lubricated with oil or petroleum jelly. 

Heating pad application 

A heating pad can indeed relieve an attack of colic in a newborn. Under the influence of heat, the muscles relax, this can contribute to a better discharge of gases, the baby calms down. It is important for parents to know that it is impossible to use a heating pad if there is a suspicion of inflammatory processes in the abdominal organs, the general poor health of the baby (fever, vomiting). Therefore, before using a heating pad, it will not be superfluous to consult a pediatrician. 

Heaters are of several types. The most convenient and effective for use in newborns are heating pads with saline or gel fillers, as well as fillers made from cherry pits or barley husks. Such heating pads are simple and easy to use, retain heat for quite a long time, and are hypoallergenic. 

It is important to carefully read the instructions before use and follow all operating rules. For example, a gel heating pad, before being placed on the tummy of a newborn, must be wrapped in a diaper so as not to burn the baby. In general, the degree of heating is very important to control: the heating pad that you will use should be warm, but not hot at all. 

An alternative to a heating pad can also be a warm diaper heated with an iron, however, it loses heat rather quickly. 

Folk remedies 

Among the so-called folk remedies that are believed to help with colic, mainly decoctions or infusions of various herbs. For example, solutions with fennel, anise, lemon balm, chamomile. Grandmothers will certainly advise you to give your baby dill water to drink or drink it yourself. Moreover, today it is not necessary to prepare such a decoction on your own; dill water can be bought at a pharmacy. 

“In relation to natural herbal and homeopathic preparations, large-scale studies have not been conducted, their effectiveness has not been proven,” says Anna Levadnaya. “Therefore, they are not recommended for use in children for the treatment of colic. In addition, they can reduce the amount of breast milk consumed, cause allergic and other adverse reactions. 

Massage 

Massage of the tummy is a good way to relieve the condition of a newborn suffering from colic. It is recommended to do it not only during attacks, but to repeat regularly. It helps to relieve spasms, facilitate the passage of gases, distract and calm the baby. 

Massage should be done no earlier than 30-40 minutes after feeding. The temperature in the room should be comfortable – 22-24 degrees, your hands should be warm, they should not have rings and other objects that can injure the baby. It is good to bathe the newborn before the massage, and also put a warm diaper on the tummy, this will enhance the effect of the procedure. 

How to massage. The technique is not complicated. Remember that your movements should be slow, soft, smooth. The main ones are circular movements with the inside of the palm along the tummy, clockwise. Also make stroking movements from top to bottom, moving from left to right and in the opposite direction. The duration of the massage can be about 10 minutes. At the end of the procedure, bend the baby’s legs at the knees and press against the tummy, fix this position for a minute or two. Repeat several times. 

Prevention of colic 

As we have already noted, colic can occur in any newborn, regardless of whether he was born on time or not, whether the mother is breastfeeding, or the baby is receiving formula. But parents should know what they can do outside of colic attacks to reduce their manifestations to zero. 

It is necessary to organize proper breastfeeding. 

“First of all, to establish the correct application,” says Anna Levadnaya. – Make sure that the child’s mouth has not only the nipple, but the entire areola. Don’t overfeed your baby. Yes, a mother should feed on demand, and not by the hour, but the mother should try to follow the regimen and more or less intelligible sequence of “feeding-sleep-wakefulness”. 

After feeding, carry the baby in a “column” or at a 45° angle until the air leaves the stomach, usually 10-15 minutes is enough. 

Some studies have shown that eliminating cow’s milk protein from the mother’s diet can relieve colic in some children. 

If your pediatrician has identified signs of transient (temporary) lactase deficiency in the baby and the child suffers from severe pain during bouts of colic, lactase-baby enzyme for breast-fed babies may be prescribed. For artisans, a transition to a low-lactose or even lactose-free mixture is recommended. If an allergy to cow’s milk protein is confirmed, a hypoallergenic mixture is prescribed. All these decisions and appointments are made jointly with the doctor. 

Proven positive role Lactobacillus reuteri and their effectiveness in colic. It may help some children. 

There is another type of drugs that are quite widely used by parents to reduce the manifestations of colic – these are Semitecon-based drugs that reduce gas formation. 

“However, recent data suggests that such drugs are no more effective than placebo,” notes Anna Levadnaya. – The use of other drugs is not indicated due to inefficiency or side effects.