colic in babies

Causes and Cures of Colic In Babies

How Can I Treat My Baby’s Colic?

Unfortunately, colic in newborn babies is fairly common. In fact, studies show that about 20% of babies  end up suffering with colic at some point in time. What is colic?
Well, colic in babies usually presents as extended periods of crying, even though nothing appears to be wrong. This can last for hours at a time, several days as well. Usually babies develop colic when they are about
three weeks old, but by 3-4 months of age, it usually begins to improve.

Unfortunately, no one is quite sure what really causes colic in babies. However, many people do have various theories. One theory is that since the baby’s digestive system is not totally mature, often it has spasms causing pain in the stomach. On the other hand, there are those that believe the pain actually comes from all the crying. Yet others believe that the
nervous system being immature is the problem.

Colic may also be caused by food intolerances to wheat or dairy. Since no
one is quite sure about the actual cause, figuring out the solution to the problem can be difficult.

Recent medical discoveries have now shown that acid reflux in babies can be the cause of many cases of colic. Acid reflux is where stomach acid backs up into the esophagus which can cause extreme discomfort.

Several Symptoms to Watch Out For

When it comes to colic in newborn babies, each baby is a bit different in the symptoms that they show. Some have many symptoms, while there are
others that only have one or two of them. Even so, it’s helpful for parents to know some of the symptoms that can come along with colic. Here are
several symptoms to watch out for:

• Your baby gets red in
  the face
• Your baby cries for
  hours at a time, several days out of the week
• Crying that occurs in
  the evenings
• Cold feet
• Problems going to sleep
  or staying asleep
• You notice your baby
  seems to be in some type of discomfort
• Your baby pulls up
  their legs or stretches them fully out
• Clenched hands
• Refusal to eat or
  crying right after eating
• Passing gas, lifting
  the legs, or lifting the head

How to Treat Colic

It’s definitely frustrating to watch your little one suffering. No doubt you want to do everything possible to make your baby more comfortable.
While there is no cure for the problem there are various home remedies for colic that can be helpful. Here is a look at how to treat colic, and some methods you can try.

Eliminating Dairy When Breast Feeding – One easy method you can try to treat colic is to eliminate dairy products from your diet when breast feeding. Other gas causing foods can be eliminated as well, such as spicy foods, beans, cabbage, and onions. However, you may need to go on a calcium supplement if you are avoiding dairy.

Use Special Bottles for Feeding – Sometimes babies get too much air when
feeding. One of the best colic home remedies is to use special bottles that are designed to reduce the air a baby swallows while feeding.

Burp Your Baby Frequently – Make sure that you burp your baby frequently, especially if your baby seems to have quite a bit of gas bothering him.

Never Over Feed – Make sure that you never over feed your baby. This can end up making the problem even worse. So, don’t force feed your baby or feed him too much.

Medication – Prescription medications. There are not many prescribed for colic. Simethicone is one that is supposed to alleviate discomfort caused by excess gas, but it hasn’t proved very helpful. There are others but
the side effects are serious.

For a gentle and effective homeopathic colic remedy, iBaba is safe enough to give to newborn babies as it contains no artificial or harmful ingredients.

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“We walked up and down with our new baby who had colic so bad she
hardly ever slept for five minutes. From the very first time, the remedy
worked and I could hardly believe what a difference it made! From a
poor screaming baby to a peaceful one in just a few minutes – WoW!!
Bless you all for the work that you do!”

Pru
Leary, USA

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