COLIC IN THE NEWBORN: CAUSES, SYMPTOMS AND REMEDIES - PARENTHOOD

Newborn colic: causes, symptoms, and remedies to ease your baby's crying

Newborn colic, also known as "gaseous colic" is a very common ailment among babies of a few months: it affects 1 in 5 infants. per day for 3 days or more a week and for 3 or more consecutive weeks, generally at the same times of the day.

Newborn colic is a cause of stress for both the baby and the parents themselves, but don't worry: if your baby suffers from colic, know that they will pass (usually on their own) in a short time and without leaving any harm to the baby!

Newborn colic usually occurs only a few weeks after birth and tends to resolve within the first four months of the baby's life. Let's find out together what are the causes that cause this desperate cry, the symptoms of the problem and the remedies to relieve the baby. Meanwhile, here's a video on how to prevent them:

Colic in the newborn: what are the causes?

There is no reliable data on the causes of infant colic, although there is no lack of different theories and hypotheses. The one on which we tend to agree more (even if there is no scientific evidence) is linked to the excessive production of gas by the intestinal bacteria of the child, or to the excessive ingestion of air, with consequent aerophagia. This excess gas would lead to increased irritability, bloated abdomen, belching and flatulence.

According to another hypothesis, one of the causes of infant colic could be milk protein allergy. It should be noted, however, that they occur both in the child who takes breast milk and in the one who takes formula milk. It has also been tried to make infants ingest vegetable milks, lactose-free, but the result does not change.

Among the most accredited causes are those of psychological origin: convulsive crying would be motivated by the difficulty encountered by the child in "adapting to the extra-uterine world after pregnancy, or by managing his own emotions, since the central nervous system is not yet able to control them.

Finally, it should be mentioned the hypothesis that there would be a correlation between colic in the newborn and a pregnancy with complications at the time of delivery, as if it were a sort of post-traumatic disorder ... In any case, to reassure yourself, remember that in less than 5% of newborns suffering from gaseous colic some pathology of an organic nature is found!

What are the symptoms of gas colic?

Colic in the newborn occurs, as we have seen, with a desperate, noisy and continuous crying, apparently inexplicable. This crying, however, mysteriously responds to the aforementioned "Wessel's rule of three". This rule perfectly explains the symptoms. of the disorder: it is a cry lasting more than 3 hours a day for at least 3 days a week and for at least 3 consecutive weeks. On average, however, the baby cries just over 2 hours a day with a peak at the sixth week.

Characteristic symptoms of gaseous colic are therefore precisely these crises of inconsolable crying, generally present in the late afternoon or evening, of long duration. The crying fit leads babies to flush their faces, clench their fists and arch their backs. There may also be flatulence or stool emission in the diaper towards the end of crying.

How is colic diagnosed in newborns?

The "rule of three" is the most functional system for immediately identifying colic in the newborn, obviously after excluding other pathological conditions with the pediatrician. It will be important to report any other symptoms to the doctor so that he can arrive at a correct diagnosis.

If your baby has no appetite or does not latch on to the breast, is irritable or sleepy, has vomiting or diarrhea, has difficulty breathing or changes in skin color, it will be good to take him to the pediatrician immediately.

What are the remedies for gas colic?

Gas colic tends to pass on its own around 4-6 months of the baby's life. It will therefore be necessary to arm yourself with a lot of patience ... Since the causes of the problem are not known with certainty, there is not even a real cure. Drugs such as probiotics or simethicone are sometimes recommended, but their effectiveness is not rigorously proven.

To alleviate crying, therefore, it will be necessary to resort to less scientific remedies, the validity of which can vary greatly from one child to another. In some cases it is enough to talk to the child or sing him a lullaby to calm him down, in others to change his position or bring him to I walk around the house (being careful not to shake it) or in a stroller!

For some babies, driving around in the car has a calming effect, as does making him listen to repetitive sounds or white noises (such as that of the hair dryer or vacuum cleaner). You can also try to breastfeed the baby while keeping him in an upright position. make him ingest less air In addition, there are various types of bottles on the market that can represent a valid help in managing problems related to colic.

Anti-colic bottles: which one to choose?

To facilitate the baby's transition from breastfeeding to bottle feeding, it is important to carefully choose the bottle.
MAM Easy Start Anti-Colic helps in this phase, as it is a bottle with a ventilated base that allows babies to have a natural sucking and a relaxed feed *, reducing the risk of gas and regurgitation **.
The milk flows smoothly thanks to the anti-colic system, the valve on the base of the bottle prevents the formation of air bubbles, in this way the baby ingests less air and relaxes more easily.
The MAM Easy Start Anti-Colic bottle is equipped with a SkinSoft silicone teat that is easily accepted by babies ***, and its innovative symmetrical shape is designed to adapt perfectly to the baby's mouth.

Keep in mind that if your little one cries like a desperate person, he will swallow a lot of air, and this will only make his gaseous colic worse! Helping him to burp, then, can be used to relieve the disorder: if he has a crying fit, put the baby with his head on your shoulder and give him a few small taps, in order to help him expel the gas.

Finally, you can try to calm him down with a little massage: hold the baby on his stomach with one hand under his belly and his head on your forearm. The pressure on the stomach can help relieve pain and expel any gas in the intestine.

While none of these remedies have scientific validity, trying them never hurts!

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