What is the treatment?
Colic is frequent, prolonged and intense crying or fussiness in a very healthy baby.
Colic will be notably frustrating for fogeys as a result of the baby's distress happens for no apparent reason and no quantity of comforting looks to bring any relief.
These episodes typically occur within the evening, when parents themselves are often tired.
Episodes of pain sometimes peak once Associate in nursing baby is concerning half dozen weeks previous and decline considerably once three to four months older.
While the excessive crying can resolve with time, managing colic adds significant stress to caring for your newborn child.
You can take steps which will reduce the severity and length of pain episodes, alleviate your own stress, and bolster confidence in your parent-child connection.
How is the treatment done?
The primary goals are to soothe the child as much as possible with a variety of interventions and ensure that parents have the support they need to cope. Soothing strategies You may find it helpful to have a plan, a list of soothing strategies you can try. You may need to experiment. Some may fit higher than others, and some may work one time but not another. Soothing strategies may include:
Ø Using a pacifier
Ø Taking your infant for a car ride or on a walk in a stroller
Ø Walking around with or rocking your baby
Ø Swaddling your baby in a blanket
Ø Giving your baby a warm bath
Ø Rubbing your infant's tummy or placing your baby on the tummy for a back rub
Ø Playing an audio of heartbeats or quiet, soothing sounds
Ø Providing white noise by running a white noise machine, a vacuum cleaner or clothes drier in a nearby room
Ø Dimming the lights and limiting other visual stimulation
Feeding practices
Changes in feeding practices may give some relief. Bottle-feed your baby in Associate in Nursing upright position and burp often throughout and once a feeding.
Using a semicircular bottle can facilitate with upright feeding, and a collapsible bag bottle can reduce the intake of air. Trial changes in diet If soothing or feeding practices aren't reducing crying or irritability, your doctor may recommend a short-term trial of dietary changes.
If your baby incorporates a allergy, however, there would doubtless be different signs and symptoms, like a rash, wheezing, vomiting or diarrhea.
Dietary changes may include:
Ø Formula changes. If you feed your baby formula, your doctor may suggest a one-week trial of an extensive hydrolysate formula (Similac Alimentum, Nutramigen, Pregestimil, others) that has proteins broken down into smaller sizes.
Ø Maternal diet. If you're breast-feeding, you may try a diet without common food allergens, such as dairy, eggs, nuts and wheat. You may also try eliminating potentially irritating foods, such as cabbage, onions or caffeinated beverages.Parent self-care Caring for an infant who has colic can be exhausting and stressful, even for experienced parents. The following strategies can help you take care of yourself and get the support you need:
Ø Take a break. Take turns with your spouse or partner, or ask a friend to take over for a while. Give yourself an opportunity to get out of the house if possible.Use the crib for short breaks. It’s okay to place your baby within the crib for a jiffy throughout a crying episode if you wish to gather yourself or calm your own nerves.
Ø Express your feelings. It’s traditional for fogeys during this scenario to feel helpless, depressed, guilty or angry. Share your feelings with family members, friends and your child's doctor.
Ø Don't judge yourself. Don’t live your success as a parent by what quantity your baby cries. Colic is not a results of poor parenting, and inconsolable crying isn't a sign of your baby rejecting you.
Ø Take care of your health. Eat healthy foods. Make time for exercise, such as a brisk daily walk. If you can, sleep when the baby sleeps — even during the day. Avoid alcohol and other drugs.
Ø Remember that it's temporary. Colic episodes typically improve once age three to four months.
Ø Have a rescue plan. If attainable create an inspiration with a fan or relative to step in once you are overpowered. If necessary, contact your doctor, a local crisis intervention service or a mental health help line for additional support.
Potential future treatments
One issue which will contribute to pain is Associate in Nursing imbalance of the useful microorganism in Associate in Nursing infant's GI tract.
One treatment beneath investigation is that the use of fine microorganism (probiotics) to form Associate in Nursing applicable microorganism balance to enhance overall organic process health.
Some studies have shown a reduction in crying times when babies with colic were treated with a bacterium called Lactobacillus reutter. The studies have been conducted with small groups, and results have been somewhat mixed. Most specialists agree there is not enough proof at now to support the utilization of probiotics to treat pain.
Who is eligible for the treatment? (When is the treatment done?)
The onset of colic to a large extent also depends on the food intake of its mother. Generally vegetables such as cabbage and onions are pretty hard on the baby’s digestive system and may cause irritability.
So, avoiding such vegetables in conjunction with frequent consumption of coffee/tea will avoid this example to a definite extent. Some mothers feed their babies with formula milk, which could also be a reason for the cause of colic in babies.
So, doctors would suggest intake of product formula in situ of the sooner formula milk.
The product formula is understood to contain smart amounts of macromolecule is tiny chunks, easily digestible by infants and therefore can provide relief in such situations
Who is not eligible for the treatment?
If pain persists after simple massaging or rubbing in the abdominal area, it is good to change the diet course for the mother as well as the child, in case of breastfed babies. In any case, it is best to consult a doctor before proceeding with dietary changes for your infant.
Diagnosis
Your baby's doctor can do an entire physical communicating to spot any doable causes for your baby's distress.
The exam will include:
Ø Measuring your baby's height, weight and head circumference
Ø Listening to the heart, lungs and abdominal sounds
Ø Examining the limbs, fingers, toes, eyes, ears and genitals
Ø Assessing reaction to touch or movement
Ø Looking for signs of rash, inflammation, or other signs of infection or allergies
Ø Lab tests, X-rays and different diagnostic tests are not typically required, but in unclear cases they help to exclude other conditions as possible causes.
Alternative medicine
Several little studies have shown some edges or mixed results for various treatments.
There's not enough proof, however, to judge the potential benefit over the risks.
Alternative remedies under investigation include:
Ø Herbal teas
Ø Herbal remedies, such as fennel oil
Ø Sugar water
Ø Gripe water, a mix of water and herbs
Ø Massage therapy
Ø Chiropractic manipulation
Ø Acupuncture Known risks include the following issues:
Ø Regular use of herbal teas or other liquid preparations may lead to decreased milk intake or a drop in sodium levels in an infant's blood.
Ø The lack of product regulation may result in contamination, unlabeled ingredients or inconsistent dosages in herbal remedies.
Ø Some homeopathic remedies contain low amounts of potentially toxic substances.
Talk to your doctor before victimization an alternate drugs to treat your child for pain.
Causes
The cause of colic is unknown. It may result from numerous contributing factors. While a number of causes have been explored, it's difficult for researchers to account for all the important features, such as why it usually begins late in the first month of life, how it varies among infants, why it happens at certain times of day and why it resolves on its own in time.
Possible contributing factors that have been explored include:
Ø Digestive system that isn't fully developed
Ø Imbalance of healthy bacteria in the digestive tract
Ø Food allergies or intolerances
Ø Overfeeding, underfeeding or infrequent burping
Ø Early form of childhood migraine
Ø Family stress or anxiety
Symptoms
Fussing and crying are traditional for infants, especially during the first three months.
And the vary for what's traditional crying is tough to pin down. IN general, colic is defined as crying for three or more hours a day, three or more days a week, for three or more weeks.
Features of colic may include the following:
Ø Intense crying that may seem more like screaming or an expression of pain
Ø Crying for no apparent reason, unlike crying to express hunger or the need for a diaper change
Ø Extreme fussiness even after crying has diminished
Ø Predictable timing, with episodes often occurring in the evening
Ø Facial discoloring, such as reddening of the face or paler skin around the mouth.
Ø Bodily tension such as pulled up or stiffened legs, stiffened arms, clenched fists, arched back, or tense abdomen Sometimes there's relief in symptoms when the child passes gas or contains a laxation. Gas is probably going the results of engulfed air throughout prolonged crying.
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