Infant colic: causes, symptoms, treatment. What works well for colic in newborns?

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Although, of course, it is not entirely correct to talk about treatment, since we are not talking about a disease.

Let's make a reservation right away that we mean colic - everything else has already been excluded (the child has been examined by a doctor, there is no lactase deficiency, no allergy to CMP (and if there is, then dairy products are excluded or lactase drugs are prescribed), other pathologies are excluded or corrected).

You also need to understand that colic occurs not only in healthy children. That is, if a child is allergic to CMP, he may also have regular colic along with it, which will not go away after eliminating dairy products from the diet.

So, how can you survive colic yourself and ease it in babies?

First, I would like to dwell on two points that do not imply any actions directed at the child, but nevertheless can play a significant role in the fight against colic or prevent it.

First, if you smoke, don't do it during pregnancy. Studies have shown that children of smoking mothers are twice as likely to experience colic than children of non-smoking mothers.

Secondly, colic is much more pronounced in families with a high level of anxiety about the child’s health (high standard of living, late or long-awaited child, first child). Therefore, calm down - as banal as it may be, colic goes away quite quickly).

✅ swallowing too much air during feeding (correct attachment or correctly selected bottle),
➕Also during breastfeeding, it is very important that the child eats not only front milk, but also hind milk.

✅sufficient physical activity of the baby - stimulating movement when talking with the child, laying on the tummy, daily bathing, wearing a column after feeding, massage (the simplest, “mother’s” - stroking, bending-unbending arms and legs), tummy massage clockwise.

All of this cannot be called ways to combat colic; these are absolutely common recommendations for all parents, but this will be quite enough if colic is mild.

2. Now directly what to do if colic already exists.

✅ Be sure to adjust the diet of the nursing mother (if the baby is on breastfeeding) or choose a different formula. ➕Gas-forming foods should be avoided, such as cucumbers, grapes, beans, corn (we deliberately do not mention products that are in principle incompatible with breastfeeding, since the diet for breastfeeding is a separate topic).

3. Now about the most important thing. There are no 100% effective remedies for colic. All treatment is purely symptomatic, it is impossible to eliminate the cause in this case, it just takes time.

✅➕➖Drinks based on fennel, chamomile - often do not help, with severe colic they do not help at all, have a cumulative effect, require regular and frequent intake, which quite complicates the life of the mother (but still, you should try this method, sometimes it still helps). In theory, they relieve intestinal spasms, so they should be effective in all cases of colic. May cause allergies.

✅➖➕Simethicone-based drugs will be effective only in the case of gas formation and the absence of intestinal spasms (which is very rare). They contain flavorings, preservatives, emulsifiers, sweeteners (all of these substances have nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, flatulence (!) in the list of side effects). May also cause allergic reactions. Agree - all these are not the best substances for children, who also suffer from digestive problems.

✅➕ The most promising and safest thing today is taking probiotics (we are talking about live liquid probiotics in their own nutrient medium). Despite the fact that the first double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study of the treatment of colic with probiotics (dry) was conducted back in 2010 and showed very good results, there are still no generally accepted standards for their use for this purpose (there have been too few studies).

Probiotics are the only drugs that act on the cause (more precisely, part of the cause) of colic. Colic occurs due to immaturity of the digestive and enzymatic systems. The maturation of the digestive system, among other things, includes the maturation of the intestines, microflora and the lining of the intestinal wall with biofilm (a film of beneficial bacteria and their metabolic products), which will ensure the absorption of beneficial substances and protection from the penetration of harmful ones into the blood. A person simply cannot live without this film. This is a clear example of the interdependence of humans and bacteria. Just imagine - the mammal’s body has developed in such a way that it uses an entire army of small living creatures for its needs!

And imagine - if an adult’s microflora and biofilm suddenly disappear. Not only will he develop colic, but he will simply die after a while, because no nutrients will be absorbed. But in a small person, this biofilm has not yet formed properly, which is why he has such a light diet - milk, which practically does not need to be digested. But even there are not enough enzymes for it, and these undigested food particles accumulate in the intestines, where microflora should come to the rescue (we have already written about the role of lactobacilli in the digestion of lactose), but it has not yet formed either, and it is not a fact that there are conditions for its normal formation. And this is where they come to the rescue Normoflorins- now you understand a little better why it is so important that the bacteria are in a nutrient medium and the bottle is full of the products of their metabolism - in fact, you get a ready-made biofilm!!️ with bacteria, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, etc.

The only negative is that the drug will not help immediately, it usually takes 2-3 days (up to a maximum of 7 days), it is very important to give it to the baby correctly so as not to provoke excessive regurgitation or increased gas formation. Ideally, if the baby is breastfeeding, the mother should also take probiotics, and it is better to start during pregnancy.

4. And finally, ways to help a baby who cannot empty his intestines on his own due to severe spasms and accumulation of gases.

✅ gas outlet tube. It is best to buy a special one for newborns. The instructions for use are in the instructions.

✅ if suddenly there is no gas outlet tube, you can use a cotton swab generously lubricated with baby cream, which is inserted into the intestines (the very tip with cotton wool) and scrolls a little clockwise and back. The baby's legs should be bent. It is necessary to hold the stick with your fingers right next to the baby’s anus so that he, by accidentally jerking his leg, cannot push it into the intestines and damage it. Because of the spasm, it can be difficult to insert even such a thin stick into the intestines, but when we insert it with minimal effort, the contraction of the sphincter is stimulated and the spasm is relieved, and bowel movement immediately occurs.

Both methods should be combined with abdominal massage.

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Infantile colic- a common behavioral syndrome in children aged 2 weeks to 4 months, characterized by bouts of excessively intense and prolonged crying. Colic usually appears in the evening, without any apparent reason. The child, who was previously completely healthy, suddenly begins to cry inconsolably, pressing his legs to his stomach, which becomes tense and swollen. Only 5% of children have colic caused by some organic disease; in most cases, their course is benign, and after 4 months they disappear without a trace.

The most common criterion for diagnosing colic is formulated by Wessel (1954): “Colic is attacks of crying in a healthy child, lasting more than 3 hours in a row, more than 3 days a week, any of the last 3 weeks.”

Colic occurs in 10-30% of children worldwide, regardless of gender. The causes of their occurrence are poorly understood and poorly understood, and treatment methods are limited and ineffective. Probiotics are a promising new treatment option, while alternative medicine (herbal teas, fennel, massage, etc.) has no proven effectiveness and in some cases can be harmful.

As a result, colic remains a common cause of family discomfort and stress in young mothers, and is also the main reason for seeking medical care for infants under 4 months. Due to the ineffectiveness of treatment for colic, the main method remains to convince parents of the safety of this phenomenon and adopt a wait-and-see approach.

Symptoms of colic in babies

Increased physical and psychological sensitivity of the child

Another version of the occurrence of colic in infants is the increased sensitivity of some of them to irritating environmental factors (too cold or hot, wet diaper, bright light, change of weather, etc.). This sensitivity is aggravated in the child by an emotionally traumatic feeling of loss. mother's womb. Thus, from the point of view of supporters of this version, colic is a phenomenon that has not only a physiological, but also a psychological nature. Indirect confirmation of this is the fact that colic in some infants can be alleviated by methods that have nothing to do with the impact on the gastrointestinal tract: rocking in a sling or in a special vibrating cradle, carrying in the arms, certain sound effects.

Emotional instability of the mother (during breastfeeding)

It has been proven that during emotional disorders and stress that a woman experiences (including as a result of postpartum depression), the composition of her milk changes under the influence of hormones. It is possible that these hormones provoke attacks of colic in infants.

Features of the sucking process

Incorrect attachment of the baby during breastfeeding is also considered one of the reasons for the development of infant colic, since the baby swallows too much air (which causes pain in the stomach). Alternatively, the flow rate of mother's milk is too high (this is due to the physiological characteristics of individual women), which is why the baby choke during sucking and, again, may swallow air.

Infant migraine

It is also possible that colic in babies is the result of “infant migraine”. However, this point of view has not yet been proven.

Lactose intolerance to breast milk

This is another version that has been unreasonably popularized in recent years. In fact, lactose intolerance in breast milk can indeed be the cause of pain in the gastrointestinal tract, but this phenomenon is quite rare and requires a lot of special tests to diagnose it. In many cases, when mothers notice a connection between attacks of colic in babies and the feeding process and conclude that they are lactose intolerant and need to transfer the child to artificial feeding, these conclusions are unfounded.

This category includes lactase deficiency (lack of the enzyme lactase, which is necessary to break down the sugar lactose). Diagnosed by a high content of carbohydrates in the stool. Lactase can be given along with breast milk, or there are lactose-free formulas.

Treatment of infant colic

Since the exact cause of colic in babies is not established, each family has to develop its own strategy for treating colic, and do this based on “trial and error.” In general, pediatricians give the following recommendations.

If the suspected cause of the child’s anxiety is digestive problems and increased gas production

In this case, it is worth trying in various ways to speed up the passage of gases and, if possible, prevent the appearance of new ones. To do this, you can give the child an abdominal massage and special gymnastics (press the legs bent at the knees to the child’s stomach, properly pressing on the stomach); After feeding, it is recommended to carry the baby vertically for 10-15 minutes so that he burps air. Some doctors recommend placing the baby on his stomach as often as possible during this period.

If the baby is breastfed, the mother can try adjusting her diet. The effectiveness of this measure for the treatment of colic in infants, however, has recently been called into question, because many studies show that the composition of breast milk is less dependent on the mother’s diet than was commonly believed. If there is increased gas formation, the use of a gas outlet tube can also help, but many doctors recommend using it only as a last resort.

In this case, pediatricians recommend trying to recreate conditions for the child that are close to the conditions of the mother’s womb. To do this, it is necessary to provide the child with maximum tactile contact (carry him in your arms, in a sling, practice co-sleeping, place the baby with his bare stomach on the parent’s stomach (“kangaroo pose”)); rock him in your arms, in a vibrating cradle, in a stroller. “White noise” helps many babies "- a special type of sounds, characterized by uniformity and monotony (the sound of pouring water, a babbling stream, a waterfall, some operating electrical appliances). During attacks of colic, the baby can turn on an audio recording with such sounds or, if possible, keep the child close to their immediate source.

If colic is caused by eating

During feeding, the mother must ensure that the baby latches onto the breast correctly and does not swallow excess air. If colic is provoked by a strong stream of milk or “greedy” sucking, during colic attacks you can feed the baby expressed milk from a spoon or, in extreme cases, from a bottle.

If a possible cause of colic is stress in a nursing mother

In this case, the mother needs to take measures to stabilize her state of mind; if necessary, it makes sense to consult a psychotherapist or join a support group.

If you suspect a serious illness

If all the measures listed above do not alleviate the baby’s condition in any way, it makes sense to seek advice from a specialist and undergo the necessary tests.

Infant colic - help and prevention The phenomenon of colic occurs in 70% of children in the first three months of life. On average, two to three weeks after birth, the baby will experience periods when he becomes very restless, crying and screaming. Colic most often begins in the evenings and around the same time. During such crying, the child is inconsolable, although if you pick him up, rock him, walk with him, pressing his tummy to you, this can temporarily calm him down. It is important to note that colic is only diagnosed if the baby is otherwise healthy and gaining weight well.

Scientists find it difficult to answer what colic is to this day. Most often they are associated with the anatomical structure of the child’s body. When the baby is born, the first stool, meconium, is passed. Instead of meconium, a gradual colonization of the child’s intestines with microflora occurs, which can also be called transient dysbacteriosis. Since the structure of the intestines is not yet mature, in order to have time to digest everything at the right time and in the right quantity, discomfort and spasms appear. However, this condition cannot be called a disease, but a natural state of the body.

Causes of colic in babies

The most common causes of colic in a newborn baby are:

  • flatulence (bloating as a result of excessive accumulation of gases in the digestive tract) due to imperfections in the processes of digestion and absorption of food;
  • intestinal spasms due to the immaturity of the parts of the nervous system that regulate the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
  • enzyme disorders (relative lack of enzymes that digest milk, overfeeding);
  • infectious intestinal diseases.
  • In babies who are bottle-fed, it may be due to cow's milk protein. In this case, the doctor will advise you to change the mixture.

Besides colic, which any baby can have, there are three other situations in breastfed babies that can also cause fussiness and tummy pain. Let us remember that we are talking about a healthy child who is gaining weight normally.

Let's understand the reasons

Baby eats two breasts in one feeding

The composition changes in . The milk in the breast can be roughly divided into “foremilk” (less fatty) and “hindmilk” (milk with more fats and enzymes). If the baby is given the second breast before he eats the previous one, he will receive less fat for feeding. This leads to the following things: the baby may begin to ask for the breast more often, may try to eat more milk than it can accommodate, and will begin to spit up. In addition, low-fat milk quickly enters the intestines, which lack enzymes to digest large amounts of food (especially milk sugar or lactose), and as a result, the child may experience gas, bloating, foamy or liquid green stool, which can be taken as signs of lactose intolerance.

In order to avoid such a problem, feed the baby from one breast and put him on the other only if he has not eaten after emptying the first. The next feeding, start on the other breast, thus alternating sides. If your feeding schedule was different from this, do not worry, you will quickly adapt to the new feeding method, the milk will come in evenly and there will be no discomfort. In some cases, it may be helpful to place your baby on the same breast for two or more feedings.

Strong milk flow from mother

If the baby is very irritable when feeding, coughing and arching, the following problem may be the following: he is upset when the milk flow is too fast and irritated when it slows down. In some cases, this leads the child to refuse breastfeeding.

Try offering the breast to your baby while he is not yet very hungry or is still dozing. A hungry baby suckles very intensely and can cause a strong flow of milk.

Some people find lying down feeding very helpful. You can feed your baby lying on your back or lying on your stomach. This position reduces the flow of milk.

If you have some time, you can express some milk before feeding. But remember that this is not the first thing you should do to improve the situation.

If your baby is fussy and fussy when the milk flow is too slow. Try squeezing your chest a little to increase the flow.

If you have already tried all of the above, feed your baby your milk from a bottle.

Maternal nutrition

Some proteins from milk, when released into milk, can affect the baby's condition. Most often, such problems are caused by dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream). If the milk protein has been changed, for example, during baking, it should not cause problems. If you suspect that your child’s problems are related precisely to this reason, you can try to remove dairy products or any other products from your diet, but you only need to remove one product at a time and thus identify the unwanted product.

It is worth noting that protein intolerance and lactose intolerance are two completely different things. The fact that different proteins and other elements show up in a mother's milk is not a bad thing in most cases, because it helps desensitize your baby to these substances.

Help and prevention for colic

More often place baby on tummy while awake and especially before feedings. This will strengthen the abdominal muscles and motivate the baby to learn to lift his head.

Warm drink and: chamomile infusion, dill water, fennel tea, offered to the baby in between feedings, will also help the tummy calm down. These drugs are best used together with carminative drugs (such as Sab Simplex or others. These are harmless drugs that do not interact with food in any way and are not absorbed into the blood. Their purpose is to impede the formation and promote the destruction of gas bubbles). If your baby refuses to drink extra fluids, you can either take these medications yourself so that he gets them through your milk, or try switching to medications that do not require a lot of liquid and can be taken drop by drop (such as Baby-Calm) .

The baby should not swallow excess air during feeding. An important point is also the choice of position for feeding the baby. It should be comfortable not only for the mother, but also for the baby. In this case, the air that causes spasms during colic will not enter the baby's intestines. When artificial or mixed feeding, pay attention to the correct tilt of the bottle so that the baby does not swallow excess air.

Warm, prepared for a baby during colic, will help relieve tension and spasms. In addition, after water procedures, the child is more likely to calm down and fall asleep.

Carry the baby in your arms. You can often calm a raging tummy by taking the baby in your arms and placing his tummy on your chest, thus warming him up on your chest. This will not only help with colic, but will also calm the baby and help him fall asleep.

Helps a lot massage. With light movements, stroke the baby's tummy clockwise and do the exercise, which is also called the “frog”: from the starting position “the child lies on his back, legs straightened,” bend your knees upward, pressing them to the baby’s stomach/chest, then spread your knees sides like the legs of a frog and straighten them down to their original position. Repeat 6 times per set. Your child will enjoy your touch and attention, and the exercise will help relieve gas.

Massage for colic - frog pose

Children's vent pipe sometimes it may be the only life-saving remedy for a newborn. Before using it, be sure to disinfect it and lubricate the tip of the tube with baby Vaseline or vegetable oil. This is an effective method, but remember that if you use it too often - more than twice a day, the child may eventually stop emptying his bowels on his own.

Be patient

Some of the methods listed may be more effective for your child, while others may be the opposite. And even more so, you should not give in to panic and transfer your child from breastfeeding to formula. The phenomenon of colic in itself is not dangerous to the health of the child, although it is caused by parents. If you are nervous yourself, it will only be more difficult for you to console your child. Ask someone close to you or your husband to take over for you. Go out for some fresh air. This is very difficult for the whole family and the only thing that can be advised to young parents is to face the problem together and not waste energy quarreling with each other. Colic will end sooner or later; you just need to get through this period of growing up for your child.

Infant colic often becomes a serious challenge for young parents. Screaming and crying at night, refusal to feed and sleep are common reasons for visiting a pediatrician. This phenomenon covers a large number of rumors and myths related to both the causes of the condition and methods of help, which are sometimes not only useless, but also threatening the health and life of the child. In this article we will try to understand the phenomenon of colic, we will talk about the causes, symptoms and methods of treating this disease.

What it is?

The word “colic” comes from the Greek (kolicos) and means pain in the colon. Infant colic is usually called an inexplicable, unexpected attack of crying in a baby, caused by severe pain in the intestines.
Colic in an infant manifests itself as prolonged, inconsolable crying. Rocking motion, latching on to the breast, and other actions cannot help the baby calm down. The child tensely waves his fists, jerks his legs, pressing them to his tummy, and bends in all directions. Often, the above symptoms are accompanied by increased gas formation and rumbling in the stomach, during which the child begins to puff and blush.

This phenomenon has its own characteristics:

  • happens, as a rule, before three months of age;
  • appears approximately 3 times a week and lasts at least 3 hours a day;
  • occurs most often in the evening, at the same time;
  • the peak occurs in the sixth week of life;
  • duration of at least three weeks.

Despite this, the baby is characterized by good weight gain, appropriate mental and physical development and the absence of symptoms of disease. Thus, infant colic is a mysterious phenomenon that sooner or later goes away on its own (usually by three months of age).

How not to confuse it with serious diseases?

Infantile colic is a painful condition, but not a disease itself. Despite the discomfort caused to both the baby and his parents, colic does not pose a threat to the baby’s life. Therefore, you need to be able to distinguish between serious diseases whose symptoms are similar to those of infant colic.

Let's consider diseases that young parents may confuse with symptoms of intestinal colic in a newborn:

  • Appendicitis. Acute attacks of this disease can manifest in children with severe abdominal pain, high fever (38 and above), diarrhea and vomiting. If these symptoms occur, you should immediately call a doctor.
  • Types of intestinal infections. Symptoms will include fever, vomiting and diarrhea. In order to prevent dehydration of the baby's body, it is necessary to drink plenty of fluids and immediately undergo a medical examination.
  • Pyelonephritis. This disease is accompanied by abdominal pain, fever, vomiting, skin rashes and discomfort when urinating.

If you detect any symptoms indicating these pathologies, you should immediately consult a doctor, who can not only identify the disease, but also prescribe competent treatment that can get rid of unpleasant symptoms as soon as possible.

Causes of colic in newborns

Today, doctors around the world continue to debate about the causes of intestinal colic in newborns.

There are many theories about their origin:

  • The theory of malfunction of the digestive system. The most popular theory in medicine. Its supporters argue that the cause of colic lies in the underdevelopment of the gastrointestinal tract, which is expressed in the insufficient production of digestive enzymes and the immaturity of the nervous system that controls these processes. For the above reasons, food entering the child’s body cannot be completely digested, resulting in increased gas formation, leading to intestinal cramps and acute abdominal pain.
  • Theory of unformed infant intestinal microflora. The process of colonization of normal microflora occurs over several months of life. A newborn baby initially has a sterile intestine, into which the first bacteria gradually begin to enter. The colonization of microflora is a very vulnerable phenomenon, and an imbalance in its balance can lead to the formation of infant colic.
  • The theory of colic due to allergic reactions. can provoke various gastrointestinal disorders in a child. These reactions occur because allergens provoke the development of antibodies in the body, which settle on the intestinal wall, contributing to the occurrence of colic.

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Enterocolitis in newborns: causes, symptoms and features of treatment of intestinal inflammation in infants

There are many other theories of the occurrence of pathology: adaptation to the environment, disruption of psycho-emotional interaction between mother and child, etc. We can only hope that soon scientists will agree and find out the true cause of the development of intestinal colic, but for now it remains a mystery, it is necessary to find out how young parents can deal with this disease?

Does a mother's diet affect the development of colic?

Most mothers, seeing their baby suffering from colic, begin to blame themselves for it: “I ate something wrong, drank something wrong.” Let's figure out whether colic actually directly depends on the diet of a nursing mother?
Since the composition of breast milk includes only blood and plasma components, it does not depend on maternal nutrition, however, some elements can still penetrate into the blood and then affect the composition of the milk. Therefore, when breastfeeding, a woman is recommended to limit the consumption of the following products, which are considered the most allergenic:

  • whole cow's milk;
  • eggs;
  • nuts;
  • fish;
  • wheat.

However, it should be noted that the only scientifically proven product that can cause and intensify the manifestation of colic is cow's milk. The exclusion of other food products is only relevant in children with hypersensitivity to them.

Correct feeding technique for colic

Proper breastfeeding is a very important factor in reducing the intensity of a baby’s colic, because with proper feeding techniques, the baby will not swallow air.

Let's consider the basic rules of proper breastfeeding:

  1. Offer the breast until the baby is too hungry. The baby’s behavior itself will help: restlessness, smacking lips, sucking fingers. If you miss the right moment, with severe hunger, the baby will begin to actively eat milk, swallowing air along with it. When air enters the body, it can increase gas formation and increase the likelihood of colic occurring and intensifying.
  2. Apply correctly to the breast. To prevent air from being swallowed, you should learn how to properly apply your baby to the breast. Make sure that the baby opens his mouth wide, directs the breast so that the nipple is directed towards the baby's sky. The child should completely grasp the areola of the nipple, turning out the lower lip. The main sign of an incorrect latch is discomfort and pain during feeding.
  3. Choose a position for feeding. Correct feeding position can reduce the risk of your baby swallowing air and causing gas. To do this, it is important to follow the following rules:
  • the baby's head should be slightly higher than the chest;
  • try not to change position during feeding;
  • choose the most comfortable position for both mother and child.

Prevention and symptom management

Colic can start suddenly and last for quite a long time, so parents need to know what to do to alleviate the baby's suffering.

Despite the fact that infant colic lasts a relatively short time, it is quite manage to spoil your nerves and cause maximum inconvenience, both for the baby and his parents. In any case, I have the most “rosy” memories from the period when my son suffered from this illness.

Analyzing why this is so, now it seems to me that colic is not as scary in itself as it is very that age is unfortunate baby when they start. The baby is still too small and has not had time to adapt to new living conditions, the mother has not recovered from childbirth and has not fully realized herself in the new status, and here there is a constant cause of irritation, discomfort, and crying of the child. The situation, you see, is very difficult.

Before I encountered it myself, I knew little about colic, and nothing at all about drugs designed to combat colic.

The first time I heard about dill water was when the local pediatrician came to meet us. She recommended using this remedy 15 minutes before meals to prevent colic. By the way, this became our first drug in a string of remedies that did not help us with colic.

What is colic?

Infantile colic - attacks of sharp pain in the tummy, accompanied by severe anxiety and crying of the child (I remember them as the reason for the constant cries of the child and my concerns about his health).

Colic is closely related with number 3 . Basically, they begin at the age of 3 weeks (but sometimes they can occur as early as the 3rd day), and end at 3 months. The diagnosis of colic is made when it lasts at least 3 days a week and each time for at least 3 hours.

Symptoms of colic easy to determine: the child draws his legs and pulls them towards his tummy, blushes, cries a lot for several hours, it is very difficult to calm him down. The tummy may become hard.

The intensity of colic often increases in the evening; attacks occur almost at the same time and are associated with meals . The baby may begin to feel discomfort in the tummy immediately after eating, or even during. For example, our son started screaming heart-rendingly literally 5 minutes after the start of the meal.

Very important for colic diagnose correctly that the child is crying precisely because of colic, and not, for example, because he is hot, scared or lacks milk (about how correctly).

Our colic started as scheduled - at three weeks, but ended only at five months. The condition was very severe, my son suffered greatly, and we tried almost all existing medications. I slept poorly, sometimes only for fifteen minutes.

Causes of colic

The most interesting thing is that doctors have not yet established the exact cause of colic. It is assumed that the cause of discomfort in a child's tummy may be:

  • lack of enzymes that help digest food;
  • immaturity of the digestive system and intestinal microflora (dysbacteriosis);
  • increased gas formation in the intestines;
  • baby swallowing air during feeding;
  • lactose deficiency, gastrointestinal diseases;
  • psychological aspect: the child’s increased sensitivity to new environmental conditions can also affect his physical condition;
  • emotional instability of the mother (if the mother is very nervous, these hormones enter the milk and can cause attacks of colic in the child);

What is important for a doctor to know?

When a child develops colic, the first thing parents do is run to the doctor - it’s very scary when a very small baby screams heart-rendingly, and the reason is not really clear.

What questions do you need to know the answers to when going to see a doctor?

  • when colic occurs: before or after feeding;
  • duration of colic;
  • time of severe colic - morning, evening, night;
  • whether colic always occurs at the same time;
  • type of feeding;
  • Take an analysis - a coprogram, thus determining the presence of dysbacteriosis or staphylococcus (responsible for increased gas formation in the intestines);
  • Check whether the baby has enough milk; the cause of crying may be a lack of food, not colic;
  • Change adapted milk formula;
  • For a nursing mother, exclude from her diet foods that promote gas formation (legumes, bread, cabbage, radishes, apples, grapes, etc.);
  • Prescribe medication;

The next article will tell you about all the methods and medications we have tried for this disease.