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If you have come this far it is because you are suffering from the terrible trance of infant colic, a disaster drawer where we are going to put almost any abdominal discomfort in a healthy infant. But wait, I’ll tell you more below.
When you finish reading I hope you are much calmer, that you know that colic is a stage that has an expiration date that we can accompany more than treat.
WHAT IS INFANT COLIC?
The academic definition of colic is: “Episodes of intense and vigorous crying at least 3 hours a day, 3 days a week for at least 3 weeks in a healthy, well-fed baby.” In short, crying and discomfort.
It may be that your child does not experience episodes of this intensity but does have a feeling of discomfort and that it usually occurs in the afternoon-night. Although there is usually no crying, there are pushing, extension and flexion movements of the extremities, grunting… And all these symptoms are also considered colic.
And it is that colic is not only gas, as popular wisdom indicates, but there are multiple factors involved and they all have a common denominator: immaturity.
The infant is an immature organism that is getting its systems working for the first time . For this reason, it does not always go perfectly and digestion may be more complicated at first, there may be reflux, gas, spasmodic movement of the intestines… All these factors will contribute to the appearance of the typical manifestations of colic.
HOW TO TELL IF A BABY HAS COLIC
As we have said, textbook colic has a definition in which the number 3 is very present: More than 3 hours of crying, more than 3 times a week, more than 3 weeks in a row.
BABY’S CRY
But then, how much does a baby cry? Well, the average is around 2 hours of crying a day. Hmmm… the threshold for colic isn’t that much higher.
Babies cry from birth and increase in frequency and duration of crying until they are 6-8 weeks old. From that moment on, the crying will tend to decrease. Even so, the first 3 months are intense and you must be aware of it. They will cry because it is their way of communicating.
Most of the time, babies cry to cover their needs: hunger, cold, heat, sleep, I want to be in their arms… It’s their way of claiming us. Only 5% of the time that crying will respond to an illness.
So, don’t worry, check that he isn’t hungry, that he’s properly dressed, that he’s clean, and pick him up. If he calms down, that’s it, I needed you.
HOW LONG DOES COLIC LAST?
When colic appears, it does so around 2 weeks of life and they will usually accompany us for 3-4 months . Although, it is true that there will be infants in which they give in before and others in which they last up to 6 months .
Everything happens, I always repeat it in consultation, and this too shall pass.
CAUSES OF INFANT COLIC
Infant colic is multifactorial, so it is likely that several of the factors that we are going to discuss below are present. That is why it does not have a single treatment:
DIFFERENT FLORA IN BABIES WITH FREQUENT COLIC
We know that babies who do not pass through the birth canal (those born by caesarean section ) have a higher incidence of colic and this has been related to the absence of colonization by the maternal microflora. For this reason, you may have heard that there are studies that speak of impregnating the baby born by caesarean section with maternal secretions to favor this passage of microbiota.
POSSIBLE PARTIAL INTOLERANCES TO MILK PROTEINS
Some newborns may have incomplete intolerances to proteins in the milk consumed by their mother and that would pass through the teat.
This, when it occurs completely, will lead to more striking symptoms: very intense colic and, sometimes, other types of allergic manifestations. That is why we would no longer speak of a simple colic, but of an allergy to cow’s milk proteins.
BOWEL DYSMOTILITY
Many babies have gastroesophageal reflux and in those who have colic they tend to be more abrupt. In them, the contents of the stomach rise and cause burning or discomfort. These little refluxes, sometimes imperceptible to you, can cause colic.
Reflux, if it is intense, is already a different entity from colic.
TOBACCO
It has been proven that there is a relationship between the frequency and intensity of colic and maternal smoking. So if you are pregnant or already have your baby, please stop smoking. Tobacco is going to be a related factor, not only with colic, but with others such as bronchial hyperreactivity.
ANXIETY WHEN EATING
Is your baby very anxious when it comes to eating? This is a factor that can influence the presentation of colic, and it is that this can encourage them to ingest more air. If it happens to you, it is important that you know how to recognize the early signs of hunger: nodding, hand movements, sucking fists…
YOUNG AND NEW MOTHERS
We know that colic is more frequent in babies of young and new mothers. Probably because being young and, above all, being a first-timer increases anxiety and, with it, anxious responses to stressful parenting episodes.
In this way , the family anxiety generated around your baby also influences colic episodes.
One of the measures to take when there is colic is, without a doubt, to work on your own calm, looking for rest spaces or asking for help when you feel that you are about to lock yourself in a bathroom to cry, for example.
TIPS TO RELIEVE BABY COLIC
NON-PHARMACOLOGICAL
Always attend to the baby, and from a relaxed posture . She is crying, yes, but it is not death and destruction. Take him in your arms, stay calm, that way your baby will feel that he is safe. There is nothing worse than, whoever tries to calm you down, he is even more nervous than you.
Prevent your baby from walking arm in arm for all visits. He must be glued to you.
Wear it, because it will allow your child to be close to you, warm and comfortable, while giving you some freedom to move.
The freedom to carry
Practicing babywearing is very interesting for children with colic or high demand. Using the backpack in this type of case, even at home, gives you freedom, because you will have your arms free to do other things.
Respect the rest. If he wants to sleep, he wants to sleep, even if his grandmother has come to see him, even if his aunt has traveled two hours to pick him up or even if she takes a photo with her cousins. Let him rest when he wants to sleep. And if he’s having a hard time, but he’s tired, it can help to lull him to sleep.
Attend to the first signs of hunger. If you wait for the warning to be crying, it is possible that your baby is very anxious, has a hard time latching on or even has a suction that encourages him to take in more air.
Put him to the breast or skin-to-skin if you’re not breastfeeding.
You can give tummy massages and there are various techniques. The best known massage is the “I love you” or putting heat on the belly . You can use your skin-to-skin bodies or seed bags to provide dry heat, for example.
DRUGS
Probiotics. There is moderate evidence that they might shorten the duration of colic. What it pursues is to repopulate the intestine with the appropriate microbiota to try to correct an imbalance in the flora and, therefore, improve the clinic. Currently the evidence is not sufficient to recommend them in a general way.
OTHER MEASURES
Physiotherapy. It seems that physiotherapy could improve colic by influencing the problem of intestinal dysmotility , although what the articles conclude about its evidence is that “further studies must be carried out to establish a recommendation”.
Osteopathy. Osteopathy goes to work trying to eliminate tensions that occur at the level of the abdomen (pelvis, diaphragm, intestine) of the baby but, above all, at the cranial level (neck, tongue, neck). Even so, more studies are currently needed to establish its usefulness in colic in infants.
PRODUCTS THAT WE SHOULD NOT USE
Simethicone / enterosilicone– It acts in the intestine destroying gas bubbles, facilitating their elimination and relieving the discomfort it causes. But keep in mind that in the prospectus of the product itself it specifies that “this medicine is not recommended for the treatment of colic in infants due to the limited information available”.
Alimemazine– Antihistamine that produces some sedation (tendency to sleep) as a side effect. It is not recommended in children under 2 years of age, and its use in colic in infants is not included in the technical data sheet.
Marfan formula– Composed of belladonna tincture, anise essence, sodium bicarbonate, syrup and water. It is dangerous because belladonna is a toxin that, in addition to producing relaxation of smooth muscle (intestinal), has other effects such as pupil dilation, tachycardia, constipation, increased reflux, hallucinations, urinary retention, disorientation and even seizures, among others. It is totally discouraged in pregnancy, lactation and children… in fact, it is not recommended in adults either.
Phytotherapy (infusions) . Chamomile, star anise, fennel… Infusions should never be indicated for infants, nor those that are indicated for babies. Why? First, there is no evidence that these teas improve infant colic. Second, they can lead to severe poisoning with neurological symptoms. And third, if you use ready-made infusions, you are exposing the baby to a very high sugar content, something completely prohibited at this age.
Homeopathy : What homeopathy does is dilute an active ingredient until it is present only in infinitesimal quantities and, yes, well wrapped in sugar. It has no scientific evidence and is useless beyond the placebo effect (in these cases for parents).
CAN WE AVOID COLIC?
We cannot avoid them, although we can minimize them. Knowing what we already know, we will probably be able to recognize early signs of hunger, care for the baby calmly, place him on the chest or skin to skin, massage him, carry him… all this will minimize his discomfort.
And remember that if colic is very intense or is associated with other symptoms such as refusal to feed, pathological stools or weight loss, we are no longer just talking about colic and your pediatrician will have to rule out the existence of an underlying disease.
CONCLUSIONS
Remember that the academic definition of infant colic is more than 3 hours of crying, more than 3 days in the same week and more than 3 weeks in a row.
In addition, you should be aware that, to a greater or lesser extent, practically all newborns will present mild digestive disorders. To be labeled colic, the baby must eat well, gain weight, and be healthy.
If these disorders cause feeding refusal, failure to thrive or very intense pain, they should be closely evaluated by the pediatrician to rule out associated pathology.
Possibly, if it is colic, more than a pharmacological treatment, babies will require hygienic measures: calm, arms, breastfeeding on demand, massages…
And, above all, keep in mind that everything will pass. Most babies outgrow them before four months. Don’t worry, there’s less time left already.
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