Colic in newborns is a common condition that may alarm many new parents as they are unaware of how to treat it and that it is a natural occurrence.
While caring for a baby comes with its own set of responsibilities, caring for a colicky baby is much more demanding as the baby’s frequent and incessant crying (sometimes 3-5 hours, three times a week for up to a few months of age) with flushed cheeks and jiggling limbs can terrify parents into thinking it is a disorder. This is not true; Colic of the newborn is a common condition that many babies suffer from, but to alleviate it, there are some steps that caregivers can take to ensure that both the baby and the parents get the rest they need.
There are many medical theories about the causes of colic, the most popular being that the baby has an immature digestive system that cannot handle the processing of food outside the mother’s womb, the ingestion of gas-producing food products by the nursing mother transferring the problem to the infant, a baby who swallows air during breastfeeding, overfeeds, drinks too fast causing stomach pain and does not burp at intervals.
Colic can be simple and treated with home remedies or severe and require medical intervention through homeopathic or herbal cures that have no side effects and are suitable for babies. However, the important thing for parents to understand is that newborn colic is not something to be scared of and will eventually go away after a few months (usually by the time the baby is 4 months or later, at 8 months of age).
Parents of newborn babies who cry incessantly and frequently should first be careful to rule out other reasons why the baby cries so much and screams and look for specific symptoms of colic (red cheeks from crying too much, mangled arms and legs, legs bent forward). abdomen etc.) to take the next step in giving relief to the baby.
There are a lot of simple and effective home remedies for caring for a colicky newborn, such as holding the baby upright and singing to him while rubbing his back, rocking him in the parent’s arms (parents can take turns doing this), giving him a pacifier or burping him to release some of the gas.
Slowly and gently massaging the baby’s tummy in circular motions after making sure he burps properly between feedings will ensure that no gas builds up in the baby’s tummy and that he sleeps well.
Playing soothing music and administering simethicone drops, an accepted treatment for colicky crying, and managing any lactose intolerance or allergen triggers in the nursing mother’s diet are other steps parents of newborns can take to prevent colic wreaks havoc on a child’s comfort.