Colic in babies is common, but uncomfortable, usually causing abdominal pain and excessive, intense, high-pitched and inconsolable crying, belly swelling, irritation or agitation.
Colic can be a sign of several situations, such as swallowing air when breastfeeding or drinking milk from a bottle, consuming foods that produce a lot of gas or intolerance to some food or component, for example.
To relieve colic, you can apply a warm water compress to the baby’s belly, massage the belly with circular movements and burp the baby after each feeding. If the colic does not go away, it is important to consult your pediatrician so that they can recommend medication to alleviate the pain.
How to relieve baby’s colic
To relieve your baby’s colic, you can follow some tips, such as:
- Massage the baby’s tummy with circular movements, with the help of a baby oil or moisturizing cream.;
- Warm the abdomen with a hot water bottle, being careful not to make it too hot, to avoid burns;
- With the baby lying face up, push the legs towards the abdomen, in order to slightly compress the belly;
- Make bicycle movements with the baby’s legs;
- Burp the baby after each feeding;
- Give the baby a warm bath;
- Placing the baby in contact with the skin of one of the parents;
- Preferring to breastfeed the baby instead of giving the bottle;
- Use medications that stimulate the release of gases, such as simethicone drops, but only if recommended by your doctor. See the example of a baby medicine with simethicone, and learn how to use it.
These techniques can be used in combination or alone, until you find the one that works best to relieve your baby’s colic. When a baby feels colic, it is normal for him to cry a lot. Therefore, if he is very irritated, it is important to calm him down first by holding him and, only then, using the recommended techniques to release the gases naturally.
If the baby is being fed an adapted milk, a good alternative is to replace the milk with one that does not cause as much colic, which can be enriched with probiotics. However, before deciding to replace milk, you should first speak to your pediatrician, as there are many alternatives on the market. Find out how to choose the best milk for your baby.
Read too: Colic: what it is, types, causes (and what to do)
Home remedy for baby colic
A great home remedy to treat colic in a baby who is no longer breastfed is to give small doses of chamomile and fennel tea, as these medicinal plants have an antispasmodic effect, which relieves colic and reduces gas production.
In the case of babies who are exclusively breastfed, the best solution may be for the mother to drink these teas, as they pass through the milk and can relieve the baby’s colic.
To make the tea, simply place 1 teaspoon of chamomile and another of fennel in a cup of boiling water, let it cool and then strain and give it to the baby. See another home remedy option that helps relieve colic in babies.
When to go to the pediatrician
In most cases, baby colic is temporary and therefore does not require a medical evaluation. However, it is important to consult a pediatrician if the baby continues to be very irritable and does not improve with any measures to relieve colic.
Furthermore, babies over 6 months old who have frequent colic should also be evaluated by a pediatrician, as it could be a sign of an intolerance problem.
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Main causes of colic in babies
The main cause of colic in babies is the fact that their digestive system is still immature, which happens until around 6 months.
However, cramps can also arise due to:
1. Air intake
Normally, while the baby breastfeeds, especially when he does not latch onto the breast or bottle correctly or even when he cries a lot, air intake increases, aggravating the chance of having colic and this occurs because the baby does not yet coordinate breathing with the ability to breathe. to swallow.
Furthermore, if the baby’s nose is blocked, due to poor latch-on or the flu and cold, it is natural to increase the amount of air he ingests, increasing the risk of colic. See how to make a correct grip.
2. Lactose intolerance
Lactose intolerance is a problem that causes symptoms such as diarrhea, pain and bloating in the belly and gas, which generally appear between 30 minutes and 2 hours after drinking milk.
Typically, lactose intolerance appears in older children, adolescents and adults and, if a woman breastfeeds, she should also avoid foods containing milk.
3. Cow’s milk allergy
An allergy to cow’s milk protein can cause colic, in addition to skin lesions, itching, vomiting and diarrhea, for example, and, normally, cases of cow’s milk allergy are diagnosed within the first year of the child’s life. See how to know if your baby has a milk allergy.
In these cases, it is important to give the child hypoallergenic or non-allergenic formulas, to avoid allergies, and if the mother is breastfeeding, she must exclude the intake of cow’s milk and its derivatives.
4. Agitation
Babies, when exposed to noisy and busy environments, can become uncomfortable and afraid, which can cause colic.
5. Mother’s nutrition
The mother’s diet can cause colic in the baby, so it is important to be careful to try to identify the foods that cause gas. Some of the foods best known for causing these types of effects are:
- Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and some other types of vegetables from the cruciferous family;
- Peppers, cucumber and turnip;
- Beans, grains, broad beans, lentils and peas;
- Chocolate.
Generally, the same foods that cause gas in the mother are also the ones that cause gas in the baby and, therefore, to know how the baby is reacting, you must pay attention to some signs after feeding, such as a swollen belly, crying, irritation or difficulty. in sleeping. If these signs are evident, the mother should reduce the amount and divide the consumption of these foods between meals, to alleviate the baby’s colic.
However, if the baby continues to have colic, it may be necessary to stop consuming these foods for at least the first 3 months of breastfeeding, and then reintroduce them later in small quantities, testing the baby’s reaction.
See all these tips in our nutritionist’s video:
