- How to Relieve Baby Cramps
- Home remedy for colic in baby
- Main causes of colic in the baby
- 1. Air intake
- 2. Lactose intolerance
- 3. Cow's milk allergy
- 4. Agitation
- 5. Mother's feeding
Baby cramps are common but uncomfortable, usually causing a lot of pain and constant crying. Colic can be a sign of several situations, such as ingesting air at the time of breastfeeding or taking milk from a bottle, consumption of foods that produce many gases or due to intolerance to some food or component, for example.
To relieve cramps, you can make a compress of warm water on the baby's belly, massage the belly with circular movements and place the baby to burp after each feeding. If the cramps do not go away, it is important to consult the pediatrician so that some medication that relieves the pain can be indicated.
How to Relieve Baby Cramps
To alleviate the baby's cramps, which are very common from the second week of life due to the immaturity of the intestine, you can follow some tips, such as:
- Massage the baby's tummy with circular movements, with the help of a baby oil or moisturizer.; Warm the abdomen with a hot water bag, being careful not to get too hot and cause burns; With the baby lying on his back, push the legs towards the abdomen, in order to compress the belly; Make bicycle movements with the baby's legs; Put the baby to burp after each feeding; Give the baby a warm bath; Put the baby in contact with the baby. skin of one of the parents; prefer to breastfeed the baby instead of giving the bottle; use medications that stimulate the release of gases, such as simethicone, with the recommendation of the doctor.
These techniques can be used in combination or separately, until the one that works best to relieve baby's cramps is found. When the baby feels colic it is normal for him to cry a lot. So, if he is very irritated, it is important to calm him down first, giving him lap and, only then, to do the indicated techniques to release the gases in a natural way.
Home remedy for colic in baby
A great home remedy to take care of baby's colic that 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 breastfeed exclusively, the best solution may be for the mother to drink these teas, as they pass through the milk and can relieve the baby's cramps.
To make tea, just put 1 teaspoon of chamomile and another of fennel in a cup with boiling water, let it cool and then strain and give it to the baby. Here's another home remedy option that helps relieve baby cramps.
Main causes of colic in the baby
The main cause of colic in babies is the fact that their digestive tract is still immature, which happens until about 6 months, however, colic can also arise due to:
1. Air intake
Normally, while the baby is breastfeeding, especially when it does not properly hold the breast or bottle or even when it cries a lot, it increases the intake of air, aggravating the chance of having cramps and, this is because the baby still does not coordinate breathing with the ability to Swallow.
In addition, if the baby has a blocked nose, due to bad grip or flu and cold, it is natural to increase the amount of air he ingests, increasing the risk of having cramps. Here's how to make a correct handle.
2. Lactose intolerance
Lactose intolerance is a problem that causes symptoms such as diarrhea, pain and swelling in the belly and gas, which usually appear between 30 minutes to 2 hours after drinking milk.
Typically, lactose intolerance arises in older children, adolescents and adults, and if a woman is breastfeeding she should also avoid foods that contain milk.
3. Cow's milk allergy
Allergy to cow's milk protein can cause colic, in addition to skin lesions, itching, vomiting and diarrhea, for example, and usually the diagnosis of cases of cow's milk allergy occurs in the child's first year of life. Here's how to know if your baby is allergic to milk.
In these cases, it is important to give the child hypoallergenic or non-allergic formulas to avoid allergies, and if the mother is breastfeeding, she should exclude the intake of cow's milk and its derivatives.
4. Agitation
Babies, when exposed to noisy and hectic environments, can become uncomfortable and afraid, which can cause colic.
5. Mother's feeding
The mother's feeding can cause colic in the baby, so it is important to be attentive to try to identify the foods that cause gases. Some of the foods best known for causing these types of effects are:
- Broccoli, cabbages, cauliflower, brussels sprouts and some other types of vegetables from the cruciferous family; Peppers, cucumbers and turnips; Beans, beans, beans, lentils and peas; Chocolate.
Generally, the same foods that cause gas in the mother are also those that cause the baby and, therefore, to know how the baby is reacting, one must be aware of some signs after breastfeeding, such as a swollen belly, crying, irritation or difficulty to sleep. If these signs are evident, the mother should reduce the amount and divide the consumption of these foods between meals, to relieve the baby's colic.
However, if the baby still has colic, it may be necessary to stop consuming these foods for at least the first 3 months of breastfeeding, and then re-introduce them later in small quantities, testing the baby's reaction.
See all these tips in the video of our nutritionist:
