According to statistics, every second family faces this problem. Approximately in the third week of life, the baby begins to cry shrilly and ceaselessly crying in the evenings. He does not eat well and sleeps, constantly fusses and restlessly behaves.

The explanation for this is one: your crumbs began to have colic. It's time to figure out what this phenomenon is and how to help the baby survive the bouts of pain.

Colic. Understand and recognize.

Intestinal colic is the pain in the abdomen caused by the accumulation of gases in the infant's digestive system. They also provoke spasms of the intestines, which, in turn, give the baby a strong discomfort.

Colic is not a pathology, but a natural (albeit very painful) reaction of a child's organism to new conditions of life.

Pediatricians claim that today about 80% of newborns suffer from problems with the gastrointestinal tract. Colic begins in the infants around the third week of life, their seizures last for three hours a day and pass by the end of the third month. Experts call this the "rule of three".

Determine if the baby has started colic or he cries for quite a different reason, just. If the baby has a stomach ache, he becomes extremely restless, shrieks and screams (usually closer to the evening and after feeding), squeezes the fists, periodically presses the legs to the stomach, refuses to eat or, conversely, starts eating too much, interrupting sucking crying. Frequent fluid stools or constipation, as well as bloating - are the true signs of colic.

Where did they come from?.

The appearance of colic affects several factors at once. From some of them the baby can be protected, reducing the risk of unpleasant symptoms.

One of the main reasons is the imperfect digestive system of the baby. The fact is that in the intestine of a newborn there are not enough digestive enzymes and there is no full-fledged microflora that promotes absorption of nutrition.

In the third week of life, the child begins to eat more, but his body does not always manage to cope with the task. As a result, excess milk or mixtures accumulate in the intestine of the baby, and this leads to active fermentation and release of gases.

Another common cause of colic starts is the wrong technique of feeding, which leads to the fact that during the meal the child swallows the air. This provokes an even greater accumulation of gases in his stomach. When bottle-fed, bottle should be kept at an angle of 45 degrees. During breastfeeding, it is necessary to ensure that the baby breathes freely and grasps not only the nipple but also the nipple circle.

Incorrect diet of the nursing mother also increases the risk of colic in the infant. Mom should give up fried, sharp, smoked and spicy dishes, replacing them with boiled or steamed. From your menu you need to exclude fresh vegetables and fruits, whole milk, legumes, bread, strong coffee and tea, chocolate and citrus fruits. All these products contribute to gas formation.

Colic can cause and incorrectly selected mixture, nervous state of the mother or overfeeding of the baby.

First aid.

Relieve the suffering of crumbs during seizures can be in many ways. They are quite simple and do not require special skills from parents.

Pediatricians recommend feeding the baby on the tummy before feeding. This strengthens the muscles of the press and stimulates the work of the gastrointestinal tract.

After eating the baby should be held for about five minutes in an upright position ("column") so that he can regurgitate excess air.

Warm bath, cooked baby before going to bed, will help the crumb to relax and calmly fall asleep.

Another sure way is to make the baby a warm compress. To do this, iron the sheet with an iron and attach it to the baby's belly for a few minutes.

In the intervals between the feedings, give the baby a cup of fennel and chamomile tea or dill water.

If the newborn refuses to drink more, the nursing mother can include these useful decoctions in her diet. Then the baby with the milk will receive all the necessary elements that will help his digestion.

Also, doctors recommend that the newborn be given a stomach massage: after eating several times, draw a hand around the baby's navel clockwise (without pressing!). This will help the digestion process and will calm the baby.

Today, there are many medications that allow for a time to ease the pain of bouts of colic.

nedug. en.