👶 BABY COLIC 🍼

Colic in babies is a syndrome that occurs between 2 weeks and 4 months of age and in a healthy infant, regardless of the type of breastfeeding, whether breastfeeding, mixed or formula. It is characterized by a sudden and inconsolable crying that is more prevalent in the afternoon and even at night (circadian rhythm) and in which the baby has a flexor pattern.

Theoretically, if a baby has "episodes of intense and vigorous crying at least 3 hours a day, 3 days a week, for at least 3 weeks in a healthy and well-fed baby" we would speak of colic. It is a very general theory that, in my opinion, should not be valid, since all children with inconsolable crying are identified as colic in which we cannot identify the true causes. Thus, becoming a disaster drawer that can be used for many pathologies where we put all babies for not knowing the reason for their crying. That is why it is important to distinguish what problem the baby is having and not camouflage everything with the name "colic".

Causes:

Infant younger than 3-4 months can have various causes of pain, there is usually no single cause, but there are usually several causes. Next, I explain the most common ones to be able to identify them:

1. Incorrect feeding guidelines

Taking them at fixed times and a recommended amount is a mistake, your baby may need more food on a specific day and you do not provide it because the behaviours were to give an exact amount and from time to time. Every day is not the same and you must give the breastfeed on demand. If we do not give him what he needs, the baby will eat with anxiety generating gases and generating greater discomfort.

Incorrect Fedding Guidelines

2. Stimuli

Infants need stimuli to develop their brain, posture changes, affective stimuli. It is very easy to diagnose, if they do not receive these stimuli they complain and when receiving continuous changing stimuli, it calms down.

High need babies fit here. Their brain development is faster than usual and they need more stimuli, be they affective, moving or sensitive. In these children they take a 10-minute nap and are 4-5 hours non-stop, they are exhausting children. He complains after 2 seconds of standing and they do it out of need of stimuli, offer them as soon as possible because this is not a whim. As we get along with them, as we give them more stimuli, their anxiety level decreases and their nervousness level improves.

Stimuli

3. Intestinal flora

When an infant is born, it does not have flora in his gastrointestinal tract, the first to enter may be lactobacillus (good), but if other germs that are anaerobic enter, they will generate more gas, there would be the problem. The solution is probiotics to plant lactobacillus and modify the flora. They are continually entering maybe at first it was fine but then anaerobic germs can enter.

Intestinal Flora

4. Artificial feeding

Colic is more common in bottle-feeding infant than breastfeeding, due to intolerance of cow's milk protein or lactose. When they are intolerant, they usually have skin irritation, a tendency to vomit, they do not gain enough weight, many gas and acid poop that irritates the bottom. The solution would be to change normal artificial milk for hydrolyzed milk and control the mother's diet in the event that feeding is mixed. Another option is artificial milk based on goat's milk since it is more digestible and requires less acid production. Also watch that the infants eat when they want, babies who usually take a bottle do so with marked guidelines for quantity and time, and the breast is usually made on demand.

Mixed feeding: this type of feeding helps feed the baby in the event that breast milk is insufficient for multiple reasons such as the amount of milk produced, poor suction grip, mother's schedule or other circumstances that are not suitable for the breastfeeding. The goal should be to maintain breastfeeding as much as possible. Breast milk production increases in the morning and decreases at night, so if the child is more active in the evening, we have to resort to more bottle feeding. The solution would be to try to make more feedings in the morning and in the afternoon with breast milk, and decrease the feedings with artificial milk at night, so that it adjusts more to the production of natural milk. It is important not to combine breast and bottle in the same feed, because if we do not empty the breast every time it is hungry, the mother will never have enough milk capacity for her baby to feed properly.

Artificial Feeding

5. Acid reflux

It may happen that the baby produces an amount of gastroesophageal acid that is higher than normal. The symptoms and signs are clear, he interrupts the breastfeeding arching back, feeling that something is rising upwards but they never shrunk. He even wakes up at night arching back, grimacing as disgust because the food comes. If he lies down, he starts crying and incorporated he is better, being able to throw food or not throwing it through his mouth, implying the possible burn of the tongue and turning white can also that the milk is cut and smells like vomit.

The causes can be various, the allergy to the milk the infant is drinking, the disturbed intestinal flora or he eats with great anxiety when spacing the feedings. One or several of them at a time can cause acid reflux. The solution could provide an antacid and maintain the treatment prescribed by the doctor, to lower the dose later, it usually takes effect between 3-10 days. Another option would be to welcome feedings more often, so that the child eats with the least anxiety possible, generates less acidity, gives him time to assimilate and does not ebb. The infant shouldn't be more than two hours without eating, bottle or breastfeeding, and at night he sleeps what he wants. There are also specific bottles that help you eat with less anxiety.

 

Acid Reflux

6. Constipation or Pseudo-constipation

In most cases, the child is not able to open the external anal sphincter. At first, he has no strength to close and has no problem pooping, but as they get older, he does. It only opens if the child opens it, usually comes and squeezes, but does not know how to do it, so he tries again and again. It does not usually cause crying, but not to squeeze and when it poops it is soft, so it is not constipation. It did not come out because the sphincter was closed, the treatment is rectal probes, microenemas or, the best of all options, to estimulate the anus with a small touch with a wipe to help relax the sphincter.

Constipation

Practical example

High need baby if I do not give him the necessary stimuli, has more anxiety and generates more gastroesophageal acid causing reflux. If you also have an intolerance to lactose or cow's milk protein, the clinical becomes complicated. Having to treat all possible causes simultaneously, first to improve and then we are removing measures to narrow the circle and know exactly what is happening to it.

I hope you have learned something more about "baby colic", be happy!

Happy Baby