You've heard of infant colic; if you don't experience it with your baby, you've heard about it. And in either case, you'd like to be able to relieve them. At Élhée, you know us too; we innovate for the daily well-being of your babies. So, in this article, we've decided to share with you our tips for understanding the origin of colic, recognizing it, and above all, soothing it naturally until it disappears.
CONTENTS :
- Infant colic: understanding this frequent phenomenon
- 7 natural and effective approaches to baby's abdominal pain
- How our grandmothers treated sore tummies
- 2 innovations that change babies' lives
- Persistent colic: get help and preserve the family cocoon
Infant colic: understanding this frequent phenomenon
Infant colic occurs in 10 to 40% of babies, making it a very frequent reason for pediatric consultations. At the practice, parents talk about it as episodes of intense, inconsolable and frequent crying, usually at the end of the day or in the evening, in a healthy baby.
In parallel, according to the Rome IV criteria (a set of standardized definitions used to diagnose functional gastrointestinal disorders), infant colic is medically defined as paroxysms of irritability,restlessness or crying occurring without apparent cause, lasting at least three hours every day, three days a week and for at least one week. They appear around two weeks of age, and disappear spontaneously around four months.
Several hypotheses have been put forward to explain them, including immaturity of the digestive system (before birth, the baby was fed through the umbilical cord), imbalance of the intestinal flora (notably a lack of bifidobacterium and lactobacilli),foodallergies orintolerances ( cow's milk could be responsible for some cases of colic), or psychosocial factors such asparental anxiety.
To find the best way to relieve your baby's colic, you must first identify it and rule out other possible causes of your baby's crying: gastro-oesophageal reflux, infections, neurological disorders or trauma.
6 natural and effective approaches to baby's abdominal pain
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Place a warm hot water bottle or warm hands on baby's tummy to relax the abdominal muscles and help evacuate gas.
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Try clockwise abdominal massages with the flat of your hand on your baby's tummy. You can also fold your baby's legs gently over his tummy, or initiate a pedaling motion, which will also help release accumulated gas.
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Thanks to its relaxing effect on the whole body, a bath at 37°C can ease the pain of colic and the tension that accompanies it.
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Many of you have also noticed thata warm bottle heated to around 37°C seems to aid digestion.
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Babywearing is also known to calm babies in many situations, such as colic. Here too, warmth plays a role, as does closeness to the parent and the gentle compression of the baby itself.
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Creating a calm environment, with soft lighting and lullabies, is just as beneficial for reducing your baby's stress and, consequently, colic symptoms.
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For breast-fed babies, talk to your pediatrician about avoiding cow's milk proteins in your diet. For bottle-fed babies, ask about hydrolyzed oramino acid -based formulas (Neocate by Nutricia) that are easier to digest (Alfaré and Althéra by Nestlé, Pepticate by Nutricia...) than conventional powdered milks.
How our grandmothers treated sore tummies
And because colic has been complicating babies' lives for a long time, here are some additional anti-colic remedies used by our grandmothers, to be applied today, again and again with love.
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If you're breastfeeding, drink herbal teas made from fennel, chamomile or vervain, to soothe your baby's tummy, which is soaked with milk at every feed.
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Because slings and baby carriers didn't always exist, grandmothers used to lay their babies flat on their forearms, rocking them gently. This exerted gentle pressure on the abdomen, relieving the pain of colic.
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Sesame oil, known for its antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory properties and for stimulating digestion, can help relieve colic when massaged directly onto baby's tummy.
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Sucking can also bring real comfort to infants and help them to calm down. So, if you feel your baby is struggling or in pain, don't hesitate to offer him his pacifier or introduce him to one. By the way, did you know that Élhée has designed her own Pacifier for baby? Extra-thin and extra-flexible, it's the only 100% medical silicone pacifier in one piece!
2 innovations that change children's lives
Several studies, including one conducted byINRAE Occitanie-Toulouse, have demonstrated that certain oligosaccharides naturally present in breast milk can significantly reduce gastrointestinal and visceral pain in babies. How can this be achieved? By modulating the transmission between the microbiota, the intestine and the brain. The result: ever more digestible milks for all infants.
For their part, Élhée anti-colic feeding bottles are already making a revolution! Round, thanks to a unique design that resembles a mother's breast; flexible, thanks to a bottle made entirely from medical silicone; and innovative, thanks to the anti-colic valve on the teat, they significantly reduce the amount of air ingested during feeding, and thus the risk of colic.
Persistent colic: get help and preserve the family cocoon
Despite all your kindness and all the soothing methods we've just shared with you, infant colic can sometimes be particularly painful and difficult to get over. In this case, don't hesitate to mobilize other resources, both for your baby and for your family life.
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If symptoms persist despite your care, changing milk or bottle, massaging or using a hot water bottle, if baby doesn't calm down, if crying lasts for hours or if colic gets worse... Consult a health professional, doctor or pediatrician.
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Some studies suggest that osteopathy may help relieve infant colic by reducing pelvic muscle tension and improving intestinal motility.
Finally, because colic can be a source of stress and fatigue for the whole family, it's important that you seek support from friends, relatives or parenting groups who have already been through it. Throughout these first months, more than ever, take care of yourself, take turns resting, and let your other children rest with their grandparents... Infant colic is benign, and eventually disappears spontaneously around the age of three or four months.
Les biberons Élhée accompagneront votre bébé de la naissance jusqu'à 24 mois et plus, pour lui permettre une parfaite autonomie, sans risque de casse.
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