Colic
If an infants’ feeding is not going well it is important to consider what may be upsetting him. Colic is one of the most common feeding problems in infants and can occur in up to 1 in 4 babies1. Therefore it is vital to be aware of the signs and symptoms for infants suffering from colic. The cause of colic is not fully understood however there are a number of potential contributing factors;
- The infant may swallow too much air without burping causing his tummy to fill and stretch with wind.
- Infants bowels may work too hard to remove waste from his body and therefore start to cramp up.
- Immature digestive system
- Sensitivities to milk or
- Psychosocial factors
Also, some useful indicators for identifying colic include;
- Intense inconsolable crying
- Flushing of the face
- Retraction of the legs and
- Clenching of the fists with 2-3 hour spells of loud crying, often 15 minutes after feeding.
How can you help comfort a colicky breastfed baby?
If the baby is being breastfed consider talking to mum about her diet. Some small changes may help alleviate colicky symptoms. Research has shown exclusion of allergenic foods from the maternal diet can help such as; cows’ milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy and fish may reduce crying/fuss in babies presenting with colic2.
How to reduce symptoms of colic in bottle fed babies
For those infants that are not being breastfed, Cow&Gate Comfort has been scientifically proven to reduce symptoms of colic:
Cow&Gate Comfort is
You can reassure parents that colicky babies do not have any lasting problems once the colic has stopped, but it can be very difficult for parents to listen to the long periods of crying every day.
For more information and useful tips on How to comfort a colicky baby, follow through to download our ‘Comforting your colicky baby’ booklet.
Research papers available on request.
1. Garrison M & Christakis D. Early Childhood: Colic, Child Development, and poisoning prevention: A systematic review of Treatments for Infant Colic/ Pediatrics 2000; 106: 184-190.
2. Hill DJ et al., Effect of a low-allergen maternal diet on colic among breastfed infants: a randomised controlled trial, Pediatrics 2005; 106:184-190.
4. Savino et al. Reduction of crying episodes owing to infantile colic: a randomised controlled study on the efficacy of a new formula. European J Clin Nut 2006; 1-7
5. Savino et al. Minor feeding problems in the first months of life: effect of partially hydrolysed milk formula containing galacto-oligosaccharides and fructo-oligosaccharides. Acta Pediatric Suppl 2003; 441: 86-90.
6. Schmelze et al. Randomised double blind study of the nutritional efficacy and bifidogenicity of a new infant formula containing partially hydrolysed protein, a high b-palmitic acid level and no digestible oligosaccharides. J. pediatr Gastro Gastro Nutr 2003
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