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Baby Cries Due To Colic Pain At The Same Time Every Evening. What Is The Remedy?
Question: My 2 months old baby cries out of colic same time eveyday(late evenings) wht is the remedy?
Dear XXXXXXX
The condition your baby is suffering from is called "infantile colic". This is a problem that affects up to 20-30% of all infants between birth and three months of age. Studies have not yet revealed the exact cause of the colicky pains that babies experience in the evenings, but the best belief is that they are caused by gaseous distension of the small bowel of the baby.
Although the crying can cause anxiety and even panic among parents, generally, there are no short-term or long-term after-effects of this problem, and once the baby is more than 3-4 months of age, the problem goes away by itself. Considering the self-resolving nature of the problem, doctors do not administer any medication. Use of gripe waters, colic drops etc. is very wide-spread, but, in general, their use is not documented to cause any definite relief. In fact, certain brands of gripe waters contain sodium bicarbonate (this generates gas in the stomach and produces belching/passing of gas per anus) and some, alcohol, to make the baby sleep. Thus, instead of giving any benefit, they may harm the child.
What to do: If you see your baby screaming while drawing up her legs to the tummy, simply turn him on your lap and soothe him by rubbing his back for a few minutes. You should remember to do this only if you have burped him earlier and he hasn't just been fed. Rubbing his back while he is prone in your lap will quieten him. After some time, you may lay him on his back in the cot. This procedure can be repeated if the symptoms occur more than once each evening. You could try colic drops only if this simple method of relief does not work.
To summarise: this is a self-limiting problem, and agressive medication is not required. Avoid use of gripe waters, janam ghuttis and other home remedies (some of the ghuttis contain jayphal, which is the seed from which opium is extracted! Would you like your baby to sleep under the effect of alcohol or opium?)
Best wishes, and have a good time parenting~!
-Dr. Taher
P.S. Just one warning: When you lay the baby in your lap with her head down, make sure that her nose and mouth are open to breathe, or else, you will end up smothering her. Do not exceed 5-10 minutes of this manouvre at any one time, but keep checking that she is breathing well and is not getting choked by your dress or something while she is in your lap. It would be best if you kept her head a little further ahead of your knee, so that there is no chance of this happening.
The condition your baby is suffering from is called "infantile colic". This is a problem that affects up to 20-30% of all infants between birth and three months of age. Studies have not yet revealed the exact cause of the colicky pains that babies experience in the evenings, but the best belief is that they are caused by gaseous distension of the small bowel of the baby.
Although the crying can cause anxiety and even panic among parents, generally, there are no short-term or long-term after-effects of this problem, and once the baby is more than 3-4 months of age, the problem goes away by itself. Considering the self-resolving nature of the problem, doctors do not administer any medication. Use of gripe waters, colic drops etc. is very wide-spread, but, in general, their use is not documented to cause any definite relief. In fact, certain brands of gripe waters contain sodium bicarbonate (this generates gas in the stomach and produces belching/passing of gas per anus) and some, alcohol, to make the baby sleep. Thus, instead of giving any benefit, they may harm the child.
What to do: If you see your baby screaming while drawing up her legs to the tummy, simply turn him on your lap and soothe him by rubbing his back for a few minutes. You should remember to do this only if you have burped him earlier and he hasn't just been fed. Rubbing his back while he is prone in your lap will quieten him. After some time, you may lay him on his back in the cot. This procedure can be repeated if the symptoms occur more than once each evening. You could try colic drops only if this simple method of relief does not work.
To summarise: this is a self-limiting problem, and agressive medication is not required. Avoid use of gripe waters, janam ghuttis and other home remedies (some of the ghuttis contain jayphal, which is the seed from which opium is extracted! Would you like your baby to sleep under the effect of alcohol or opium?)
Best wishes, and have a good time parenting~!
-Dr. Taher
P.S. Just one warning: When you lay the baby in your lap with her head down, make sure that her nose and mouth are open to breathe, or else, you will end up smothering her. Do not exceed 5-10 minutes of this manouvre at any one time, but keep checking that she is breathing well and is not getting choked by your dress or something while she is in your lap. It would be best if you kept her head a little further ahead of your knee, so that there is no chance of this happening.
Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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