The child has colic: causes, how to understand and what to do. What to do if the child has severe stomach pain, what drugs can be given: an overview of drugs and home remedies

Intestinal colic is paroxysmal pain in the abdomen, which in young children is manifested by anxiety, sudden loud crying, refusal to eat. Colic often appears in babies after the third week of life and, as a rule, resolves on its own by the end of the third or fourth month of life.

With colic, the child's stomach is swollen, tense, the legs are pulled up to the stomach, sometimes the baby randomly bends and unbends the legs, trying to alleviate his condition. Attacks of colic in newborns, as a rule, appear during feeding or a few minutes after eating, more often in the evening. In newborns and children in the first months of life, colic can last from several minutes to 2-3 hours, often repeating from day to day. As a rule, a noticeable relief of the condition occurs immediately after the passage of stool or gases. Outside of an attack of colic, children eat with appetite and are in a good mood.

Causes of colic in a newborn

Pain with intestinal colic in children most often occurs for the following reasons:

• excessive accumulation of gases in the intestines (flatulence);
• swallowing air during feeding (aerophagia);
• overfeeding;
• incomplete breakdown of proteins, fats or carbohydrates in breast milk or artificial milk formula (for example, lactase deficiency);
• constipation, etc.

At breastfeeding the cause of colic in children may be a violation of the technique of attachment to the breast, as well as the nutrition of a nursing mother. Incorrect attachment to the breast and short feedings can cause the baby to suck out only foremilk, rich in carbohydrates, which can increase gas formation in the intestines. In addition, improper nipple grip, greedy sucking leads to the swallowing of air by the baby during feeding and the development of so-called aerophagy.

If a nursing mother herself eats foods that increase fermentation in the intestines, then this can lead to excessive gas formation in the intestines of the baby.

Overfeeding a child, especially a formula-fed child, increases the burden on his immature enzymatic system intestines, leading to incomplete digestion of food and the development of constipation. All this causes the accumulation of gases in the intestines of the crumbs, the development of flatulence and, as a result, the appearance of colic in the newborn.

The immaturity of the production of the lactase enzyme (lactase deficiency) is most often found in premature babies, babies with signs of intrauterine growth retardation, who have undergone hypoxia (oxygen starvation) and severe conditions in the neonatal period. With lactase deficiency in the intestines of the baby, the amount of lactase is reduced - an enzyme that processes the milk sugar lactose, which is found in large quantities in breast milk or formula milk.

As a result of incomplete splitting milk sugar in the intestines of the crumbs, the processes of fermentation and rapid release of gases begin. The abdomen swells, rumbles, the stool becomes thin with a lot of gas, and as a result, the child develops colic. Often lactase deficiency is temporary and associated with immaturity gastrointestinal tract. As the child grows, there is an increase in the production of the lactase enzyme in the intestines and the digestion and absorption of milk sugar, which the baby needs for proper growth and development.

Violations of the formation of the intestinal microflora (dysbiosis) in young children lead to incomplete breakdown of nutrients, excessive gas formation and the occurrence of intestinal colic. Useful intestinal microflora(lactobacilli, bifidobacteria and E. coli) is able to form and secrete digestive enzymes, which improves the digestion of food and accelerates its absorption. In addition, beneficial microflora ensures timely emptying of the intestines, protects against allergic reactions and constipation.

In children who are breastfed, the intestinal microflora is represented mainly by bifidobacteria, which contribute to optimal digestion of food. Meanwhile, the children artificial feeding come to light in more lactobacilli and opportunistic microbes (these microbes normally live in the intestine, but under certain conditions they can become pathogenic, begin to multiply and lead to the onset of the disease). With an excess of these microbes, putrefactive processes in the intestine increase, causing increased gas formation, colic and constipation. After all, it is with mother's milk that the baby receives bifidogenic factors that contribute to the growth of much-needed bifidobacteria.

It should be noted that, due to the immaturity of organs and systems in premature babies compared to full-term babies, their intestinal colic is more pronounced and protracted, sometimes lasting up to 5-6 months of life.

In the vast majority of cases, intestinal colic in a child is still a temporary phenomenon and is associated with the functional immaturity of organs and systems. However, despite all its harmlessness, intense, frequent and long-lasting intestinal colic in infants can lead to disruption of sleep, nutrition of the child, which, of course, requires taking measures to eliminate or reduce them.

How to relieve the suffering of a child with colic?

To relieve pain at the time of colic in a newborn, you should start with the simplest and most affordable actions:

• Take the baby in your arms, try to create a comfortable position that facilitates the passage of gas from the intestines. This can be laying out on the stomach with half-bent legs, the position of the child with the stomach on the mother's stomach.
• Put heat on the baby's stomach area (and warm hand, and mom's belly, and a diaper, pre-warmed with an iron).
• Stroke the belly of the crumbs in a circular motion around the navel in a clockwise direction, massage the belly.
• Do a few exercises with the baby's legs like a "bike" or just press the bent legs of the crumbs to the tummy.

With the ineffectiveness of previous measures, it is possible to use a gas outlet tube or an enema to facilitate the discharge of intestinal gases and stool.

∗ Gas tube. Use a clean, boiled gas outlet tube purchased from a pharmacy. Be sure to lubricate the tip of the tube with Vaseline or vegetable oil. Lay the baby on his back, bend his legs slightly and press them against his stomach. Gently, slightly turning the tube, insert it into the rectum and leave for a few minutes. To facilitate the discharge of gases, you can stroke the baby's tummy clockwise.

* Enema. If the colic is very strong and difficult to tolerate by the baby, it is possible to facilitate the passage of gases and stools by giving an enema. Pre-boil pear enema No. 1, fill with boiled water at room temperature, grease the tip of the enema with vaseline or vegetable oil. Put the child on its side, bend the legs and bring it to the stomach and carefully insert the tip of the pear enema into the rectum to a depth of 3-5 cm, then squeeze the pear. Squeeze the baby's buttocks, gently pull out the tip of the enema and hold the baby in this position for some more time. For a cleansing enema, it is enough to introduce 25–30 ml of water for a newborn, and 60–150 ml for an infant. Outlet tube or an enema should not be used regularly, but only in cases where previous methods have not helped, so as not to disrupt the baby's own bowel movement.

∗ Medications. To facilitate the passage of stool and gases, it is possible to introduce a candle with glycerin. However, this remedy can be used only occasionally, as an emergency, since prolonged use of suppositories can not only cause irritation of the intestinal mucosa, but also prevent the restoration of an independent stool.

If it is difficult to cope with colic in a child and all the described actions do not help, then the doctor may prescribe the child to take drugs designed to combat flatulence. They reduce the accumulation of gases in the intestines, facilitate their discharge and thereby reduce pain. However, before you start giving your baby any medicine, be sure to consult your doctor. Remember that the child may have an individual intolerance to the components of the drug.

Since colic can persist for up to 3-4 months, medications can be taken both once - to relieve symptoms, and for a long time - for the purpose of prevention.

Rarely, but it happens that intestinal colic is very strong and brings significant suffering to the child. In these cases, pediatricians prescribe antispasmodics for babies. The choice of drug, dose and duration of administration can be determined by the doctor only after examining the crumbs and excluding other more serious causes of suffering. With the development of intestinal colic against the background of violations of the intestinal microflora (dysbacteriosis), it is necessary to establish its causes, followed by the addition of pre- and probiotic preparations to the treatment. To do this, you may need to take some tests (for example, feces for dysbacteriosis, etc.).

If, despite Taken measures, no positive dynamics was noted or an increase in other intestinal disorders(constipation, unstable or loose stools, regurgitation, vomiting, violations of weight gain), the baby needs to conduct an in-depth examination to identify the cause of the violations that have arisen, followed by the selection of treatment.

Prevention of intestinal colic in children

It is important from the first minutes of a baby's life to provide feeding breast milk, which is the most balanced, easily digestible and useful product food for the newborn baby. Breast milk contains not only easily digestible nutrients, but also enzymes that facilitate its digestion, growth factors and substances (oligosaccharides) necessary for the formation and development of beneficial intestinal microflora, proper intestinal motor function.

If the baby is breastfed, it is important to properly attach to the breast and correctly capture not only the nipple, but also the areola (the pigmented circle of the mammary gland around the nipple).

When artificial feeding, it is necessary to use bottles with a nipple equipped with a valve that prevents the baby from swallowing air during feeding.

It is important to choose the right milk formula that facilitates digestion and reduces gas formation in the intestines of the child. These can be mixtures with partially digested protein, with a reduced content of lactose milk sugar, enriched with oligosaccharides. In children suffering from constipation, it is advisable to use special medicinal mixtures with thickeners to facilitate bowel movements. However, only a doctor will help you choose the right milk formula, carefully sorting out the possible causes of colic in your baby.

Regardless of the type of feeding (from breast or bottle), after feeding, it is necessary to hold the baby in vertical position for several minutes to expel the air swallowed during feeding.

Remember: intestinal colic in infants is most often an adaptive reaction to new conditions of existence. Therefore, it is important to create the most comfortable conditions for easier adaptation of the crumbs in the form of an organization. proper nutrition, daily routine, calm atmosphere in the family.

Predisposing factors

To the occurrence of intestinal colic in infants predispose:

• immaturity of the central and peripheral nervous regulation intestines, which leads to uneven contraction of the intestine, a sharp spasm of its individual sections and pain;
• immaturity of enzymes of the gastrointestinal tract (substances involved in the digestion of food) leads to incomplete breakdown of fats and carbohydrates in mother's milk and excessive gas formation in the baby's intestines;
• violation or delay in the formation of beneficial intestinal microflora involved in the processes of digestion of food, protection against pathogenic microbes.

What does a breastfeeding mother eat?

From the menu of a nursing mother, foods that lead to increased gas formation in the intestines should be excluded (whole milk, cucumbers, tomatoes, legumes, corn, sauerkraut, grapes, apples, watermelon, fresh yeast bread, rye bread, kvass, dried fruits: dried apricots, prunes , figs). It is advisable to limit in the diet fatty foods and extractive substances (broths, seasonings), exclude highly allergenic foods (nuts, honey, sugar, chocolate, cocoa, red and orange vegetables and fruits, eggs, fish, chicken meat, sausages and sausages, canned food, etc.) that can disrupt digestion and intestinal motility in both mother and child.

Abdominal cramps in a child can be a sign of overeating, poor peristalsis intestines, physical overwork, failure of the nervous system. Usually the pain is combined with diarrhea and vomiting.

The term "stomach pain" is used to refer to all kinds of cramps that a child experiences in the upper abdomen. Sometimes pain is localized below. They can be acute and chronic.

Understanding what caused the spasms in the child will help alleviate his suffering and provide him with comfort.

Why does the stomach hurt in very young children, preschoolers and adolescents?

What causes abdominal cramps? The reasons for the child may be different. Much depends on age. Pain in the stomach in a child at 1 year old is identical to the causes in adults. A rare exception is the presence of gallstone disease in a baby.

Pain in the tummy of a child of 3 years is often caused by the presence of appendicitis in acute form, peritonitis or diverticulitis.

Cramps in the abdomen of a 5-year-old child may be of a functional nature. They are not associated with pathological changes in the gastrointestinal tract or the failure of other organs. You can compare such pain with migraine in adults.

What can cause abdominal cramps in children of primary school age? The reasons for a child of 8 years old are the presence of diseases occurring in chronic form. For example, it can be gastritis, gastroduodenitis, pancreatitis.

The child's diet preschool age already looks like an adult. The kid owns a spoon and a fork, has preferences in food. Many attend kindergarten.

With spasms at 6 years of age, the suspicion of a gastrointestinal disease is considered last. Causes such as enterovirus, dysentery or helminthic invasion come to the fore. In some cases, they may indicate problems with the kidneys and liver.

According to the observation of many pediatricians, it is not so often possible to hear complaints of abdominal pain from a child at the age of 3 years. Sometimes parents do not believe their child, thinking that he does not want to go to kindergarten. Of course, there are such cases, but not always children tell lies.

Abdominal spasm in a 3-year-old child can be both acute and chronic. Often the first case occurs. This condition in medicine is called "acute abdomen". In the vast majority of cases, the presence of an intestinal infection or acute intestinal obstruction.

A distinctive feature of chronic pain is often recurring colic. The main causes of this condition may be violations of the gastrointestinal tract of a functional nature. At the age of 3 to 6 years, dysbacteriosis and chronic constipation. One of the leading causes is the defeat of the stomach with worms.

Colic in babies

Colic occurs in infants up to six months. They can be described as unexplained cramps in the abdomen, which babies experience for periods almost from the moment they are born.

Such pains are diagnosed in 20% of babies. In addition to the fact that the pains are stable, children with similar spasms suffer from the bonding of stools and gases. This is the reaction of the child's body to improperly selected nutrition or low-quality food.

Also, colic can be a signal of intolerance to the milk sugar contained in mother's milk. The reason may be that the baby is bottle-fed. The vast majority of children cope with this problem after 4 months.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease

This disease is often observed in infants. The disease provokes severe abdominal cramps in the child, which cause crying. As a rule, this condition is observed periodically. If you suspect this disease, then you should contact your pediatrician, who will recommend necessary tests to confirm the diagnosis.

The presence of gastritis

Gastritis is an inflammation of the lining of the stomach. It occurs in both acute and chronic forms.

The disease can be caused by the use spicy food, chronic vomiting, stress, malnutrition, or the use of certain medicines, for example "Aspirin" or other anti-inflammatory drugs.

If a child's gastritis is not treated, it can lead to the development of stomach cancer.

Constipation

Constipation is often the cause severe pain in the baby's stomach. They appear suddenly and pass just as quickly.

Such abdominal cramps in a child (2 years old) are observed during an independent trip to the potty. Often, babies suffer from constipation if the act of defecation is carried out on reflex level at the request of adults, and not from nature.

Pain during constipation is concentrated in the left side of the abdomen. An additional symptom is nausea. Increasing fiber intake and drinking will help your child cope with this ailment.

food allergy

Food to which the child is allergic can also cause cramps. Such a painful reaction of the body can cause ordinary meat, fish, smoked foods, citrus fruits, eggs and chocolate.

As a rule, with an allergy, a rash appears on the skin of a child. It may be dry or wet. Blisters form during diathesis small size that itch a lot.

Allergies can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, and even vomiting. Often, dysbacteriosis is formed, which causes the appearance of liquid or strong stools. food allergy can cause runny nose, bronchial spasms and cough.

Stomach upset

Abdominal cramps, gurgling, and heaviness usually accompany diarrhea in children. Diarrhea can be caused by viruses and bacteria, as well as the result of food poisoning and the presence of worms.

Worm infestation

Pinworm infestation can cause stomach cramps. This condition occurs if the infection has developed too deeply. Pain in the abdomen helminthic invasion accompanied by bloating and copious flatus. This condition can cause cramps and indigestion.

Abdominal spasm in a 6-year-old child can also be caused by roundworms. Weaving into lumps, helminths can cause intestinal obstruction. As a result, the child loses his appetite, weight decreases, the temperature rises from time to time, nausea, vomiting with an admixture of bile appear, the head often hurts, sleep is disturbed, fears and nervousness appear. Ascaris can cause severe spasms in biliary tract, provoke the development of purulent cholecystitis and liver abscess.

Ascariasis can affect a child in preschool age. Helminth larvae penetrate the baby's body even during intrauterine development. They enter it through the placenta of an infected mother. Ascaris maturation takes place in small intestine. The length of helminths reaches 30 cm.

Enterovirus

This so-called rotavirus infection or intestinal flu. The infection enters the gastrointestinal tract. Most often this flu affects children aged six months to 2 years. Rotavirus can be transmitted through food and dairy products, as well as through contact through contaminated toys, linen and household items.

Incubation of influenza is 1-2 days, rarely a week. The onset of the disease is acute, the symptoms reach their maximum after 12-24 hours.

The main complaints of children include moderate cramps in the abdomen. Often, a rumbling is heard from it. Sometimes he puffs up. Body temperature rises within 2 days. Loss of appetite, observed frequent urges to vomit. Within 3-6 days, the baby's stool is liquid, similar to foam. You may also experience symptoms such as runny nose and cough.

Intestinal flu is more susceptible to children who are bottle-fed.

Indigestion

Cramps in the abdomen in a child, aggravated by a deep breath of the baby, occur, as a rule, with diarrhea. They are classified by doctors as intensive.

The disorder can be caused by eating excessive amounts of food, excessive drinking of carbonated drinks or juices.

Anxiety and stress

Neurological stomach cramps are most common in children aged 5 to 10 years. These pains can be compared to the flight of butterflies in the stomach. Symptoms nervous breakdown the same as for diarrhea.

A child suffering from this type of pain can last for hours. Often he sits in the toilet for a long time to get relief.

Cramps in the stomach caused by stress, as a rule, disappear with the elimination of the source of irritation of the nervous system. It is also possible that the importance of the traumatic event has decreased for the child.

urinary tract infection

Stomach cramps can be caused by infection urinary tract. As a rule, such pains are intense. Additional symptoms are frequent painful urge to urinate. Such infections can cause nausea, chills, and vomiting. If you suspect this disease, you should consult a doctor.

Appendicitis

When a child feels severe spasms, the presence of appendicitis is not excluded. It should be noted that the disease is a rare cause of spasms, but, of course, belongs to the category of the most dangerous.

If you suspect the presence of appendicitis, you should immediately contact a specialist.

Cramps caused by appendicitis may get worse over several hours. The pains are concentrated in the lower right part of the abdomen, as well as in its middle. Appendicitis causes vomiting, nausea, and chills.

Who to contact if you suspect a serious illness?

Which doctor should I contact if my child has stomach cramps? If there is such a phenomenon, it is advised to go to a pediatrician or gastroenterologist. It is necessary to conduct appropriate examinations and analyzes. Only a doctor can determine the cause of this condition and prescribe the desired course of treatment.

When to seek medical help?

Most cramps are caused by the usual accumulation of gas, but there are cases when the pain in the stomach is intense and causes nausea, diarrhea, and fever. In this case, ignoring such a state is simply unacceptable.

It is necessary to consult a doctor in the following cases:

• the pain in the stomach of the child is intense, it does not go away for 2 hours;
• discomfort is exacerbated by sudden movements;
• colic is common;
• spasms cause a feverish state;
• colic caused a rash on the skin, the child has a pale face;
• pain leads to vomiting with an admixture of blood or greenish discharge;
• the child has black streaks in the stool;
• the child experiences pain when urinating;
• the child complains of sharp cramps in all areas of the abdomen.

What measures should be taken before visiting a doctor?

There are a number of measures to help relieve abdominal cramps in a child:

• You should ask the child to lie still for 20 minutes, lay him on his back and bend his knees. This is the most optimal posture for relieving stomach cramps.
• It is advised to attach a bottle wrapped in a towel to the stomach. hot water or a heated bag of salt. So you can alleviate the condition of the child.
• Can you give your child a drink? clean water, but you should be careful. The child should not take liquid too much and quickly. This can increase pain and cause vomiting.
• Gently and slowly massage the child's abdomen in a clockwise direction. It follows the direction of the digestive system. This manipulation will help reduce spasms.
• Give your child tea with lemon, which should be sweetened with a couple of teaspoons of honey. This drink helps to relax the contracting muscles. Weak ginger tea also has high efficiency to relieve spasms. But most children refuse to drink it because of the specific smell and taste.
• Invite the child to go to the toilet. Sitting on the toilet is a great way to get rid of excess accumulated gases.

Important information

Is it possible to independently use medicines to alleviate the condition of the child? Abdominal cramps are not recommended for self-treatment. Do not give your child any medication. It is dangerous to eliminate abdominal cramps in a child without consulting a specialist. Laxatives can aggravate pain, disrupt the digestive tract. Painkillers can mask severe symptoms and make the diagnosis of the disease incorrect.

Intestinal colic in children is a fairly common occurrence in pediatrics. Colic usually occurs in younger children. infancy, and, as a rule, no serious pathologies are observed.

Intestinal colic that occurs in older children may be the result of malnutrition, overeating, or any other disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. It is worth noting that spasm attacks usually stop after a few minutes.

Etiology of the phenomenon

The causes of intestinal pain in children are very diverse. In infants, this phenomenon is considered the norm, since internal organs and the nervous system are not yet fully formed. Usually infants it resolves completely by 4-5 months of age.

In older children, the causes of intestinal colic are usually:

1. Poor intestinal patency, helminths, disturbances in the functioning of the entire system of the gastrointestinal tract, dysbacteriosis, intoxication of the body with salts heavy metals, infectious diseases or inflammatory processes in the abdominal cavity.
2. Frequent stress, psycho-emotional overload due to high school workload and abuse physical activity often become causes that provoke the appearance of intestinal colic.
3. There are a number of diseases in which intestinal colic is one of the signs of its development. Such diseases include SARS, influenza, gastritis, pancreatitis, enteritis, irritable bowel syndrome, nervous breakdown.

Symptomatic manifestations

Intestinal pain in children always begins with an unexpectedly sharp burning sensation in the intestinal region. The child in the formation of colic and spasms experiences a strong sharp pain, which always occurs suddenly. A child during attacks usually becomes irritable, cries, screams. During spasms, the abdominal muscles become very tense, the abdomen becomes very hard. Spasms usually stop as suddenly as they begin and last no more than a few minutes. Usually at such moments, the child has a bowel movement with an unpleasant odor and mucus clots.

If intestinal colic in children is not associated with any infectious or inflammatory processes of the intestine, then, as a rule, body temperature does not increase with such symptoms. If there is any inflammatory process in the system of the gastrointestinal tract, then in addition to an increase in body temperature, the child may experience other signs of colds.

Diagnostic measures

During the diagnosis of the causes that contribute to the formation of intestinal spasms, the child must pass a general blood test, thanks to which anemia can be detected against the background of anemia and inflammatory processes in the body. Thanks to the coprogram, you can find out all the violations, changes and pathological processes in the gastrointestinal tract. With intestinal colic, you must also undergo ultrasound, fluoroscopy, computed tomography, colonoscopy and FEGDS.

Treatment of pathology

Usually in newborns, intestinal colic is not treated with any medications. You just need to put the baby on the tummy more often or stroke the tummy clockwise. If the colic is too strong, then such drugs will help alleviate the condition - Espumizan, Disflatil.

Treatment of intestinal colic in older children should be started only when the exact cause of their appearance is found. To do this, it is necessary to undergo a thorough examination, since urgent surgical intervention may be required for treatment due to the fact that colic is caused by intestinal obstruction or appendicitis.

First aid for intestinal colic in infants.

When breastfeeding, you need to keep the baby in an almost vertical position, the only way to prevent the baby from swallowing excess air, which causes colic after eating. If the baby is bottle-fed, then you need to carefully monitor that the baby tightly wraps his lips around the nipple. The hole on the pacifier should be medium in size.

In between feedings, you can make your baby a warm bath with decoctions of medicinal herbs: chamomile, mint, oregano. These herbs have excellent sedative and antispasmodic properties.

First aid for older children.

The very first aid for colic in children is the discovery of the causes of such unpleasant symptoms, so the child should immediately be taken to the doctor. There are several proven and effective ways, helping to relieve spasms and eliminate colic, but they should be used only if during the diagnosis the child did not find any serious illnesses or disease requiring surgery. During severe spasms, you need to put a warm heating pad on the child's stomach, this helps to relax the muscles, eliminate spasms and alleviate the child's condition.

Taking antispasmodic drugs that act directly on the intestines, as a result of which relief comes very quickly, is also a fairly effective remedy for frequent colic. These drugs include: No-shpa, Platifillin, Papaverine, Smecta, mint decoction. In order for the attack not to recur, the child needs to be laid down for several hours, and during this time not to be given food, you can drink it with weak black tea without sugar.

Preventive approach

Prevention of intestinal colic in infants depends on the normalization of the diet consumed by the mother and transmitted to the infant along with breast milk. A woman needs to avoid foods that can cause bloating, cramps and colic in children. You need to eat not dry food, but try to eat more liquid food. Dishes during lactation should only be boiled or steamed, fried, fatty, salty and spicy, it is desirable to exclude from the diet. It is recommended to eat more vegetables, fruits, cereals and dairy products. It should be borne in mind that a woman during breastfeeding should not eat such foods: apples, pears, watermelons, tomatoes, cabbage, legumes.

If the child is artificially fed, then the mixture must be diluted with special care, carefully observing all proportions. In older children, intestinal colic often occurs as a result of eating heavy food, in which case animal meat should be excluded from the diet and replaced with fish or bird meat.

Intestinal colic in children, especially infants in the first months of life, has existed for as many years as mankind has.

However, scientists still cannot answer the question about the causes of this phenomenon. Often there is an impression that every child and his parents have to face colic.

However, medical science believes that intestinal colic occurs in about 30 - 40% of children. What is this condition and what is its treatment?

What is intestinal colic?

All parents have heard the word "colic", they know that it is abdominal pain, but few people understand how the pain of intestinal colic differs from any other abdominal pain.

Colic is characterized by attacks - short, but consecutive flashes of intense pain.

Intestinal colic is the so-called diagnosis of exclusion. It is put according to the results of the examination, when the doctor excludes all possible reasons intestinal pain, until one remains - infantile intestinal colic.

You can eliminate colic by observing the child. normal temperature body, good appetite and weight gain are signs that the baby is healthy, therefore, his crying can be explained by colic.

According to the observations of pediatricians, in boys, intestinal colic occurs more often and lasts longer than in girls.

All children cry a lot, but sometimes they do not just cry, but scream heart-rendingly, tearing the hearts of their parents. Intestinal colic is a problem not only and not so much of a child as of the whole family.

Especially in the countries of the former USSR, where the mental program “you need to do something!” written in the genes.

The symptoms of intestinal colic are varied, but their main manifestation in infants in the first months of life is the child's excruciating cry.

Other symptoms are bloating, sounds in the tummy, pain on palpation, which is manifested by increased crying.

Treatment of intestinal colic is basically useless. But it can be useless and safe, or useless and dangerous.

You can start dragging a child to all kinds of examinations and experimenting with his health, using much more risky means than Espumizan.

For example, the Internet offers the treatment of intestinal colic with enemas and other equally extreme, but no more useful options.

Research on baby crying different situations showed that crying with colic is different from any other species.

It especially affects the psyche of parents, perhaps because of the special demands, and mothers are ready to do anything to make it stop.

The particular danger of infantile intestinal colic is related to the fact that they coincide in time with the period of maternal postpartum depression, when the crying of a child can become too serious an irritant for the psyche of his mother.

This is the huge role of the father - to make sure that the mother responds adequately and does not harm herself and the child.

Colic: myths and facts

Many people who have moved to permanent place living abroad, complain about the inactivity of local pediatricians, who let many children's problems take their course and try to persuade parents to do the same.

A Russian woman who married a Mexican shared her experience of raising a baby in Argentina.

One day, her daughter's cheeks turned red, and her mother turned to the local pediatrician. The doctor hypothesized that the child's body is adapting to the outside world and "adult" nutrition, so you should not panic, but wait.

Mommy read a lot of articles on the Internet about diathesis and how to treat it, she waited, but was ready at any moment to use heavy artillery to cure her child.

After all, for Russian doctors the flowering of the baby's cheeks is a nightmare and horror, a harbinger future allergies and serious digestive problems.

While she was worried and chose the most effective methods struggle with diathesis, he passed.

Is it possible to imagine such a situation somewhere in Russia? Firstly, the commercialization of medicine does not allow doctors to simply wait - it is necessary to earn money themselves, let the pharmacy, specialists performing ultrasound and other medical manipulations earn money.

Secondly, even if the doctor advises to wait and observe, most likely the parents themselves will accuse him of inactive negligence and change the doctor, because “something must be done!”

Colic in babies is an even more serious problem, the child screams, he feels bad. Standing nearby and doing nothing is “what kind of mother are you after that!”, therefore, “you have to do something!”, and parents begin to look for ways to save the child.

They are looking for special preparations and magic bottles that allow them to swallow less air when eating.

Scientists still do not know why about a third of children suffer from tummy troubles for the first 3 months of life, but there is a theory that these are “gaziki” that burst the intestines and cause pain.

Hence, drugs such as Espumizan, which reduces the surface tension of air bubbles, as a result of which they exit the intestines more easily, hence the magic bottles that prevent the baby from swallowing excess air.

As a rule, parents find their way to deal with colic in children around the time the child turns three months old - when, according to statistics, colic disappears.

As a result, the fame of bottles and preparations is growing and expanding. Debunking the myth about their effectiveness is not beneficial to anyone - neither the manufacturers of "panaceas", nor the state that collects taxes from manufacturers, nor the pharmacies that make money on their sale, nor the parents themselves, who get satisfaction from the fact that they were able to save the child.

Treatment of colic with the help of special bottles, drops and other means is based on the theory that the cause of children's colic is increased gas formation.

There is another theory that the cause of intestinal colic in a child is the nutrition of his mother, if breastfeeding takes place.

The theory sounds convincing, and the diet is becoming the lot of many mothers whose children have intestinal colic.

Medical science proposes a theory about immaturity digestive system children, which can cause colic in the first months of life.

The first two theories lead to the conclusion that something can be done - a medicine, a bottle or proper diet can solve the problem of intestinal colic.

According to the theory of the immature digestive system, any treatment of intestinal colic is useless until the digestive system is formed to the required level, and any drops, bottle and diet are necessary only to comfort the parents.

How can you help a child?

Distinguishing crying of a baby with colic from crying caused by any other reasons is quite simple. First, it is a very intense, strong cry.

Secondly, all the needs of the child are satisfied (dry, fed, slept). Thirdly, as a rule, colic begins to torment the child after eating.

Fourthly, usually intestinal colic in infants has its own “mode” - symptoms (pain, and with it crying) usually begin at the same, usually evening hours, as scheduled.

AT medical science there is an assumption, although so far it has not been confirmed by anything, that the periodic nature of infantile intestinal colic is associated with the composition of mother's milk, which is heterogeneous in different time days.

The hormonal background of the mother changes the fat content and other components of mother's milk, and most often it is the evening portion that "does not suit" the child.

Many moms feel guilty about this and start experimenting with diets.

As a rule, this does not lead to tangible results, and the problem disappears only after a certain age - approximately when the child reaches three months. Because the best treatment for intestinal colic is time and patience.

Helplessly listening to a tiny baby cry is one of the most terrible nightmares for any parent. What to do if you have to face this problem?

Wise doctors suggest waiting, mercenary doctors suggest spending money. But you can try a free and completely harmless treatment - gymnastics.

Exercise 1 - massage the baby's tummy with the palm of your hand in a clockwise direction.

Exercise 2 - grab the baby's shins with your palms and measuredly, slowly, press both legs with your knees to the tummy.

Exercises can be alternated until the baby calms down.

This treatment is effective for several reasons:

1. massage helps to increase intestinal peristalsis, relax the muscles of the intestines and, consequently, expel gases as soon as possible;
2. manipulations with the child's body can distract and calm him;
3. the loving touch of mom or dad is an excellent sedative in itself;
4. mom is calmer when she does something, and not just listens helplessly.

So, the most important thing that every parent should understand about colic in their infants is that it is temporary and not scary!

A problem never lasts for several years, it only takes a few months.

If you can’t calmly listen to the cry of a baby and you just need to do something - drink tea with chamomile and mint, Novopassit or Persen - sedatives that nursing mothers can take.

Colic in older children

Intestinal colic in children who have come out of infancy, that is, those who eat ordinary food, and not mother's milk and formula milk is a completely different problem than infant colic.

You can understand their causes by observing the child, collecting into a single whole the symptoms of his condition, the conditions under which abdominal pain occurs.

Colic in school-age children may be related to dietary and lifestyle habits.

For example, the combination of gas-producing foods in the diet (legumes, sweet fruits, carbonated drinks, cabbage and many others) with a sedentary lifestyle.

A child of six to ten years old ate stewed cabbage and huddled over a tablet / phone / book.

Peristalsis, slowed down due to low mobility, does not remove gases from the intestines, children experience a feeling of fullness and paroxysmal pains in the abdomen caused by exposure (stretching) of the walls of the intestines with gases.

The best treatment in this case is a diet that excludes foods that make the child feel bad, movement after eating (walking, walking), abdominal massage with bloating.

An antispasmodic drug can be given to a child, but it is not necessary, because, as a rule, the measures listed above are enough for the symptoms to disappear or not appear.

It is important to pay attention to the stool (regularity, quantity stool and their appearance) and how intense the symptoms, in particular the pain.

Severe pain may be a sign of appendicular colic. Appendicitis occupies 89.1% acute pathologies abdominal cavity requiring surgical intervention.

The disease can develop at any age, but in young people, in particular children, especially women, pathology occurs more often.

To date, mortality from appendicitis is only 0.1%, but the disease is still the main cause of peritonitis - inflammation of the peritoneum caused by perforation of the intestines and the release of its contents into the abdominal cavity.

This is the reason why doctors categorically do not recommend removing sharp pain in the abdomen with pain medication, no matter how old the child is.

If you are in doubt about what caused the symptoms intestinal colic in a child, the wisest thing to do is to take him to the doctor.

Malfunctions in the digestive system are very common in infants.
When a baby has a tummy ache, this will not go unnoticed:
the child is restless;
he often cries;
his sleep worsens;
the baby twists its legs;
vomits often.

You need to pay attention to how the child behaves. If he looks quite healthy, and calms down when crying, when he is picked up, then there is no need to be particularly alarmed.

Signs of normal digestion in a child:
it develops according to age and gains weight well;
the child has a good appetite;
spits up no more than 1-2 times a day, with a small amount of milk;
the baby's belly is soft;
the baby does not cry after feeding;
the chair does not change. Feces are uniform, golden yellow color, no sharp bad smell. There is no greens, foam, mucus in the contents of the diaper.

But if the child has lost his appetite, and, moreover, other signs have appeared (vomiting, prolonged diarrhea), then you need to see a doctor, and the sooner the better.

Sometimes typical abdominal pain can signal a pathology. And this applies not only to the gastrointestinal tract, but also to other body systems.

Pain- this is a response to a spasm of any part of the intestine at the moment when the physical activity intestines and intensely formed gases.

There are several reasons, and doctors have not yet decided which of these reasons prevails.

The main causes of abdominal pain in infants are:
binge eating;
fast food;
accumulation of gases in the intestines (intestinal colic);
temporary indigestion;
constipation;
structural features of the gastrointestinal tract, malformations (congenital);
not very good functioning of the enzyme system;
dysbacteriosis;
intestinal infections (especially Staphylococcus aureus);
acute intestinal obstruction (rare in infants);
disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system (especially common in children who have experienced hypoxia at birth);
inflammation of the middle ear;
weak immunity.

Warning symptoms

What signs should be especially alert (they may indicate the presence of a serious illness):
vomit;
pain that wakes the child at night;
diarrhea accompanied by pain;
blood in the stool;
pain lasts more than two hours;
the baby has lost a lot of weight;
the child suffered an abdominal injury;
noticeable wave-like movements inside the baby's abdomen;
pain appears either during eating, or immediately after eating;
pain before a bowel movement;
when you press on the tummy, the child reacts to touch;
deviation from the norm of analyzes: anemia, low protein content, increased ESR.

One time pain

It is important to quickly determine the cause of a one-time pain in case of poisoning or a condition that requires surgical intervention. The timing of the onset of some symptoms (high fever, vomiting, diarrhea) helps determine the nature of the disease and the method of treatment. For example, with gastroenteritis (treated mainly with drugs), vomiting comes before abdominal pain. And when acute appendicitis(treated only surgically) pain usually comes before vomiting.

Categories of pain depending on the age of the child

Children under six months

Intestinal colic (air entering the stomach or intestines);
blockage of the stomach or intestines (especially if there is vomiting and bloating).

Children after six months

Often - gastroenteritis (inflammation of the stomach, intestines) as a result of a viral or bacterial infection;
ORZ ( respiratory disease), flu;
inguinal hernia;
swollen testicle.

If the baby has a tummy ache, you must definitely tell the pediatrician about it, and it is also advisable to show the child to other specialists (gastroenterologist, neurologist, surgeon).

Intestinal colic

If a child suddenly starts crying, tightens and stretches his legs, then you can suspect he has intestinal colic, which is caused by gases. As a rule, they appear in a baby at about the 3-4th week of life and occur up to 6-9 months. Usually they pass in 10-30 minutes, sometimes in an hour. In the future, the duration of colic can reach even 2-3 hours.

During colic, the child, as it were, screams on one note. The child may calm down when the gases come out. Often the pain appears in the evening, between about 18 and 24 hours, when the baby should fall asleep. In most cases, colic disappears after the child reaches 6 months.

Colic recognition

Attacks are more common in the evening;
the child's behavior is nervous;
redness of the face;
piercing cry;
the child twists its legs;
flatulence;
relief - after passing gases;
in between attacks - good health;
a good appetite.

The diagnosis of "colic" in newborns does not mean abdominal pain, but the characteristic behavior of the child.

Modern doctors say that infantile migraine in a child can also be the cause of colic, that is, neurogenic factors lead to colic.

Factors that cause colic

Introduction to the diet of new foreign foods and liquids, except for breast milk;
excessive anxiety, fear, anger or excitement in the environment of the child;
increased intracranial pressure of the baby;
difficult pregnancy in the mother or difficult childbirth;
increased weather sensitivity of the child.

How to help a child with colic in the stomach

The ideal food for an infant is breast milk;
if breastfeeding is not possible, then you need to pay attention to ensuring that the mixture is prepared correctly, as well as to the bottle nipple itself. The opening of the nipple should be selected according to the age of the child;
before feeding, put the baby on the tummy, for about 10-15 minutes;
during feeding, keep the baby in a semi-vertical position;
make sure that the baby does not swallow air when feeding;
if possible, offer the child only one breast at one feeding, since different portions of milk contain different amounts of lactose, which contributes to gas formation;
after feeding, hold the baby in a column for several minutes so that the air that enters the stomach when sucking comes out;
during colic and gas formation, try to make a light massage of the child's tummy clockwise around the navel;
heat the flannel diaper with an iron, attach it to the tummy for a few minutes (before that, be sure to check the temperature of the diaper so as not to burn the baby). The child can be hugged. Heat will help relieve muscle spasms, gases will go away;
very popular in the fight against colic and gas Dill water. There are also medical preparations that the doctor recommends.

Massage and exercises for babies with colic

It is carried out not at the time of colic, but when the baby is awake. A set of 6 exercises can be performed, for example, when changing diapers, 3-4 times.

1. Establishing contact with the baby's tummy. Put your hands on the baby, even if he is crying. It is important to remain calm. Small children feel the state of those who care for them, precisely through touch.

2. Hug the belly of the baby with an open palm and stroke it from top to bottom. Repeat this movement six times. To facilitate the release of gases, it is better to massage with one hand, and at this time, with the other hand, you need to hold the raised legs of the baby.

3. Raise your knees up and down. It is necessary to connect the knees of the child, lean them against the stomach, while pressing a little. Hold this position for about 5-10 seconds - the release of gases will accelerate.

4. Stretch the baby's legs and shake them slightly so that the muscles relax.

5. "Sun and moon". With your left hand, draw a full circle around the navel, you can imagine that this is the sun. BUT right hand draw the moon. Clockwise. Repeat 6 times, while maintaining continuous bodily contact with the baby.

6. Repeat the exercise with your knees. Finish the massage with relaxing touches, while gently rocking the child's hips.

Dysbacteriosis

Symptoms:
frequent frothy, watery stools, sour smell, with mucus, greens, undigested lumps of food;
irritation around the anus;
the child is restless when feeding;
bubbling in the abdomen.

With such signs, doctors usually prescribe a stool test for dysbacteriosis. But collecting such an analysis is not easy. Sometimes found in baby feces increased content pathogenic flora - and this often happens precisely because of improper collection and transportation of material for analysis.

Well, the presence of pathogenic flora (E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, other bacteria) is the norm for any person, the amount of such flora may be different. It all depends on the age, type of nutrition, as well as the initial colonization of bacteria in the sterile intestine of the newborn in the maternity hospital. For example, a baby was fed formula or glucose instead of mother's colostrum. Then the settlement of the intestines with beneficial microflora will not occur immediately after birth, and when breastfeeding begins, the picture will gradually change.

Thus, the analysis can only confirm the physiological dysbiosis of the immature intestine, which disappears with age.

However, sometimes doctors consider this as signs of dysbacteriosis, and begin to treat it - with bacteriophages, probiotics, antibiotics. After similar treatment stools may become hard and constipation may occur.

Other extreme- against the background of unsatisfactory results of therapy for dysbacteriosis in a child, a nursing mother is invited to donate breast milk for culture. But getting it right is even more difficult.

And since moms are scared by a “bad” analysis, they may refuse to breastfeed.
It must be remembered that breast milk contains a lot useful substances, and in particular bifidus factor and lactoferrin. They help protect the intestinal mucosa from food antigens and pathogenic flora.

If a child who is breastfed is gaining weight well, developing adequately for his age, then his stool does not need to be treated. According to the International Classification of Diseases, dysbacteriosis, like colic, is not a disease.

Acute intestinal obstruction

A serious disease that occurs in children from 3 months to 1 year. It happens rarely. It starts suddenly, usually against the background of a cold or other infectious disease. Intestinal obstruction occurs due to the fact that part of it folds like a telescope. The protrusion of the intestines is accompanied by painful spasms, they are repeated at intervals after a few minutes. During the fight, the child turns very pale. In the intervals between contractions, the child may fall asleep due to exhaustion and fatigue. Concomitant symptoms: there may be fever, vomiting, blood in the stool (stool resembles redcurrant jelly).

With such signs, you need to urgently consult a doctor! Early referral ensures that the bowel can be repositioned; later referral requires more serious surgery with consequences.

Gastroenteritis

The stomach and intestines become inflamed due to bacterial infection or viruses.
Symptoms:
abdominal pain;
heat;
diarrhea;
vomit;
nervous excitement;
general restlessness and excitement;
sometimes - a decrease in appetite, and, accordingly, a decrease in the amount of food consumed.
Infections usually go away in two to ten days.

ARI and influenza

Symptoms:
abdominal pain;
sometimes - vomiting;
sore throat;
runny nose;
headache;
heat.

Inguinal hernia

An inguinal hernia is a tumor in the lower abdomen that comes out in the groin area).
Symptoms:
lower abdominal pain;
vomit.
Surgery is needed.

With inguinal hernia you can confuse the condition when the testicle swells and is redder. A painful testicle can also cause crying, abdominal pain, and vomiting.

Intestinal colic is paroxysmal pain that occurs in the abdomen along the course of the intestine. Their appearance is associated with overeating or improper diet of the child, inflammatory process in the tract and the influence of other factors. The term "intestinal colic" is not tied to a specific disease. Gastroenterologists refer to it as special types sensations that occur in various pathologies.

What causes colic?

Intestinal colic is provoked by spastic contractions of the small or large intestine, which come from thin department and spread throughout the tract. Usually a spasm occurs due to irritation, the causes of which are quite a few:

1. binge eating;
2. helminthic invasions;
3. intestinal obstruction;
4. poisoning with fungi or toxins;
5. bacterial damage to the intestines;
6. diseases oral cavity, stomach, pancreas;
7. eating stale, low-quality or exotic food;
8. stressful situations and nervous strain in school-age children adapting to a new way of life.

Symptoms of intestinal spasms

The clinical symptoms of colic in children appear suddenly with acute sharp pain in the abdomen. Attacks occur after a fast run, heavy lifting, or a heavy meal. Abdominal pains seem to be cutting for the child. In an attempt to get rid of them, the baby changes the position of the body, is naughty, screams, and experiences nervous excitement.

Irritation of the nerve endings of the peritoneum causes the child symptoms such as: flatulence, nausea, bowel problems, headache. An increase in blood pressure is possible. If intestinal colic had a significant duration, the baby will look tired and indifferent. Diarrhea, which opened after a spasm, gives a sharp relief, but pulling pains in the abdomen persist.

Dr. Komarovsky draws the attention of parents to the child's feces. If fat or mucous inclusions are visible in the feces, this indicates improper digestion of food. The process causes general discomfort, decreased appetite and physical activity.

Signs of acute intestinal colic

Spasmodic sensations are always acute in nature and are manifested by burning in the intestinal area and cramping pains. As soon as the child gets better, he should undergo an examination to clarify the diagnosis that provoked adverse changes.

To make sure that the spasm is really acute, the following symptoms will help parents:

• pains come on suddenly;
• with spasms, the abdominal muscles tighten;
• a loose, heterogeneous stool with mucus and a fetid odor is released;
• intestinal spasms in children appear periodically and for a short time.

When intestinal colic occurs, the child's body temperature may remain normal if the discomfort is not associated with an intestinal infection. When the tract is infected, the thermometer reaches high levels, and the symptoms of colic resemble colds in combination with intestinal disorders.

Intestinal colic as a symptom of the disease

Diagnosis of a condition in which intestinal spasm occurs is carried out taking into account the doctor's suspicions of a specific disease. After collecting an anamnesis, the child is sent to various studies. A complete blood count reveals anemia and inflammatory changes. The biochemical method shows the ratio of electrolytes and dysfunction of the kidneys, pancreas, liver.

The coprogram allows you to study the composition of the child's feces and establish the presence pathological changes touching the intestines, pancreas, liver. Urine analysis also detects violations of important digestive organs.

To obtain more reliable information, children with intestinal colic are sent for instrumental examination:

• FEGDS;
• colonoscopy;
• sigmoidoscopy;
• CT scan;
• abdominal x-ray.

Treatment of intestinal colic in children

With severe spasms in the intestines of a child, it is advisable to call a doctor at home. Before the arrival of a specialist, it is forbidden to give enemas, apply heating pads and give the baby painkillers, otherwise the measures will make it difficult to make a diagnosis.

How the treatment will be carried out depends on the pathology that provoked colic. AT special occasions the baby is taken to the hospital and resorted to surgical intervention, if necessary.

P For simple colic, treatment is carried out at home using the following medicines:

1. Antidiarrheals with simethicone - Smecta and Espumizan.
2. Sorbents - Activated carbon, Atoxil, Enterosgel, Sorbex.
3. Antispasmodics - No-shpa (Drotaverine), Buskopan, Duspatalin. They relax the smooth muscles of the intestines.
4. Sedatives - motherwort or valerian extract tablets relieve stress and nervous tension.

With simple colic, as a self-help measure, you can put a warm heating pad on the child. inguinal zone. The procedure will eliminate spasms and pain. If the problem of intestinal colic is associated with flatulence or constipation, a warm enema with mint decoction will help to free the tract from feces and gases.

Phytotherapy against spasms

Harmless treatment of intestinal colic can be carried out with the help of folk remedies(after consultation with a specialist). If the spasm is accompanied by constipation, decoctions obtained from herbal teas with anise fruits, elder flowers, buckthorn bark or licorice will help to relax the intestines and speed up defecation.

To suppress fermentation and putrefactive processes, treatment is carried out by a combination of herbs. bird cherry, oak bark and alder cones languish in a water bath and let the child drink the decoction during the day in small sips (daily dosage - 250 ml).

Immortelle flowers, sage, blueberries, cinquefoil root and cumin have astringent effects. All ingredients are poured with boiling water and after insisting they are given to the child for treatment. It is necessary to drink the drug 3 r. per day before meals, 100 ml.

Colic is a common cause of crying in newborn babies. Almost all parents face a phenomenon that threatens the mother for more than one sleepless night. The cause of colic is most often the adaptation of the baby's digestive organs to self-catering. To alleviate the condition of the little man, a few tips for relieving colic will help.

The main causes of colic in newborns

are nothing more than intestinal spasms due to increased gas formation .

A healthy and cheerful baby suddenly starts crying, and his tummy becomes swollen and hard. The baby begins to torment intestinal spasm, while the child screams and blushes, presses the legs to the tummy or arches. The processes of occurrence of children's colic are still not fully understood.

To more likely sources of discomfort in newborns, medicine includes such reasons as:

When do colic begin and how long does it last in newborns?

Behind long years observations, experts have identified a trend common to all newborns, which they called the “rule of three”:

Rule #1

Colic begins to bother the baby from the beginning of the third week of life.

Rule #2

The total duration of colic is up to three hours a day.

Rule #3

Colic is a problem for the baby until about three months old.

Attacks of colic, as a rule, begin in a child at the same time. This usually happens after feeding in the evening or at night. . The duration of the attack can be from 30 minutes to 2-3 hours, until the baby copes with the trouble himself or adults help him.

At the age of 3-4 months, the child's digestive system is fully adapted to nutrition. Enzyme glands begin to fully function, and colic gradually ceases to torment the baby. If this does not happen, you should consult a doctor in order to identify problems with the child's digestion in time.

How to get rid of colic in a baby

To alleviate the torment of the crumbs caused by painful sensations, parents use various ways and drugs.

Medications for colic in newborns

Even 2-3 decades ago, in any pharmacy you could buy dill water , which was given to babies during bouts of colic. The medicine coped well with its functions, quickly bringing relief to the child. Today in pharmacies you can buy various granulated teas for newborns , which mainly includes fennel.

From medicines from colic most often use funds in the form of emulsions or suspensions.

The most famous of them are:

Folk remedies to help with colic in newborns

Folk remedies, which have absorbed the experience of many generations of parents, can help the baby cope with colic no worse than modern medicines:

1. vent tube . Not all young mothers are familiar with such a simple thing. At one time, our mothers and grandmothers used it. If the pharmacy did not have such a device for removing gases, you can use a regular, small-sized enema with the pear top cut off.
2. Warm diaper for tummy . The diaper is folded in a few words, ironed or heated in any other way. A warm cloth is applied to the baby's tummy and the crumbs are pulled tightly to the body. Warmth helps to soothe pain and make it easier to pass gas.
3. Contact with mother . Instead of a warm diaper, you can simply take the baby in your arms, pressing your tummy to you. Warmth and closeness native person help the baby calm down, and a slight rocking will help the baby fall asleep.
4. dill water . To prepare it, you need to purchase dried fennel at the pharmacy. 2-3 grams of grass is poured into a glass of boiling water and infused for 20-30 minutes. dill water it is necessary to cool and give the baby 1 teaspoon, previously mixed with breast milk or formula.

Massage and gymnastics for colic in infants

The use of massage for colic helps many children get rid of gases traveling through the ventricle. Any mother can do this procedure on her own.

For this you need:

1. Lay your baby on a hard surface, tummy up.
2. With light movements with an open palm, stroke the body from the navel to inguinal region within 2 minutes.
3. Fold your palm and continue stroking, slightly increasing the pressure.
4. With both hands, stroke the tummy from both sides, performing oblique movements from the ribs to the groin.
5. Do the same with one hand up and the other down.
6. Massage the tummy in a circular motion around the navel in a clockwise direction, gradually increasing the pressure.
7. Pull the baby's legs to the stomach and hold for about 30 seconds. In this case, the baby may begin to push. For him, this is a normal reaction.
8. In the bent position of the legs, make the baby "bike". The pressure of the legs on the stomach is best for digestion.

The use of massage for colic has a relaxing effect on the child, while improving bowel function, which contributes to the gentle discharge of gases. In addition, this is facilitated by the frequent laying out of the child on the tummy.

Just don't do it right after feeding!

Prevention of colic in newborns

Before feeding, you need to pay attention to the baby's tummy. If it is swollen, you must first help him get rid of accumulated gases and only then proceed to feeding.

• To reduce the chance of colic , apply the baby to the chest correctly. The capture of air along with milk provokes increased gas formation.
• After feeding the baby, be sure for some time they are kept in an upright position, stroking the back. You can not put the baby in the crib until he burps.
• During breastfeeding give up foods that cause increased gas formation - cucumbers, cabbage (especially sauerkraut), soy and bean products, grapes and White bread. It is also worth eliminating any carbonated drinks from the diet.
• When a baby has colic be calm, calm and caress the baby. Remember that your nervous state is transmitted to the child and only exacerbates the problem.