Muiris Houston and Ian Wright give some advise on remedies for Colic.
My two-month old baby gets terrible cramps after feeding. She pulls her knees towards her chest and stretches them out again in pain. Is this colic? What can I do?
Conventional remedy
About 20 per cent of babies have colic, which results in regular long periods of crying. It usually starts around the third week of life and often disappears around the age of three to four months. All babies cry, but babies with colic cry more than most, and the usual strategies for soothing a crying baby, such as carrying or rocking, do not seem to work.
Colic is not an illness itself, and colicky babies are by and large normal healthy infants. Many causes of colic have been suggested, including allergies to milk, excessive gas or something a nursing mother ate and was passed on to the baby through breast milk. None has been proven to cause colic.
Babies with colic seem to follow a predictable pattern. Often while they are feeding happily, they suddenly burst into tears and cry for prolonged periods nearly every day. Despite all efforts to pacify the child, nothing seems to work. Colicky babies look as if they are in pain, often drawing up their legs, clenching their fists and drawing in their arms.
You should consult your doctor, so he or she can rule out any serious cause for your baby's pain. The doctor will check the baby is gaining weight and shows no signs of infection, as well as looking for signs of another medical problem.
If the diagnosis is colic, then the doctor will be able to advise you on ways of coping with the problem - and also on measures to deal with your own stress until the problem resolves.
Suggestions for coping with a colicky baby include burping your baby during and after feeds, to help eliminate air bubbles in the gullet and stomach; holding the baby in a slightly upright position while breastfeeding or bottle-feeding, to help minimise the amount of air swallowed; keeping to a regular feeding and sleeping schedule, as colicky babies seem to be sensitive to changes in routine; not overstimulating them - some babies with colic seem oversensitive to noise and lights, so reduce noise levels and dim the lights and try putting the baby down for a few minutes in a quiet, safe place, to help calm the baby down. If you are breastfeeding, try to cut out certain foods from your diet, to see if it helps. Avoiding milk, onions, caffeine and broccoli may bring about some relief.
Don't try to cope with the problem on your own. A crying baby is both tiring and trying. Get your relatives to mind the baby for a few hours, to give you a break or let you take a nap. Getting away, even for a short period, will leave you more relaxed to deal with the problem. Rest assured, if this is colic, it will resolve with time.
Muiris Houston
Alternative remedy
The first diagnosis of a baby who cries a lot is colic. Popular definitions of colic are those of pain and inconsolable crying for more than three hours a day for more than three days a week for more than three weeks. Paediatric osteopaths are trained to work out the cause of the irritation.
Classic colic is pain caused by irritation of the stomach or intestinal tract, usually after feeding and characterised by the drawing-up of the legs with tension in the tummy. Both breastfed and bottle-fed babies can suffer.
There are various causes for colic, ranging from an irritation of a nerve at the back of the skull, which can be compressed in the birth process, to shock in the diaphragm, affecting the stomach. Both problems can be helped by a few gentle treatments by an osteopath. Pilot studies in the UK and the US have confirmed the effectiveness of such treatments.
Other causes of colic include an immature digestive tract that reacts to certain foods (usually dairy produce) in the mother's diet, in the case of breastfed babies, or the dairy content in the formula in the case of bottle-fed babies (I suggest you replace the cow's-milk formula with a soya-milk or goat's-milk formula).
Many crying babies who are irritable or have problems feeding do not necessarily suffer from colic. One important cause of their distress can be a minor trauma sustained in the birth process, which is held in the skull bones and surrounding tissues. Again, the osteopath is trained to find these and gently release the patterns, which can reduce irritability.
Ian Wright
Ian Wright is a registered osteopath based in Clonmel, Co Tipperary. The Irish Osteopathic Association is at 01-2695281
The advice in this column is not intended as a substitute for advice received directly from a medical doctor or alternative practitioner. Individuals should receive a thorough diagnosis of complaints before embarking on a course of treatment