Infantile colic


Can infants with colic drink probiotics?
Infants with colic can consume probiotics because colic is largely due to the immature digestive system of the infant. If the abdomen is exposed to temperature changes, overfeeding occurs, or certain nutrients in the food are improperly combined, it can lead to intestinal gas and indigestion, triggering symptoms of colic. Oral probiotics can alleviate these symptoms and reduce the incidence of colic. Additionally, it is important to strengthen abdominal care for the baby to prevent exposure to cold, and abdominal massages can also help. Massage around the navel in a clockwise direction for 5-10 minutes to promote intestinal gas expulsion, which can also help relieve colic. To gradually alleviate infant colic, the above methods should be used. As for the choice of probiotics, it is still necessary to first identify the cause and then provide targeted quality treatment.


What are the symptoms of infantile colic?
Infant colic mostly occurs between 2-4 weeks after birth, generally reaching a peak around one and a half months after birth. The symptoms of infant colic primarily include four aspects: firstly, the child will suddenly start crying loudly and inconsolably, which is clearly different from usual. Second, the crying episodes can last particularly long, even up to about three hours, and may occur more than three times a week. Thirdly, these episodes generally occur in the evening or late at night, hence the colloquial term "twilight crying." Fourthly, with colicky infants, conventional soothing methods are ineffective; for example, holding or comforting the baby does not help, and the child continues crying until completely exhausted before falling asleep. This is a typical symptom of infant colic.


Can a pacifier be used for intestinal colic?
First, we need to understand the causes of colic. It commonly occurs in infants when breastfeeding or formula feeding, due to ingesting large amounts of air. The air bubbles move within the intestines and cause abdominal pain. Furthermore, overfeeding can lead to excessive stomach expansion, which can also cause discomfort. Therefore, when feeding, it is important to ensure that the child does not inhale a large amount of air. Additionally, using a pacifier can lead to the intake of more air, thereby exacerbating colic. Thus, prevention is more important than treatment. Mothers should be careful not to let the baby inhale air while breastfeeding, as this is the most common cause of the condition.


Intestinal colic, airplane embrace several times a day
Intestinal colic is generally caused by intestinal function or obstruction, causing extremely severe pain during attacks, and the timing of the pain is irregular, making it very tough for children. Children are usually very weak after an episode of intestinal colic, so it is recommended for parents to adopt comfortable holding methods for the baby. The airplane hold is a commonly used method, but the frequency of using the airplane hold should also be controlled. For children with intestinal colic, decisions should be made based on the frequency of the child's episodes, and adjustments can be made accordingly based on these episodes.


Do babies with colic always want to breastfeed?
If a baby has colic, they will not continuously want to nurse. This is because colic often occurs due to intestinal gas or unexpelled intestinal secretions, causing irritable spasms of the stomach and intestines. In this case, nursing might actually worsen the symptoms of abdominal pain. Therefore, the baby often exhibits inexplicable crying and appears to be in severe pain, with symptoms including curled legs, occasional abdominal distension, and abdominal tympany upon percussion. At this time, the baby may refuse to eat. Therefore, when colic occurs, we can alleviate it through abdominal massage and by performing gas-relieving exercises. Since colic is a clinical manifestation of digestive dysfunction, it is advisable in daily life to supplement with probiotics, and to provide abdominal massages and dietary adjustments, including eating light, liquid, and easily digestible foods, to help relieve colic.


How many months will it take for intestinal colic to get better?
Colic is one of the most common clinical complications in infants. The principle of its onset mainly lies in the incomplete development of intestinal function in infants within three or six months, which leads to the inability of gas to be expelled from the body normally, thus causing symptoms of localized abdominal pain due to the gas. Generally, as the child grows older and the gastrointestinal function repairs, the situation will gradually improve after three or five months. During this period, oral probiotics can be chosen to alleviate local symptoms, and parents can assist the child in performing clockwise abdominal massage to facilitate gas expulsion. Additionally, exercising by mimicking bicycle pedaling can also be helpful.


How to treat infantile colic?
If an infant suffers from colic, it is mostly considered to be physiological colic caused by intestinal gas accumulation. The treatment methods include holding the child upright or in an airplane hold, which can alleviate the symptoms of colic to varying degrees. Regularly massaging the child's abdomen in a clockwise direction and performing gas-relief exercises can also help ease the colic. For more severe cases of colic, if the aforementioned methods do not have a noticeable effect, simethicone can be administered to the child, generally achieving satisfactory results. (Please use medication under the guidance of a doctor)


Does not crying after an airplane hug mean intestinal colic?
Infant colic, commonly occurring in about 20% of babies, is defined as a condition in healthy infants under three months old who cry for at least three hours per day, at least three days per week. The symptoms of infant colic usually start between two to four weeks of age and improve by three to six months. To alleviate the symptoms, one can gently rub the baby's belly clockwise and use a holding position known as the "airplane hold." This involves holding the baby in a prone position, lying face down on the parent's hand, resembling the posture of flying in an airplane. The "airplane hold" mainly helps to relieve gastrointestinal gas and colic in babies, and it generally lasts for about 30 minutes.


Can drinking milk relieve baby's colic?
If the baby experiences colic, drinking milk not only fails to alleviate it, but can also easily increase the symptoms. It's best for the mother to give the baby an abdominal massage in a clockwise direction, and also choose some prone positions. It's best to opt for exclusive breastfeeding, as such situations are mostly caused by gastrointestinal overload. Therefore, administering probiotics to the baby can effectively provide relief and further observation can continue. When feeding the baby, it is important to choose a good feeding position and to burp the baby promptly after each feeding.


How to relieve the symptoms of intestinal colic in infants
When infants experience colic, it is generally due to excessive gas accumulation in the intestines, as infants cannot expel gas on their own. Therefore, when colic occurs, you can let the child be in a prone position to facilitate gas expulsion. Parents can also assist the child in doing exercises like lying on their back, sitting up, or performing "bicycle kicks" in the air to promote intestinal peristalsis. Additionally, clockwise abdominal massages and appropriate application of heat can help in expelling gas. When there is a change in bowel habits, you can also advise the child to take probiotics to regulate intestinal flora, which aids in gas expulsion and bowel movement. (Medication should be taken under the guidance of a physician, according to the actual situation.)