Colic

16/07/2024

What is colic

Colic is a very broad term that is used to by doctors and health professionals so what exactly is it?

Medical Definition: Colic is frequent, prolonged and intense crying or fussiness in a healthy infant.

There are 2 main causes of infant colic and this is how I, as a maternity nurse with 24 years of experience, manage these two areas.

The first cause is gas introduced by feeding.

Tiny bubbles of air are gulped in during the feeding process. If your baby is not fully burped those little bubbles of trouble move down into the gastrointestinal tract (or gut) and can get stuck their causing hours and hours of pain into your baby is able to pass them out the bottom end.

Breastfed as well as bottle fed babies take in these air bubbles, so the myth that is perpetuated by some midwives and LC’s that breast fed babies don’t need to be burped is completely false. In fact I have found breast fed babies to be more likely to have colic pain as they do have less of these air bubbles so they can be harder to form a large bubble big enough for the baby to burp out. So I tend to work even harder with them than the bottle fed babes

How to reduce colic

There are several ways to massively reduce the occurrence of colic (you’ll never get rid of it completely)

• Number one is to burp your baby really well during after feeding. Some babies are really hard to burp and it can be soul destroying but I promise it’s worth the extra time and effort you get at the other side. I really recommend infacol as a product. The active ingredient helps the tiny bubbles form a large bubble which is then much easier for your baby to burp up.
• The next way to reduce the amount of air that’s gulped in is to maintain a good feeding position. Think about how you swallow, dip your chin to your chest you can’t swallow, tilt your head back you can’t swallow it’s exactly the same for babies. I see babies in bad positions all the time and are gulping and struggling to feed gasping for air no wonder it’s a frantic feed that fills them with gas. There should be a nice 90 degree angle between your babies chin and chest at all times for them to feed in a calm rhythmic way. This is suck swallow breath mechanism
• Bottle feeding – use a good anti colic bottle MAM are my absolute favourite. Please don’t use the Tommee Tippee closer to nature they are the worst bottles on the market for newborns (if you must use them they are ok from 6 months +)
• Breastfeeding – flow matters. If you have a fast flow adjust your position by working with gravity and lean back in a seated position so your baby isn’t being ‘waterboarded’ struggling to cope with the amount of milk pouring into their mouth. Side lying is also a good position for fast flow. Once the flow has eased you can sit back up again
• Cuddle time – I use extended cuddling time to help squish all those remaining bubbles out before and after they leave the stomach. Lie your baby on your chest with their head at your shoulder (not over it) and use your dominant hand to add a little pressure to pop those tiny gas bubbles

The second big culprit of colic is milk digestion

Breastfeeding

This is usually easier to lessen in breast milk than when using formula. If your baby is suffering from a lot of lower tummy pain and you are sure you are getting lost of burps up at time of feeding it may be time for some diet adjustments. After living in mothers and babies for 15 years, on duty for 20 hours a day 6 days a week, (that’s not an exaggeration look up maternity nurse hours) I know the common irritants like the back of my hand. You may have got advice to the contrary but unless those giving the advice have been in the trenches with mums like I have my experience trumps theirs.

These are the foods on my blacklist

• Coffee – any more than one cup a day your baby will have some pretty negative effects
• Carbonated drinks – this one shocked me too but those gas bubbles stay in your system surviving the journey to your breast milk
• Champagne – I have no problem whatsoever with 1-2 glasses of wine a night while breastfeeding (during the feed or right after) but champagne is absolute no no
• Chilli – I have never met a baby yet who is not sent into orbit when their mum eats chilli
• Diary – this is the big one. No babies like dairy not a single one. Some babies are more sensitive to it than others but every baby without exception is happier when it’s reduced in their mother’s diet. Cows milk protein intolerance is a medical condition if your baby is having an extreme reaction all diary and soy products should be totally removed from your diet

Bottle feeding

Not all baby formula is created equal. I don’t advise using baby formulations that have probiotics in them as I have noticed they cause a lot more digestive discomfort than those without. I do not ever recommend using probiotics unless the baby has had diarrhoea or a course antibiotics. I’ve never looked after a baby that wasn’t gassier when they were added so I avoid them unless completely necessary

If your baby has a lot of bottom wind and colic try switching to goats milk first. Goats milk is closer in composition to human milk and may be enough to ease their symptoms. However, if their symptoms persist or in worsen your baby might need to go up a level to a hypoallergenic milk

Normal colic should completely disappear by 12 weeks of age, if it doesn’t it’s likely not to be just colic.

When colic is not colic

The colic can sometimes be overused by health professionals, this is especially concerning when other symptoms are present that are not being considered. Colic is not colic when it is CMPA (cows milk protein intolerance) and/or GERD (reflux). If your baby has some or all of these symptoms you should speak to your GP as soon as possible

• In pain all day no or very few settled periods
• Blood in stools
• Mucus in stools
• Diarrhoea
• Reflux
• Sour breath
• Curdled vomits
• Constipation
• Chronic/consistent cough
• runny/blocked nose and sneezing
• Hiccups at most or every feed
• Baby acne
• Eczema or skin rash
• Nappy rashes

There is more treatment and support than even for CMPA and GERD so no need at all for your baby or you to suffer with these symptoms. If you don’t know where to start please get in touch I would be happy to point you in the direction of help

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