2009/4/14

Home Remedies for Colic

Human babies cry far longer and more loudly than the offspring of any other species, and sound levels have been recorded of 117 decibels which is only just less than that of a pneumatic drill. Compared with the other abilities of small infants, this vocal facility is exceptionally highly developed both in power and duration, and no doubt for good reasons. It is not enough for the baby to alert its parents to the need to be fed or changed, their lives have to be made sufficiently unpleasant to force them to react — and very effective it is too.

Regrettably, some infants cannot be consoled. This is the nightmare of young parents whose difficult babies cry inconsolably for hours at a time, particularly in the evenings and despite every conceivable attention. Typically the baby draws up its legs, clenches its fists and emits high pitched screams for several minutes, stops for a while and then starts again. This is infant colic and the question of its cause has, over the years, generated an enormous number of fanciful theories: the babies are overfed or underfed, or fed the wrong things; they suffer from an allergy, or heightened muscle tones; the fault lies with the parents who 'pick the baby up too much', or 'bounce it too much after its feed'. It has even been suggested that persistent crying by the baby is a form of malingering.

The popularity of such explanations is all the more remarkable because over a decade ago Professor R. S. Illingworth from Sheffield University convincingly showed that the reason for this persistent crying in infancy was that the baby was in pain induced by intestinal spasms. Everything fits this explanation: the rhythmical paroxysms of screaming the accompanying loud bowel sounds and the temporary cessations following the passage of wind. Convincingly Professor Illingworth showed that the anti-spasmodic drug dicyclomine was 'strikingly successful' in preventing these attacks. Regrettably this drug is no longer available to be prescribed to young babies following some poorly substantiated reports of adverse reactions, so parents must now soldier on with less effective remedies. The following have been recommended:

Home Remedies for Colic
Spin dryer: Placing the colicky crying baby in its carrycot on the spin dryer is well recognized to have a soothing effect. The reason is not clear but the baby is presumably relaxed by the rhythmic movement of the dryer.

A spin in a car: For similar reasons as with the spin dryer, parents find that taking the baby for a drive during a colicky attack can be remarkably effective.

Alcohol: A small dose of alcohol has been recommended which presumably relaxes the smooth muscle of the gut, preventing the build up of wind that contributes to the colicky attack.

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