Tuesday, September 16, 2008
What are the causes of newborn gas?
The newborn gas may be caused due to the breakdown of food inside during digestion or due to the swallowing of air during feed. It can be also caused due to milk intolerance. If your infant suffers from newborn gas, consult a doctor. You can also use infant gas drops if necessary.
Newborn gas is produced when the infant drinks the breast milk for the first time. It is actually the byproduct of reactions taking place inside the digestive tract, which involves the interaction of lactose, proteins and other nutrients present in breast milk.
Newborn gas is also produced by the consumption of certain vegetables and foodstuffs. If the infant is using a feeding bottle to drink milk make sure that its nipple is of the appropriate size. If it is too small then air will also be taken inside along with the milk resulting in newborn gas.
Excessive production of milk by the mother at the time of breast feeding can also result in newborn gas. Large amount of foremilk will be produced and the infant consuming it may feel more fussiness inside his stomach. This is referred to as hyper lactation syndrome.
Newborn gas is also caused due to over stimulation. So the environment of the infant also matters. If the infant is more active during the day then there is more chance of developing gassiness at night
What is infant gas drops?
Give your baby the infant gas drops only if he/she shows the sign of infant gas. The common symptoms of infant gas include kicking legs, belly looking bloated and unusual crying. Infant gas drops consists of Simethicone, which helps to break the gas bubbles in the digestive tract. Infant gas drops should be given after the meals if you are using it without consulting a doctor. Otherwise, follow the doctor’s instructions.
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If you are not sure whether the child is suffering from infant gas or not, you must consult a doctor. Infant gas drops can be mixed with juice or water. But the mixed amount of infant gas drops should be as prescribed. One should not give high doses of infant gas drops to the babies. Always it is better to use the dropper for taking the drops so that the baby gets the correct dosage.
The dosage of infant gas drops varies for different infants. It depends on the age of the child and his weight. Make sure that you clean the dropper after each use. The infant should not be given drops more than 12 doses per day, if you are giving the drops without consulting a doctor. If you experience any problem consult a doctor
Is baby gripe water good for baby's health?
One should not give gripe water to the baby as and when he likes. There is a correct dosage for that and it should be followed. Over dosage of gripe water may not be dangerous, but it is not recommended. The dosage varies according to the age of the infant. For a baby aging between I month and 6 months, one teaspoon 2-3 times a day is recommended.
If the age of the infant is between 6 months and 2 years then two teaspoonful 3-4 times a day is recommended. If the infant is above three years then you can feed him with 3-4 teaspoonful of gripe water 3-4 times a day. Some infants do not like the taste of the baby gripe water. You can feed them by mixing the baby gripe water with milk or water. If the infant is consuming breast milk then baby gripe water can be given using spoon. Otherwise gripe water can be fed along with the milk using the milk bottle.
Baby gripe water is good for the baby’s health as it does not contain any chemical and contains only natural herbs. So, it will not have any side effects. Baby gripe water was found to be very effective against colic suffered by the infants.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Home Remedies for Colic - 3 popular ways of relieving your baby colic
It is no doubt that you must bring your colicky baby to visit a doctor so that he or she can be examined and treated accordingly. But there are various home remedies for colic in order to relieve your baby’s discomfort before being treated by the doctor.
Below are some of the simple and popular home remedies for colic:
1. Give the colicky baby a pacifier so that to help the baby stay calm. This is because infants or babies are used to having something in the mouth due to breast feeding. As the mother’s breasts cannot be there most of the time, pacifier can help preventing excessive crying.
2. One of the most overlooked home remedies for colic is the simple process of burping. According to experts, the amount of air going into your baby’s stomach and intestines can be reduced significantly if you were to let your child burp after feeding. This can be a very effective home remedies for your baby’s colic if done properly and regularly.
3. Giving the baby a warm bath can also help to relieve your baby’s colic pain. However, as this cannot be done everytime, the parent can put a warm bag on the belly or try massaging lotion instead. It will be a good idea to cover the pack with a towel since the temperature could be too much for the infant.
Other than the above home remedies for colic, there are other ways which include using herbal tea, boiled Fernel seeds and soothing the baby's pain by rubbing some caster oil over his or her tummy. The above-mentioned home remedies for colic can be very useful if you are sure that the infant only experiences simple colic.
Monday, September 8, 2008
What is the most common sign of colic?
So, how to I know if my baby is having colic?
A baby who cries excessively, usually more than 3 hours without apparent reason is considered a colic baby?
Is there any sign of colic?
The most common sign of colic is excessive crying without apparent reason. Usually the cry can last for more than 3 hours or more. Other than the loud and excessive crying, body contractions and periods of irritability are also apparent signs of colic.
According to statistics, 1 in every 10 infants experience colic during their infancy period because of abdominal pain.
Other signs of colic include:
Vigorous and excessive for long periods of time despite extreme efforts of consolation
Onset crying that starts around the same time everyday or night and can be ending or never-ending
- Suffers from gas discomfort
- Slight bloating of the abdomen
- Has a hard and bloated stomach
- Unlikely and patterned body contortions like pulling of knees to the chest
- Hard-clenched fists
- Flailing arms and legs
- Arched back
- Frequent sleeplessness
- Chronic irritability
- Unreasonable fussiness
- Reddening face due to ling periods of crying
- Excessive belching or spitting up after feeding
- Passing gas
- Experience difficulty in passing stools
It is advisable to visit a doctor as soon as you see the above usual signs of colic in your baby. However, you may consider treating colic in your baby with Natural Guaranteed Gripe Water.