Effective cures for colicky babies

Babies who are colicky are unhappy and their parents are even more unhappy. For parents, it is tough to see their babies cry in pain as they suffer from colic. If you are one of these parents, you are probably already desperate to stop your baby’s crying spells once and for all. A possible reason for colic in babies would be a premature nervous system. There have been experts who believe that babies actually experience a fourth trimester. During this period, their premature nervous systems are unable to process the stimuli that they receive from their surroundings.

What you would need to do would be to recreate the environment in which your baby was happy during the other three trimesters. Now if you do not have the slightest idea on where to begin in helping your child deal with colic, you can start by trying out these simple remedies which could turn out to be effective.

1. Since mom was busy with other activities and was on the move during her pregnancy, baby has always been comforted with the gentle rocking that he felt during the day as mom carried on doing her daily tasks. And so, if your baby starts one of his crying spells, you could try taking him for a ride in his stroller, for a walk, for a ride in the car or putting him in his baby swing for a short while.

2. Try wearing your baby using a baby sling. There has been a lot research done that showed babies who are carried in baby slings cried 54% less in the evening and 43% less overall.  In several cultures in Africa, South America and Asia, where babies are almost continuously carried, babies cry significantly less compared to non-baby-carrying cultures like in the United States. Additionally, the baby sling enables the baby to feel the gentle rocking that helps calm him.

3. As your baby grew and lived inside your womb, he constantly heard whirring sounds that can be compared to the sounds made by a running vacuum cleaner. This created an environment that the baby felt was safe and comfortable. Because of this, a lot of experts believe that playing a CD that played sounds that are comparable to the bomb sounds he heard before being born would instantly help calming him.

4. Before your baby was born, he lived in a secure, warm and comfortable place. You could try recreating this kind of environment through swaddling. The term swaddling means essentially making use of a technique of wrapping up your baby into a tight bundle using a blanket or a piece of soft cloth. In fact, a lot of companies that manufacture baby products offer swaddling blankets which makes the whole task of swaddling babies a lot easier and more convenient.

5. Lastly, you can try a proven home remedy for colic which is gripe water. It is actually used for babies who experience colic, teething pain, gas, acid reflux and other stomach discomforts and ailments. The ingredients in different brands of gripe water vary and could include alcohol, ginger, bicarbonate, ginger, fennel, dill and chamomile. Gripe water is usually given to babies using a medicine dropper. A single dose could be anything from 2.5 ml to 10 ml, depending on the baby’s age and could be repeated a couple of times in a day.

Many pediatricians as well as alternative practitioners recommend the use of gripe water a form of natural treatment. In the US, it is available as an OTC or over-the-counter medication which is FDA regulated and is also available in different dietary supplement forms.

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August 4, 2008 | Filed Under Baby nursery