 
|
HELP FOR COLIC & REFLUX IN BABIES
Colic and Reflux can be a source of concern and frustration for new parents.
Colic in babies is a common problem in the first 3 months of life. Colic is
characterized by long spells of crying for no apparent reason. Colic has been attributed
to many possible causes: baby's temperament, new mother anxiety, gas, lactase deficiency,
sensitivity to cow's milk in mother's breastmilk and exposure to tobacco smoke.
Colic has also been linked to other foods the mother is consuming on a daily basis.
It is becoming increasingly common for nursing babies to exhibit fussy symptoms when they are sensitive to dairy intake by their mothers or when they are supplemented with cow's milk-based formulas. Babies can be colicky for a few hours, or for most of the day. Mothers are distressed because their baby is so unhappy. Sometimes worried new moms end up holding and comforting their baby for much of the day.
It has been my experience as a lactation consultant that many of these colicky babies feel better when their mother eliminates all sources of dairy and soy products for a while (1 to 5 months, depending upon the baby). The protein in soy is very similar to the protein in cow's milk and that's why babies can react to both foods. To test this theory, it will be necessary for you to avoid dairy and soy products for two weeks. That should be long enough for you to decide if you need to continue with this diet.
Reflux symptoms in the baby (when food and stomach acid flow back up (reflux) into the esophagus) can sometimes come from the same cause: dairy and soy products in the mother's diet. Often doctors reach for prescriptions when helping babies with this condition. Very few doctors look to the underlying cause and make suggestions for changes in the mother's diet. Doctors also fail to consider the long-term consequences some of these drugs may have on your baby.
If colic is a concern, or if the reflux meds your baby has been prescribed aren't working, then here are some suggestions that have worked well for many of my clients:
- Follow a dairy-free and soy-free diet for two weeks to see if that helps your baby's symptoms. Here's a list of foods to avoid: Dairy and Soy - free diet.
- Mom should start taking Probiotic Eleven every day. Probiotics are the beneficial bacteria normally found in the large and small intestines. These beneficial bacteria support good digestion and improve the function of the immune system. The probiotics that the mother takes will be passed along to her baby through her breastmilk. In a recent study, happy infants had higher counts of healthy intestinal bacteria as compared to colicky infants. If your baby is less than 4 months old, then you (the mother) should be taking the beneficial bacteria found in Probiotic Eleven. If the baby is over 4 months of age and still having symptoms, he/she should be started on Acidophilus. Acidophilus also helps improve regularity in a baby or young child who isn't having regular (daily) bowel movements. *Please note that many probiotics contain dairy products and can be upsetting to a baby's tummy when mom is on a diary-free diet. Make sure you and your baby are getting probiotics from Nature's Sunshine which do not contain any dairy products.
- Mom should add Proactazyme Plus (digestive enzymes) to her diet. Often when foods are not completely digested, the undigested food protein enters the blood stream where it becomes a component of the breastmilk that is produced. The digestive enzymes help to further break down the food the mother eats so it won't be a problem for the baby in her breastmilk. In order to help your body digest food more effectively, digestive enzymes are needed. You may need to take the digestive enzymes for a couple of months.
- Baby's symptoms may be helped by giving the baby Catnip & Fennel drops. Catnip is an herb that provides a soothing, sedative effect on the digestive system, relieving colic, gas, indigestion, and stomach upset. Fennel has been used to treat infant colic since the 3rd century B.C. Fennel is a wonderful digestive aid and when used in combination with catnip can provide the soothing relief an infant needs in the early months when digestive issues can cause fussiness and discomfort.
Most mothers find that the dietary suggestions listed above (along with an high quality source of probiotics and digestive enzymes) will help their babies feel better in a short time. And if you order the products from me and find that your baby isn't getting significantly better, please contact me via email and we can explore other possible reasons for your baby's discomfort.
Janet Talmadge, BA, IBCLC
Lactation Innovation, Naperville, IL
Web site: lactationinnovation.com
(630) 357-0028
Changing the world, one healthy breastfed baby at a
time!
