Infant colic - what is it?

Uncontrolled and continuous crying baby for a few hours can cause colic, especially if the child is eating well and generally behave peacefully. Colic in babies do not pose a health risk, but, of course, concerned parents. Colic occurs in approximately 20% of all babies. Infant Colic can begin at the kid at the age of two weeks and continue for up to three months.

Causes of colic in infants

The exact cause of colic in infants is unknown to science. Previously, it was customary to associate them with digestive disorders in children. Flatulence worsens colic, but you can not say with certainty that the cramps are caused by a disorder of the gastrointestinal tract. A possible cause of colic in infants is often called the child's temperament and undeveloped nervous system. Temperament of the Child defines a kid reaction to changes in the environment. Since at this age the child's nervous system is not yet developed, it is often physically can not stop crying.

The symptoms of colic

• Uncontrolled child's cry in the afternoon and evening
• A child can not calm down, constantly tossing and turning
• Infants raised head and pull the legs to the abdomen
• The child's face suddenly turns red
• Feet baby become cold
• Child tightly clenched his fists
• The child does not want to sleep or waking up often
• Some children refuse to eat when they have colic

Treatment and prevention of colic in infants

• Colic in babies - a phenomenon quite common and does not require medical intervention. However, you can buy at the drugstore medications that reduce symptoms and relieves flatulence.
• Try changing your diet, if you feed your baby mixtures
• If you are breast-feeding, do not stop, as weaning and rapid transition to artificial feeding can only strengthen infant colic
• Nursing mothers should strictly follow the diet and feeding schedule. Determine what product your diet causes colic in a baby, and try not to use it. Onions, spicy food, cabbage, cauliflower and caffeine can enhance the baby colic.
• Let the baby spit up after each feeding to avoid flatulence Flatulence - when you need to worry about? . Also, try to feed the baby in a different position or use a feeding bottle of the special form.
• Do not overfeed the baby - it only adds to colic.
• Some babies are lactose intolerant can not digest it, so nursing mothers should reduce the consumption of cow's milk.

How to stop infant colic

• Give your child a comfortable position. Wear your baby in a backpack or "kengurushnike."
• Slightly shake the baby in her arms.
• Perepelenayte child.
• Take the child for a walk or car ride.
• Try to bathe the baby in warm water.
• Gently massage the stomach and back of the child.
• Try to feed your baby breast or give him a pacifier.
• Remove all external stimuli - bright lights and loud noises.
• Bring your baby to any appliances (such as dishwashers, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, etc.), generating the rhythmic vibrations that soothe baby.

Acid reflux in children

Reflux in infants is fully called "gastroesophageal reflux disease" (GERD). Reflux is usually caused by the relaxation of the muscle ring, separating the esophagus and stomach. Reflux is the result of poor coordination between the organs of the upper digestive system. Some children have acid reflux can be caused by abnormal anatomy of the esophagus. Reflux may also occur when the stomach is full, and the child coughs, shouts, or scat, thereby increasing the pressure on the stomach. During an attack of acid reflux child feels discomfort and cries as stomach acid into the esophagus and causes irritation.

Most of the children suffering from acid reflux, symptoms appear within the first week. It slows the growth of the child's disorder and weight gain. If your baby spits up often and uncomfortable during meals, perhaps the reason for this is gastroesophageal reflux. Children often grow over time acid reflux. To control this disorder Parents are encouraged to feed the baby more dense food. After consuming a thick porridge baby cries less and less burps. It is also recommended to keep the baby upright after feeding - you can not put the baby on the back to change a diaper. When reflux is recommended that breast-feeding.

To reduce the secretion of gastric juice pediatrician assigns medication. Some drugs improve the stomach and digestive system that substantially reduces the manifestations of acid reflux in children. Timely medication is very important in the treatment of reflux in children. Since the drugs are better absorbed in the body of young children sometimes need to increase the frequency of ingestion. Sometimes the treatment is prescribed antacid reflux (antacids), such as ranitidine Ranitidine - help in the prevention of relapse of peptic ulcer , Famotidine, and nizatidine. If your child is allergic to a particular drug or its components, you must replace it with a hypoallergenic means.

Silent Reflux in Children

Acid reflux in children is not always accompanied by regurgitation. Sometimes children ingest food flows back from the stomach, and sometimes is not enough for the amount of food regurgitation. However, such attacks of acid reflux are very harmful to the esophagus. Silent acid reflux can be a cause for concern if the child does not receive the required amount of nutrients and therefore grow poorly and not gaining weight. Among the instrumental methods of diagnostics of the most informative are twenty-four hour pH-meter and functional diagnostic tests. Reflux is aggravated by allergies. In some cases, food from the stomach into the lungs that leads to chronic cough and asthma.

Diagnosing acid reflux in children

X-ray of the esophagus and stomach using barium - a diagnostic procedure in which a child swallows a small amount of barium, which is getting into the digestive tract, outlines the contours of the esophagus, throat and intestines that gives the physician the opportunity to watch the journey of food in the stomach. However, this procedure helps to identify the causes of reflux, only if the child is experiencing a bout of reflux during radiography. Alternatively, this diagnostic procedure is not child is given barium swallow and radioactive solution, and then using the determined X-ray frequency of attacks reflux. Endoscopy (a diagnostic method for the study of internal organs with the help of optical lighting) helps to better examine the oral cavity, esophagus and stomach of the child and identify the causes of reflux.

Symptoms of acid reflux in children

The main symptoms of acid reflux in children - a slight weight gain or rapid weight loss. A child suffering from acid reflux, do not always appear the symptoms. In fact, in the case of silent acid reflux disorder is very difficult to diagnose at an early stage. Symptoms of acid reflux in children occur during feeding, and the rest of the time, they are practically invisible.

• Frequent attacks of breathlessness
• Burning in the chest
• Excessive salivation
• Constant hiccups
• Difficulty swallowing, gagging, choking
• Rough voice
• Aversion to food
• Chronic ear infections

To reduce the symptoms of reflux is recommended to stimulate the baby repeated regurgitation during feeding. Try during feeding not press down on the baby's stomach, it is also desirable to reduce the portion of feeding and increase its frequency.