Crying has a regulatory role in infancy and is a way for babies to communicate with the environment. Normal crying is the one that has started from birth and is 6-8 weeks old. It is the crying that reaches up to 2.5-3 hours a day at most weeks. Colic crying is different from normal crying, the baby can cry for hours without being calmed down. This crying period usually starts in the second-third weeks after birth, increases in the sixth-eighth weeks and resolves spontaneously in the third-fourth months. Infantile colic criteria include the presence of seizures, the continuation of these seizures for 3 hours or more per day, the presence of these seizures for at least a week and at least 3 days a week, and the absence of growth retardation in the baby.
Crying with colic recurs every day, it is seen that there is a night break from time to time. During the attacks, an expression of pain arises on the baby's face, he clenches his fists and pulls his feet to his stomach. Characteristically, it starts abruptly, with loud and continuous crying. A baby who is looking for a breast may stop crying shortly after starting to suckle, or may wake up a few minutes later and start crying just after falling asleep. These attacks may end with the baby's passing stool or gas, or they may end completely spontaneously.
What Causes Colic (Infantile Colic) in Babies?
The intestinal nervous system is sensitive. Hypotheses have been put forward such as the hypothesis of a child with celiac disease, or that it may be a reflection of migraine-type diseases occurring in the early stages of life, and that it may be a component of cow's milk protein allergy. In addition, reasons such as swallowing air while feeding, premature birth of the baby or low birth weight can be counted among these hypotheses. contraction and melatonin have a relaxing effect, and the release of these hormones increases in the evening hours. Although the effect of the serotonin hormone occurs from the first weeks after birth, the melatonin cycle is not regulated after the 3rd month. attached. For this reason, melatonin cannot suppress the contractile effect of serotonin in the first 3 months, and colic occurs with contractions in the intestine. (1)
There are many factors that can cause infantile colic. Babies hear their parents and feel our emotions before they are even born. Therefore, stress and physiological complaints during pregnancy, problems for the family, and negative experiences at birth were also found to be associated with the development of colic. After the first month, this inhibitory mechanism disappears and the baby becomes more alert and sensitive to external stimuli. Faced with many stimuli, the baby becomes tense and aroused in the evening hours. After all, causeless cries appear. At the end of the fifth month, the baby learns to cope with these stimuli and colic ends.
How to Prevent and Treat Colic (Infantile Colic) in Babies
Breast milk is the main protective factor. Trying to breastfeed both breasts at each meal can lead to gas pains, as it causes the baby to overindulge in lactose-rich foremilk. For this reason, the baby should be breastfed from that breast until he has completely released (emptied) one breast, then the other breast should be switched. In addition, if the feeding ends before the second breast is completely emptied, the next feeding should be continued from the unfinished breast. Bottle feeding, feeding in a horizontal position and not passing gas after feeding have been reported as another cause of infantile colic. Cigarette smoke has been shown as an environmental factor that increases colic. The higher the number of individuals who smoke at home, the higher the probability of colic in the baby.
It should be carefully observed that the baby grows and is healthy during the monthly periodic controls and, when necessary, the interim controls. The family should be reassured that the symptoms of colic will go away on their own and usually do not cause any problems in the development and growth of the baby. In addition, the family should be informed about other reasons for the baby's crying, what to do before starting to cry excessively, and not to shake their baby. babies with colic Parents should be given rest time, parents' anxiety and psychosocial stress status should be evaluated, and the family should be supported.
(1) Engler AC, Etzioni T, Pillar G. Sleep and colic. In: Sheldon SH, Kryger MH, Ferber R, Gozal D editors. Principles and Practice of Pediatric Sleep Medicine. 2nd ed. New York: Elsevier Saunders; 2014. p. 77-82
Read: 0
