Doctor,
Xiao Bao is 7 weeks old. He was a very quiet child before. From the full moon onwards, it is easy to cry, and it is not unusual to cry for half an hour in a row.
For example, when he was lying well, he suddenly began to cry, no matter how coaxed he was. Sometimes, after crying for a long time, we finally turned red and fell asleep when we were too tired to catch our breath.
On one occasion, Xiao Bao began to cry obstinately again. I held him upright, let him lie prone on my shoulder, and patted him slowly. The crying stopped gradually. However, I adopted the same method later, but it did not necessarily work.
In addition to crying inexplicably, Xiao Bao’s performance in other aspects is still very normal. He can eat milk, defecate and urinate normally, and his height and weight are within the standard values.
Perhaps, as the old man said, Xiao Bao is a difficult and crying child. Will he grow up well? But sometimes I really don’t rest assured. I always cry like this. Is there a what problem?
Xiao Bao’s mother
In the above situation encountered by the mother, the baby is likely to cry because of colic.
Some pediatricians define infant colic as:
Healthy infants with adequate nutrition cry for at least 3 hours a day, at least 3 days a week, and have attacks for more than 3 weeks.
About 20% of babies suffer from colic, usually starting from 2 to 4 weeks. This is common whether the baby is the first child, boy or girl, breast-fed or formula-fed.
Is colic a serious disease?
This is not the case.
Colic is not actually a disease, it is only a symptom used to describe the baby’s healthy body but always crying uncontrollably. Special emphasis should be placed on:
The diagnosis of colic can only be made after other possible diseases are excluded.
If your baby’s condition meets the above definition, and the baby’s body has no other problems, just like Xiao Bao, it is not hungry, sleepy or urinating, it is probably colic.
Fortunately, colic will not last forever. 60% of babies will improve by 3 months or so, and 90% will be much better by 4 months.
Colic is a common problem in growth and development. No exact cause has been found so far, but it may be related to the following factors:
- Spastic pain: caused by immature nerve development that controls intestinal wall peristalsis; Abdominal flatulence: the digestive enzyme or digestive juice in the baby’s digestive tract is insufficient, or the baby will swallow too much air during crying; Infection of bad emotions: Mother’s anxiety and irritability can also be transmitted to the baby, making them cry. Milk protein allergy: The incidence and severity of colic in breast-fed infants are significantly lower than those in formula-fed infants, suggesting that some proteins in milk may induce colic.
Most babies will gradually reduce the number of cries after 3-4 months. This may be because the baby’s nervous system is gradually developing and becoming less sensitive to environmental or other stimuli, but the real reason still needs further study.
- Hard to appease: Breastfeeding does not always calm the baby down, Even if your appeasement works, But the crying will start again immediately. Accompanied kick: The crying will be accompanied by a constant kick. Lasting for a long time: The baby’s crying lasts for a long time, even for more than an hour, especially in the middle of the night, which will make you feel more difficult. Timing and fixed-point: The baby cries almost at the same time every day, as if on the alarm clock.
Seven Tips to Soothe Babies
Colic is not irrevocable. Although the following methods may not be effective every time, there is no harm in trying them. Perhaps they happen to be suitable for your baby:
- Breastfeeding: This is the easiest way to restore peace to a child. Sucking makes him feel safe, and breast milk can also effectively prevent milk allergy.
- Use pacifiers: Many authoritative institutions such as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggest that the use of pacifiers for babies under 6 months old is helpful to relieve pain.
- Gently rub the abdomen: Apply a layer of baby moisturizer or baby oil on your hands, and gently rub the baby’s belly clockwise to help expel gas from the intestinal tract.
- Use swaddling clothes: Wrap the baby gently with a small quilt to make the baby feel safe, and the physical discomfort will gradually ease and slowly calm down.
- Soothing voice: You can make [hiss] or similar regular sounds rhythmically in your baby’s ear to make your baby feel stable.
- Change posture: Gently shaking the baby or letting the baby play in a lying posture can also have a certain calming effect.
- Change the environment and change the person: Many mothers have such experience that little people who can’t handle them may soon stop crying if they take them to other places or simply give them to their father.
The baby’s colic and crying not only disturb many parents, but also have the experience of taking the baby to the hospital in the middle of the night. It is really exhausted physically and mentally. Some people say that [the baby is ill, and adults suffer more], you should learn to adjust yourself when your waist is sore and your back is painful and your mood is agitated:
- Move reinforcements: Let your family help you appease your baby together, Take turns on duty, Even if it is a short rest, It can also relieve your nervous nerves. Talk at the right time: Talking to friends about your baby’s crying problem not only provides you with an opportunity to vent your emotions, but also can find more solutions from other people’s experience. Consult a doctor: In addition to asking a doctor to provide some ways to appease your baby, you can also ask if there are any ways to relieve stress for adults by the way.