Colic is diagnosed when an infant is healthy and well fed yet cries in excess of three hours a day for more than three days a week. It is a harmless condition but is obviously very upsetting for parents and carers. It affects around 20% of babies and usually appears around 2 -4 weeks of age and can last for three months. There is much speculation around the causes, although experts agree there is not one universal cause that affects all babies. (BUPA health information sheet 2003).  However, one recent study found that many colicky babies had inflamed intestines, caused by food allergies. When the problem food was eliminated from the diet, the baby recovered almost immediately. For breastfeeding mums, this means also cutting the problem foods from her diet. The usual culprits are proteins from cow’s milk, soya or other troublesome foods. Mums can alter their diet and reintroduce foods one at a time to see if the problem food can be found. If you bottle-feed you may want to try a new formula (Lavin, Glaser, 2007).

If you suspect your baby may have a food allergy, you can work with your paediatrician to find the foods causing the reaction and eliminate them (Lavin, Glaser, 2007).  If your baby seems to have a lot of wind, make sure she is burped frequently. Babies who bottle feed may swallow air from the bottle. This can be reduced by feeding the baby in a different position or by trying a bottle that has been specially designed to reduce the amount of air swallowed.

To soothe babies with colic, the following techniques may be helpful:

• Carry the baby in a front sling or back pack
• Wrap baby snugly in a blanket (this is called swaddling)
• Keep the baby moving in a baby swing
• Place her near continuous noise or vibrations from household appliances like the
dishwasher, vacuum cleaner or washer-dryer
• Take her for a car ride or a walk outside
• Give her a dummy to suck on
• Give her tummy or back rubs
• Take a shower together - the warm water may be comforting

(Lavin, Glaser, 2007).

Medicines are not used to treat colic. However, medicines may help to relieve abdominal symptoms. It may be worth trying “colic drops” or “gripe water”, which are available without a prescription. A medicine called dimeticone (eg Infacol) is available to relieve trapped wind. Consult your doctor or the pharmacist first (BUPA’s Health Information
Team. 2003).

References

BUPA’s Health Information Team. “Colic.” Available from: http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/sids.html (09/10/07)

A. Lavin, S Glasser (2007). “Baby & Toddler Sleep Solutions.” Wiley Publishing, Inc.

I feel it’s very important that we discuss this topic first because it’s surely the gravest concern of any new parent.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is where a child (usually under one year) dies suddenly, for no known medical reason, in their sleep.

Thankfully, the rates of SIDS are falling. In 1991 SIDS hit 1 in 1000 infants.  Nowadays, the figure is closer to 1 in 2000. I believe the reduction is due to new parents becoming increasingly more educated about the main risk factors that are usually associated with this condition. With more and more studies being conducted on SIDS, hopefully, the number of instances will continue to fall.

So what do we know about SIDS?

Most cases of SIDS (around 75%) happen when the infant is less than four months old. After this period the risk falls dramatically. Premature babies are at a higher risk with the risk rising according to the degree of prematurity (Lavin, Glaser 2007).

Babies and infants exposed to cigarette smoke have been found to have a higher risk of SIDS, with some studies indicating the risk is five times greater than babies not exposed to the cigarette smoke.

In which ways can we dramatically decrease a child’s risk of SIDS?

1.  The golden rule is to put your baby to sleep on his back.

This has been the most influential discovery in reducing the number of deaths from SIDS and you should ensure you always follow it. There has been concern by some parents who followed this rule but awoke to find their baby had rolled himself over onto his side or front. Doctors generally agree that this type of occurrence should not warrant an elevated cause for concern. They feel that if the baby was able to roll over unassisted, he should also have the mobility to get out of an uncomfortable or stressful position should one occur. However, if you discover that your baby has rolled over onto to his front, I would still help him onto his back again just to be on the safe side.

2. Ensure the baby’s home is smoke free. Even smokers who light up outside of the house increase the risk of SIDS. Kicking the habit is obviously the safest thing you can do but if you can’t do this, ensure that smoke is banned from the house and that no smoker shares a bed with the baby.

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