Crying baby: Every parent’s nightmare
SAUDA, a 28-old-mother of two and a resident of Ntinda, a Kampala suburb, has a one- month-old baby who cries all night, despite efforts to console him. When Sauda took her baby for a medical check-up, she was told it had colic (obwooka).
By Halima Shaban
SAUDA, a 28-old-mother of two and a resident of Ntinda, a Kampala suburb, has a one- month-old baby who cries all night, despite efforts to console him. When Sauda took her baby for a medical check-up, she was told it had colic (obwooka).
The constant crying of a baby with colic can ‘kill’ the joy of motherhood. It makes parents feel distressed and ineffective if nothing seems to help. It is also exhausting for the parents who find themselves pacing up and down day and night, in an attempt to soothe their little one.
Colic is a disorder which comes with episodes of crying and irritability with what appears to be abdominal pain.
Angelina Kakooza, a pediatrician at Mulago Hospital, says: “Colic is one of the worst pain a baby can experience. It is usually manifested as an acute abdominal pain, yet it is hard to know the exact cause of the baby’s distress.
According to Kakooza, colic does not start immediately after birth, but between 10 days and three months. Most babies with colic have one or two episodes of this type of crying each day, especially after feeding.
“Babies with colic are difficult to console. While crying, they usually pass air, push their legs up and their abdomen may seem hard,†Kakooza says.
She says, 15-25% of all babies experience colic, meaning that there has to be a common element among them that causes the condition.
“There is no single cause for colic that experts agree on. However, evidence suggests that babies experience colic differently. There appears to be several contributing factors that, when they occur in combination, are likely to result in colic pain,†says Kakooza.
Research shows that babies with the problem continue to feed and gain weight, despite the crying. Why your child is suffering is something that only you and your doctor can try to figure out. What works for one child may not work for another, but usually relief can be found.
Dr Charles Mukisa, a medical officer, says, colic appears to be more of a grouping of symptoms than an actual condition. He says the condition seems to be related to digestion. Symptoms include crying, spasms, contractions, reflux, hiccups, moaning, groaning, pushing and grunting with a red face and little fists. These are usually associated with gas in the intestinal tract.
Mukisa says some theories suggest that newborns have an immature digestive system that has never processed food, which leads to colic.
“The gastro-intestinal system is just learning to function. Muscles that support digestion have not developed the proper rhythm for moving food efficiently through the digestive tract.
Newborns also lack the benevolent bacterial flora that develops over time to aid digestion. This explains why almost all infants outgrow colic within the first six months,†says Mukisa.
Intolerance of lactose has also been identified as a possible cause, but evidence is limited. Another possible cause may be the baby’s temperament. This may make the baby highly-sensitive to the environment, reacting to changes by crying.
Mukisa says certain foods eaten by lactating mothers contain volatile chemicals and allergens that may result in colic discomfort and digestive upset. Through lactation, trace elements of vegetables and other gas-producing foods may be passed via breast milk to the baby, causing gas and bloating.
Symptoms of colic
The baby cries vigorously for long, despite efforts to console it
Symptoms occur around the same time, day or night, often after feeding, usually ending as abruptly as they began
Shows signs of gas discomfort and abdominal bloating
Has a hard, distended stomach, with knees pulled to the chest
Has clenched fists, flailing arms and legs and an arched back
Experiences frequent sleeplessness, irritability and fussiness
In case of the above symptoms, the parent should consult a pediatrician before giving the baby any medication. There is no single medicine or proven cure for colic, but there are measures that relieve pain.
If the mother is breastfeeding and the baby always cries after eating or drinking certain foods, she should keep away from those foods. She may also use colic drops or gripe water. These are available in pharmacies.
Mukisa says, none of these measures works for all children, but one can try one or two at a time, until the baby gets relief.
“If nothing works, it is okay to put your baby down and let him cry for sometime. Remember it was not anything that you did or did not do that caused colic.
The parent can take a break by having a family member or friend care for the baby,†he says.
TIPS ON DEALING WITH COLIC
Reassure yourself and other family members that this problem clears on its own without any long-term effects.
Try placing your baby face-down on your lap over a rolled-up towel, as pressure sometimes eases pain.
Place your baby over your knees so that there is no pressure on the abdomen: pressure sometimes aggravates colic.
Massage the abdomen of the infant gently in clockwise circular movements or hold the baby in a semi-squatting position, their back to your tummy, legs pulled up a little, again very gently.
Warm baths can also help.
Singing and cuddling the baby.
SAUDA, a 28-old-mother of two and a resident of Ntinda, a Kampala suburb, has a one- month-old baby who cries all night, despite efforts to console him. When Sauda took her baby for a medical check-up, she was told it had colic (obwooka).
The constant crying of a baby with colic can ‘kill’ the joy of motherhood. It makes parents feel distressed and ineffective if nothing seems to help. It is also exhausting for the parents who find themselves pacing up and down day and night, in an attempt to soothe their little one.
Colic is a disorder which comes with episodes of crying and irritability with what appears to be abdominal pain.
Angelina Kakooza, a pediatrician at Mulago Hospital, says: “Colic is one of the worst pain a baby can experience. It is usually manifested as an acute abdominal pain, yet it is hard to know the exact cause of the baby’s distress.
According to Kakooza, colic does not start immediately after birth, but between 10 days and three months. Most babies with colic have one or two episodes of this type of crying each day, especially after feeding.
“Babies with colic are difficult to console. While crying, they usually pass air, push their legs up and their abdomen may seem hard,†Kakooza says.
She says, 15-25% of all babies experience colic, meaning that there has to be a common element among them that causes the condition.
“There is no single cause for colic that experts agree on. However, evidence suggests that babies experience colic differently. There appears to be several contributing factors that, when they occur in combination, are likely to result in colic pain,†says Kakooza.
Research shows that babies with the problem continue to feed and gain weight, despite the crying. Why your child is suffering is something that only you and your doctor can try to figure out. What works for one child may not work for another, but usually relief can be found.
Dr Charles Mukisa, a medical officer, says, colic appears to be more of a grouping of symptoms than an actual condition. He says the condition seems to be related to digestion. Symptoms include crying, spasms, contractions, reflux, hiccups, moaning, groaning, pushing and grunting with a red face and little fists. These are usually associated with gas in the intestinal tract.
Mukisa says some theories suggest that newborns have an immature digestive system that has never processed food, which leads to colic.
“The gastro-intestinal system is just learning to function. Muscles that support digestion have not developed the proper rhythm for moving food efficiently through the digestive tract.
Newborns also lack the benevolent bacterial flora that develops over time to aid digestion. This explains why almost all infants outgrow colic within the first six months,†says Mukisa.
Intolerance of lactose has also been identified as a possible cause, but evidence is limited. Another possible cause may be the baby’s temperament. This may make the baby highly-sensitive to the environment, reacting to changes by crying.
Mukisa says certain foods eaten by lactating mothers contain volatile chemicals and allergens that may result in colic discomfort and digestive upset. Through lactation, trace elements of vegetables and other gas-producing foods may be passed via breast milk to the baby, causing gas and bloating.
Symptoms of colic
The baby cries vigorously for long, despite efforts to console it
Symptoms occur around the same time, day or night, often after feeding, usually ending as abruptly as they began
Shows signs of gas discomfort and abdominal bloating
Has a hard, distended stomach, with knees pulled to the chest
Has clenched fists, flailing arms and legs and an arched back
Experiences frequent sleeplessness, irritability and fussiness
In case of the above symptoms, the parent should consult a pediatrician before giving the baby any medication. There is no single medicine or proven cure for colic, but there are measures that relieve pain.
If the mother is breastfeeding and the baby always cries after eating or drinking certain foods, she should keep away from those foods. She may also use colic drops or gripe water. These are available in pharmacies.
Mukisa says, none of these measures works for all children, but one can try one or two at a time, until the baby gets relief.
“If nothing works, it is okay to put your baby down and let him cry for sometime. Remember it was not anything that you did or did not do that caused colic.
The parent can take a break by having a family member or friend care for the baby,†he says.
TIPS ON DEALING WITH COLIC
Reassure yourself and other family members that this problem clears on its own without any long-term effects.
Try placing your baby face-down on your lap over a rolled-up towel, as pressure sometimes eases pain.
Place your baby over your knees so that there is no pressure on the abdomen: pressure sometimes aggravates colic.
Massage the abdomen of the infant gently in clockwise circular movements or hold the baby in a semi-squatting position, their back to your tummy, legs pulled up a little, again very gently.
Warm baths can also help.
Singing and cuddling the baby.