Raising Kids - The Heartache of Infant Indigestion

Return to All Articles
By Jill Seimer

Any adult can tell you just how uncomfortable or even painful indigestion can
be. Now put yourself in the shoes of an infant. Can you imagine the pain they
must experience when they have indigestion? They cannot tell you so they just
express it by crying to show you something is wrong. Any mother will tell you
that they would gladly take on their baby's sickness if it meant giving their child
relief from whatever is causing them pain.

What is Colic? This is a common term used around children's health and is also
referred to as infant indigestion. Colic is seen by some people as infants just
being "fussy" and "cranky" which is a tiny bit shortsighted. Colic has no single
definition as such - we simply know that the child is in pain and needs help.
This discomfort is normally linked to the childs digestive process, which is
still in its formative stages.

In general colic begins when a baby is six weeks
old and lasts until they are about 3 to 4 months old. It's rare for colic to
continue past this age. What Causes Colic? Some people believe that colic is an
allergic reaction in the child whereas more agree that it most likely has diet
as its root cause. An infant being overfed or underfed is more than enough to
start a painful attack. Foods with high fat, sugar and protein content also seem
more likely to cause colic. One interesting fact is that breastfed babies suffer
far less from colic. Stress is also a major cause of colic in infants so parents
and carers alike should make every possible effort to provide the infant with a
worry-free environment to grow up in.

The Symptoms of Colic The first, and most obvious, sign of colic is crying - and
lots of it. This crying is also different to normal infant "sobbing" which they
may do for attention. This type of infant crying is painful and inconsolable.
Infant crying caused by colic is the type that no mother can stop - no matter
what she tries.

It's bad enough that your baby is in pain but the crying fit they experience
actually causes them further problems. When a baby cries in this way sudden
spasmodic abdominal cramping will occur, and the child will automatically draw
up their knees and clench their fists. Their tiny body is now tense and the
intense crying now sucks more air into their stomach which then causes them more
pain from trapped gas.

Colic Like Clockwork? Oddly enough most infants will develop colic around the
same time each day. This is normally in the late afternoon or evening and can
last for several hours. The crying fits can be trying on the most patient of
parents but keeping track of when the colic occurs will allow you to track it
and mentally prepare for it in advance.


JIll Seimer reports on health issues at RefluxLife.com covering on healthy natural lifestyle. Recently she discussed Natural healing for Acid Reflux from her experience on acid reflux disorder symptoms.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jill_Seimer