About Baby Illnesses

Colic is such a common illness with the new born that a very few parents are there who did not have had a bad for this. Almost 25 out of a 100 babies suffer from colic within the first few weeks of their birth. But there is not too much to worry about this, colic disappears within 12 weeks of birth. Normally a baby cries inconsolably for hours at a stretch if it is caught by colic. The parents can understand that the baby is suffering from colic if it pulls its legs straight and forward, or if arches its body backward, if the tummy gets bloated etc. The definite reason for colic is not yet known. Observations tell that bottle-fed babies are more prone to colic as they have a tendency to suck in air through the teat. It may occur due to lactose allergy, lactose is an ingredient of milk and some babies have allergy to that. Smoking during pregnancy may also be a reason for colic. Colic may also occur due to the immaturity of the digestive system of the baby, thus it gradually gets eradicated within 12 weeks of birth as the system becomes immune. If a baby is bottle –fed then anti-colic teats should be used that helps in reducing the air intake. In case of breast-fed babies, the mother should avoid eating spicy food, alcohol, acidic fruit juices, onions, cabbages etc. The tummy of the baby should be massaged in clockwise direction to relieve it of pain; cranial osteopathy can also be done.

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