Colic Help
In this first article I would like to offer some advice to those new parents who are trying to get to grips with their newborn's feeding difficulties whether its name be colic, wind or gripe. I base my advice on both research and clinical experience.
During my consultation, after I have found out what is wrong with the baby the main three areas I want to understand are 1) what the birth was like for the newborn, was it long, quick, was forceps or vonteuse used? 2) If the mother is breast feeding what is she eating? 3) has the mother or baby had antibiotics?
If the birth was quite traumatic for the child then the gentle and very effective cranial osteopathy is the treatment of choice. You will recognise the need for this treatment if the baby’s head is misshaped (classically a “cone-head”), bruised or if the baby doesn’t like laying down, wants to be held constantly, can’t settle by themselves, wakes easily with a jump or pulls at their hair or ears to name a few common symptoms.
If the mother or baby has had antibiotics then it is well documented that a particular probiotic, when taken by the breast feeding mother has significant benefits to the baby, including the easing of colic type symptoms and decreasing atopic allergies later in life such as eczema and asthma.
Lastly, research shows that the following foods have been found to irritate colic in the baby when the mother eats them; dairy products, wheat, chocolate, spicy foods and some fruits. I have found that the mother needs to look at the foods and drinks that she is eating excessively, perhaps they are her “weakness”, and the best way to truly track down the culprit is to make note in a diet diary that records all things eaten and the severity of the baby’s colic.
To download the handout I give patients and a diet diary sample visit www.christianbates.com.
Christian Bates is an Osteopath and Naturopath of 12 years and works from The Perrymount Clinic in Haywards Heath. 01444 410944 Info@theperrymount.com, www.theperrymount.com.
During my consultation, after I have found out what is wrong with the baby the main three areas I want to understand are 1) what the birth was like for the newborn, was it long, quick, was forceps or vonteuse used? 2) If the mother is breast feeding what is she eating? 3) has the mother or baby had antibiotics?
If the birth was quite traumatic for the child then the gentle and very effective cranial osteopathy is the treatment of choice. You will recognise the need for this treatment if the baby’s head is misshaped (classically a “cone-head”), bruised or if the baby doesn’t like laying down, wants to be held constantly, can’t settle by themselves, wakes easily with a jump or pulls at their hair or ears to name a few common symptoms.
If the mother or baby has had antibiotics then it is well documented that a particular probiotic, when taken by the breast feeding mother has significant benefits to the baby, including the easing of colic type symptoms and decreasing atopic allergies later in life such as eczema and asthma.
Lastly, research shows that the following foods have been found to irritate colic in the baby when the mother eats them; dairy products, wheat, chocolate, spicy foods and some fruits. I have found that the mother needs to look at the foods and drinks that she is eating excessively, perhaps they are her “weakness”, and the best way to truly track down the culprit is to make note in a diet diary that records all things eaten and the severity of the baby’s colic.
To download the handout I give patients and a diet diary sample visit www.christianbates.com.
Christian Bates is an Osteopath and Naturopath of 12 years and works from The Perrymount Clinic in Haywards Heath. 01444 410944 Info@theperrymount.com, www.theperrymount.com.