When do you start tummy time for newborns

Tummy Time (for Parents) - Nemours KidsHealth

Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD

en español Posición boca abajo

What Is Tummy Time?

Tummy time is laying babies on their stomachs for brief periods while they're awake. It's an important way to help babies strengthen their neck and shoulder muscles, and improve motor skills.

Be sure to stay with your baby and watch closely during tummy time.

What Can Tummy Time Help With?

Tummy time is good for:

Newborns and infants 1–3 months old who are just developing neck control. Tummy time helps develop the muscles they'll need to roll over, sit up, crawl, and walk. Always stay with your baby during tummy time.
Older babies, 4–7 months old. They should still spend some supervised time on their bellies, even if they can roll over and sit with some help. Tummy time helps them practice lifting their head and chest further by straightening their arms. This strengthens arm, chest, and back muscles.
Newborns who have a neck condition called torticollis (tor-ti-KOLL-iss). Tight neck muscles keep the baby from turning their head. Tummy time encourages babies to look around, and along with exercises your doctor will show you, can help your baby's neck muscles relax.
Babies with flat head syndrome (positional plagiocephaly). This happens when babies spend too much time on their backs in the first few months of life. This can cause a flat spot, either on one side or the back of the head.

How Do I Do Tummy Time?

Newborns

Start newborns on tummy time by placing them belly-down on your chest or across your lap for a few minutes at a time, two or three times a day. While lying on their belly, they can practice lifting their head and strengthening the neck and shoulder muscles. As your baby gets used to it, you can go for a little longer.

Older Babies

Place a blanket down in a clear area on the floor. Place your baby on their stomach on the blanket for 3–5 minutes to start, several times each day. Your baby may get fussy and frustrated in this position. Keep the first sessions of tummy time brief and gradually lengthen them. It's also a good idea to do tummy time when your baby is fed, changed, and happy.

As your baby gets used to it, place your little one belly-down more often or for longer periods of time. Experts recommend that babies work up to about 1 hour of tummy time a day by the time they're 3 months old.

Make some noises or shake a rattle to get your child to look up and push up. Place a favorite toy in front of your baby to encourage reaching and forward movement.

Babies With Torticollis or a Flat Spot

This exercise is good for babies with torticollis and/or a flat spot, and can help treat both problems:

Lay your baby on your lap for tummy time. Position your baby with their head turned away from you. Then, talk or sing to your baby. Encourage your little one to turn and face you. Do this exercise for 10–15 minutes.

What Else Should I Know?

Always stay with your baby during tummy time.
Always place babies on their backs (never on their bellies) to sleep to help prevent SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).
Do tummy time on a low, safe surface. Don't put your baby on a sofa or bed, where they could roll off or suffocate on pillows or a soft surface.

If your baby doesn't seem to enjoy tummy time, add some variety. Sing songs, keep colorful toys nearby, get down on the floor and eye-to-eye with your baby, and have others join you. Don't give up! Tummy time is important, and some babies just need a little extra time to get used to it.

Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD

Date reviewed: October 2019

Tummy Time | When to Start Tummy Time – Happiest Baby

By Dr. Harvey Karp, MD, FAAP

Tummy Time

Tummy time is an important part of an infant's routine. In fact, recent research found that tummy time was positively linked to gross motor development, total development, plus the ability to move while prone or supine (which includes crawling and rolling). Regular tummy time also helps your little one strengthen build up her muscles and become better at moving...which helps reduce the risk of sudden infant death.

Establish Safe Sleeping Habits Before Starting Tummy Time

Routinely putting a baby to sleep on the stomach raises her risk of SIDS about four times. But SIDS risk jumps even higher (eight to 37 times!) when young babies (under 4 months) are put to sleep on the back…but accidentally roll to the stomach.

Of course, sooner or later, your baby will roll onto her stomach during sleep. So what should you do to protect her?

For at least the first 4 months, always put your baby to sleep on the back snugly swaddled with white noise playing nearby. The sound will keep her calmer (less likely to fidget and roll), and the swaddling will make it harder for her to flip over. (FYI, Happiest Baby's SNOO Smart Sleeper is the only baby bed that prevents accidental rolling, via its clip-in swaddle. It also keeps your baby calm, by intelligently providing the right level of white noise and womb-like motion to soothe fussing. )

When to Start Tummy Time

While you can begin tummy time as early as the first day you bring your baby home, by the time your baby reaches one month, it's time to begin daily exercises to help her strengthen her neck and back. That will help her develop the ability to move her face out of a blanket or mattress in case she accidentally rolls to the stomach.

The key to starting tummy time is making sure that both you and your newborn are awake and alert and you’re constantly supervising.

How to Do Tummy Time Exercises

Once or twice a day, hold your baby upright in your arms with her head resting on your shoulder and her belly against your upper chest. Allow her to practice lifting her head, as you gently support her neck and head with your hand.

Place your baby with her tummy and face down on a sheet to give her practice moving her head and getting her nose and mouth free. (Supervise her closely, and never leave her alone on her stomach. ) The first few times, you may need to help by lifting her head a tiny bit and showing her how to swing her face to the side.

When your infant is 2-3 months old, place your hand under her chest during the tummy exercise to lift her a tiny bit and help her start learning how to use her arms to push up.

These exercises will teach her how to free her face by arching her back and lifting her head, in case she accidentally flips over in sleep.

How Long Should You Do Tummy Time For?

Start by doing tummy time once or twice per day for 3 to 5 minutes. As your baby gets older (and stronger!), you can ramp up the number of tummy time sessions and duration. Pretty soon your baby will be able to roll over on her own!

Final Thoughts on Tummy Time

Don’t stress if your baby hates tummy time. If you’re finding it challenging to keep your baby engaged, then take a break from tummy time exercises for a couple of days or even a week. Shortening tummy time sessions and spacing the exercises throughout the day will make it more bearable for your little one. Remember, some tummy time is better than no tummy time.

About Dr. Harvey Karp

Dr. Harvey Karp, one of America’s most trusted pediatricians, is the founder of Happiest Baby and the inventor of the groundbreaking SNOO Smart Sleeper. After years of treating patients in Los Angeles, Dr. Karp vaulted to global prominence with the release of the bestselling Happiest Baby on the Block and Happiest Toddler on the Block. His celebrated books and videos have since become standard pediatric practice, translated into more than 20 languages and have helped millions of parents. Dr. Karp’s landmark methods, including the 5 S’s for soothing babies, guide parents to understand and nurture their children and relieve stressful issues, like new-parent exhaustion, infant crying, and toddler tantrums.

View more posts tagged, behavior & development

Have questions about a Happiest Baby product? Our consultants would be happy to help! Connect with us at customercare@happiestbaby. com.

Disclaimer: The information on our site is NOT medical advice for any specific person or condition. It is only meant as general information. If you have any medical questions and concerns about your child or yourself, please contact your health provider.

how to distinguish from gaziki, symptoms, what to do and how to help when intestinal colic begins during breastfeeding

From the age of four weeks, my son began to cry almost every evening at the same time. Yes, so bitter that I wanted to cry with him.

Ksenia Petrova

doctor, mother, survivor of colic

Author profile

No matter what my husband and I did at that time, he would not calm down. After about an hour, the crying stopped, and the son was again the calmest child in the world. We thought that we were doing something wrong: I needed to change either my diet or my daily routine. But the pediatrician explained that it was colic, and everything would go away on its own.

Intestinal colic is diagnosed in 30% of children in the first four months of life. To save a child from suffering, parents are ready to give any money. And this is often used by charlatans, manufacturers of biological supplements and infant formula.

What is intestinal colic in newborns

Intestinal colic is cramping pain in the abdomen. During an attack, the baby behaves restlessly and cries. At the same time, the rest of the time he is calm and looks healthy.

The term "colic" was introduced by the American pediatrician Morris Wessel. He noticed that some healthy children cried more than others. The pediatrician decided to call this phenomenon colic. There was no talk of any illness.

How long does colic last in newborns

In total, colic lasts up to three hours a day. Some parents think that the baby is crying all the time. Therefore, pediatricians recommend keeping a diary with the time of each episode of crying. In it, mark the beginning, end of crying and the reason. At the end of the day, count how much the child cried in total and separately - how much he cried for an unknown reason.

Baby crying diary

Beginning and end of crying	Total, minutes	Cause
05:33 - 05:46	13	Dirty diaper
08:14 - 08:57	43	Fright
11:00 - 11:22	22	Hunger
15:13 - 15:20	7	Dirty diaper
16:49 - 17:15	26	Cause unknown
19:38 — 21:02	24	Other known cause
23:00 - 23:20	20	Hunger
Total	155 minutes
Crying for unknown reason	26 minutes

05:33 - 05:46

Total

13 minutes

Cause

Dirty diaper 9000 3 08 08

0114

only

43 minutes

reason

Fight

11:00 - 11:22

22 minutes

Reason

Hunger

15:13 - 15:20

only

7 minutes

Reason

Dirty diaper

16:49 - 17:15

Total

26 minutes

Reason: 38 - 21:02

total

24 minutes

Reason

Another known reason

23:00 - 23:20

total

20 minutes

Reason

hunger

total

155 minutes

Crying for an unknown reason

26 minutes

The diary will help you calculate how many minutes a day crying lasts and what is its cause. Download a copy of this plate and fill it out online or in print form.

When does colic start in newborns

After a natural birth, colic in babies can begin as early as three weeks. They occur during feeding or 20-30 minutes after it. With a caesarean section, colic may begin a week earlier. Pediatricians suggest that this is due to a lack of microorganisms in the child's gastrointestinal tract. During natural childbirth, they enter the baby's body from the mother's birth canal, but this does not happen during caesarean section.

Gut Microbiota Development and Health Implications - PubMed

Causes of Colic

The exact cause of infantile colic has not been established.

The causes of colic in formula-fed and breast-fed children are the same. They do not depend on gender and skin color, whether the child is full-term or not. And they are found not only in children, but also in the cubs of other mammals. Puppies, for example, can take a pose with an arched back and tucked paws and whine, even if their mother is nearby.

Which children are more likely to have colic, article in UpToDate

Natural dog health remedies: symptoms of colic in puppies

Scientists suggest that colic occurs for several reasons.

Immaturity of the nervous system. Up to three months, nerve impulses may enter the digestive system chaotically. As a result, the muscles in the walls of the stomach and intestines sometimes contract incorrectly. It's like pedaling a bicycle with one foot forward and the other back. Due to the disconnected work of the intestine, painful spasms occur.

Development of the digestive system, article in Pubmed

From three to five months, the supply of nerve impulses improves, the muscles begin to work synchronously, and spasms become less.

Enzyme deficiency. Food cannot be digested without special proteins - enzymes. They break down food into simpler constituents. In the first months of life, the salivary glands, stomach, pancreas and small intestine produce few enzymes. Therefore, their number is not always enough to digest food. Poorly digested food enters the large intestine, where it is processed by bacteria. The fermentation process begins. Gas is formed, and the more, the more it presses on the intestines from the inside. Gas formation leads to discomfort and pain. When gases leave, the child becomes easier.

Parental alarm. Scientists have noticed that children of anxious parents were more likely to be diagnosed with intestinal colic.

Maternal Anxiety Disorders and Baby Crying, Pubmed article

Children are empaths, reflecting the inner state of others, even if they try to hide it. For example, if the mother is often sad, the child will become anxious. Older children are able to express feelings in different ways, and babies, experiencing negative emotions, cry.

At the same time, the frequency of colic is in no way connected with parental experience. The fifth child in the family may have colic, even if the previous four children did not have them, and the parents are sure that they know all the secrets to preventing colic.

Migraine. Infantile colic is considered as a reaction to pain. The source of pain can be not only the stomach, but also the head. In 2013, it was found that children who were diagnosed with migraine were more likely to suffer from colic in infancy. And in 2014, researchers concluded that colic may be an early manifestation of migraine. There is also a suggestion of a feedback loop: children who have had colic are more likely to have migraines in the future.

Relationship between childhood migraine and colic, article in Jama

Maternal smoking and nicotine replacement therapy. A large study confirmed the relationship between maternal smoking and colic in children. We are talking about both the mother's smoking during pregnancy and the inhalation of tobacco smoke by the child. Nicotine interferes with the passage of nerve impulses to the intestines, causes inflammation of its mucosa and reduces blood flow to the gastrointestinal tract. As a result, colic occurs.

Pediatrics: how maternal smoking increases the risk of infantile colic

Allergy to cow's milk proteins. Cow's milk protein can enter the child's body directly from artificial formulas or through breast milk from the mother. In the blood, the protein reacts with antibodies. As a result of this reaction, substances are formed that can damage intestinal cells. Inflammation begins in it, which becomes a source of pain. In a European study, 12,050 children with colic were examined for allergies to cow's milk protein. Among them were children on artificial and natural feeding. Allergy was confirmed in 1% of children.

Another study found that only 1.7% of mothers get enough cow's milk protein into their breast milk to cause an allergy. This means that even if the child has an allergy, in most cases the mother can continue to drink cow's milk.

Cow's milk protein allergy is easily missed or confused with another disease. Most often, with an allergy in a child, blood appears in the stool, visible to the naked eye. Less common symptoms:

Excessively vivid colic: bouts of intense, inconsolable and prolonged crying.
Delayed weight gain.
Mid-feeding cry with early sucking stop and malnutrition.
Skin rash: if it develops, take the child to the pediatrician.

Diagnosis and treatment of protein allergy in children, a practical guidePDF, 383 KB

Does mom's diet affect colic. To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor may prescribe a cow's milk-free diet to the mother, a blood test for antibodies and a fecal occult blood test to the child.

Changing the diet for colic - Cochrane

How to tell if a baby has colic

Colic appears to be part of normal baby development. Outside the seizure, the baby looks healthy and happy. Therefore, the following symptoms appear only during colic.

How to understand that a child has colic:

Crying starts suddenly, more often in the evening.
The face turns red and the skin around the lips turns pale.
Abdomen swollen and tense.
The child's legs are bent and brought to the stomach, and during especially strong crying they can be tense and straightened, cold to the touch.
Fingers clenched, arms extended and tense.
Back arched.

American pediatrician and scientist Ronald Barr about six characteristics of crying during colic in children and how parents can survive this and not harm the child

Relief can come after the child poops. At the same time, gases are released and spasms associated with improper coordination of the intestines stop. Sometimes colic can end just after the baby has farted.

What colic looks like in a newborn: the baby is screaming, the lips and skin around the mouth are pale, the hands are clenched into fists, the legs are brought to the stomach. Source: Luck Club

Colic can occur in the form of contractions: the child cries, then calms down for a few minutes and starts screaming again. And so in a circle.

Less than 5% of children have colic due to illness. Then other alarming symptoms appear in the child:

The temperature is above 38 °C.
Diarrhea more than 8-10 times a day.
The child does not poop for three days or more.
Blood in the stool: streaks of blood, jelly-like red or crimson impurities, black loose stools.
Increased regurgitation and vomiting.
Breathing rate less than 40 breaths per minute, wheezing and whistling may be heard on inspiration, blueness around the mouth.
Any rash on the skin.
The child is less active than usual, eats less.
No matter what you do, you cannot calm your child for more than three hours.

How to distinguish colic from gas in newborns. To understand that discomfort can be associated with gases, you can see the swollen and tense belly of the baby.

Excessive flatulence may be associated with colic: for example, relief in a child may occur after the child poops. At the same time, gases are released and spasms associated with improper coordination of the intestines stop. Sometimes colic can end just after the baby has farted. Therefore, to help a child with colic, gas tubes are sometimes used.

First aid for a child with colic

You can try one of the ways to calm the child for a few minutes. If there is no effect, go to the next one:

Offer him a pacifier.
Turn on the tummy.
Ride in your stroller or car.
Carry your baby in your arms, in a sling or equivalent.
Rock while standing, in a rocking chair, sitting on a fitball.
Change location, shade the room.
Swing on the children's swing.
Take a warm bath.
Stroke your tummy.
Turn on heartbeat audio.
Turn on white noise.
Sing a lullaby or talk to your baby.
Swaddle loosely.

How to cope with colic, an article in KidsHealth

Pathways. org: how to properly lay the baby on the tummy and how it is useful

The baby does not have to be rocked in your arms or in a stroller, you can do it. Photo: Ekaterina Yusupova Stroke the baby's belly clockwise, without effort. Photo: Ekaterina Yusupova With loose swaddling, the baby's legs can move freely With loose swaddling, the baby's legs can move freely

If all else fails, you can put a gas tube on the child. You can buy it in a pharmacy, specify what it is for a baby. It is worth using this method when other methods do not work, and the child's stomach is still swollen and tense.

Lubricate the tip of the gas tube or enema with petroleum jelly or other oil and gently insert it in a circular motion to a depth of three centimeters. You will hear when the gases begin to come out. At the same time, the child may begin to poop. Soon after a bowel movement, the baby will calm down.

/ya-rodilsya/

From sterilizer to infant carrier: baby shopping list

You will eventually find a method that is right for your baby. But be prepared that it will not always work.

How it was with us

My son's colic began from the fourth week and was almost every day, always in the evenings, at the same time. At first, it helped well to rock in a chair to a movie. Worked for a week. On New Year's Eve, the garlands on the Christmas tree came in well, for another week.

There was a period when nothing helped. My husband and I took turns waiting out this time in the evenings with the baby in our arms. The sling helped from time to time. Then I randomly found one song - Alexey Kosenko, Rain with Me Original Mix - where the piano played and there were sounds of rain. I turned it on on repeat and rocked the child while standing in this rhythm. It helped for two whole weeks. The song still plays in my head sometimes.

If the baby won't stop crying:

Call a loved one who can support you or babysit. At this time, you can rest. Children are great at reading emotions - if you rest and calm down, then the child may stop crying.
If all else fails, put your baby on their back in a crib without blankets or soft toys, go out and close the door. For 10 minutes, do something that will help you relax and calm down. For example, take a shower, have a snack, read or listen to music. After that, return to the baby and try to calm him down again.

Do not shake the baby during colic. In children under two years of age, the neck muscles are not sufficiently developed, the walls of the vessels of the brain are fragile, and the head is disproportionately large in relation to the body. Therefore, when shaking, the brain moves inside the skull, which can lead to injury. This is how shaken baby syndrome occurs.

The Period of PURPLE Crying: how shaken baby syndrome develops and causes

Don't blame yourself or your child for crying. Find a way for yourself to relax and know that the child will outgrow this period.

How to help a newborn with colic

There are few high-quality studies on the treatment of colic. Those that exist say that most methods are no more effective than placebos. As a criterion for the effectiveness of the method, scientists usually take the time by which the crying of the child is reduced. It is believed that if a treatment reduces crying time by less than 30 minutes a day, then it is ineffective.

Among the effective methods are only probiotics with Lactobacillus Reuteri and diet. Other methods reduced crying time by less than 30 minutes. Source: Pubmed Among the effective methods are only probiotics with Lactobacillus Reuteri and diet. Other methods reduced crying time by less than 30 minutes. Source: Pubmed

Nutrition correction. The method helps children who have colic due to allergies. In this case, the doctor excludes allergen foods from the mother's diet. A bottle-fed baby can be transferred to a deep hydrolyzate. The body of a child with an allergy to cow's milk protein cannot break down this protein. Therefore, in hydrolyzed mixtures, milk protein is already split. Such an experiment lasts a week, if there is no effect, the previous diet returns. The effectiveness of the diet for treating infantile colic in a situation where the child does not have allergies has not been proven.

Probiotics for breastfed babies. These are live microorganisms that alter the intestinal microflora and aid in digestion. There is speculation, as yet without conclusive evidence, that the gut microflora of infants with colic is different from that of children without colic. Therefore, it is believed that microorganisms can improve digestion, reduce gas and reduce pain.

What to do? 07/02/20

The doctor prescribed dietary supplement along with the usual medicine. This is fine?

But it's not that simple:

It is not known how many of which microbes each person should have.
Research is carried out with different types of microorganisms. Each type can have its own effect. Therefore, the results cannot be generalized to all probiotics.
There are few data on the safety of probiotics. Only 2% of studies state that the product is safe.
Many probiotic studies are sponsored by infant formula manufacturers and drug companies. This raises doubts about the objectivity of the results obtained.

In 2017, a probiotic containing Lactobacillus Reuteri strain DSM 17938 was proven to be effective and safe. In breastfed babies, it reduces the duration of crying by an average of 50 minutes per day. By other criteria, this probiotic is no more effective than a placebo. Therefore, you can use the drug only as directed by a doctor. The probiotic is prescribed for a month to evaluate the effectiveness. With a positive effect, the doctor can extend its intake for another three months.

800 R

average price for BioGaia and Rela Life probiotics containing Lactobacillus Reuteri. You will need at least two bottles per month

Research on the effectiveness of the probiotic with Lactobacillus Reuteri in artificially fed children is just beginning.

Hydrolysed formulas for formula-fed babies. Studies show that hydrolyzed protein formulas reduce the duration of crying throughout the day. They switch to a new mixture gradually: it is added to the usual one within four days. This is continued until only a hydrolyzed mixture is obtained.

If the new formula helps relieve symptoms of colic, continue taking it for up to three to six months. After that, you can resume taking the usual mixture. This method can reduce crying by 37 minutes a day. But it can only be used as directed by a doctor. Incorrect selection of a new mixture can increase colic or cause allergies.

Baby colic: how to recognize and treat, article on the American Academy of Family Physicians website

Dealing with parental anxiety. This method does not reduce the duration of colic in any way, but in 9In 0% of cases, doctors recommend starting with it. If the words of a pediatrician do not help to cope with anxiety, then you can turn to a psychologist.

How to deal with anxiety

Veronika Khlebnikova

existential psychologist, blogger and mother of three children

To calm a child, you must first of all cope with your anxiety. I often communicate with parents who are not sure that they are doing the right thing in relation to the child. They think they are not up to the task. At such moments, you need to understand where your anxiety comes from. Then it will be easier for you to get rid of it.

What does not help with colic

Switching from breastfeeding to artificial feeding. No treatment algorithm recommends eliminating or reducing breastfeeding. This leads to the rapid disappearance of milk, increases the tension of the intestines of the child and weakens his immunity.

120,000 R

amount per year that artificial feeding can cost

The duration of baby crying may decrease when switching from breastfeeding to artificial feeding. But this is because breast milk is digested faster. As a result, the baby feels hungry more often and gets new portions of milk more often - it seems that during sucking he screams more often. And after the transfer to the mixture, he sleeps longer, which makes it seem that he has become better.

Colic is three to five months, and breastfeeding should continue longer. The decision to cancel it must be taken very carefully.

Acid suppression therapy. Proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole are not effective in treating infant colic. Their effectiveness is not higher than that of placebo.

Painkillers. Evidence for the effectiveness of pain relievers for treating infantile colic is sparse and biased. Their use is not recommended without a doctor's prescription.

Homeopathic preparations. They are used at very low doses, their mechanism of action is not clear, and their effectiveness has not been proven. They are not recommended for the treatment of colic in children.

Use of homeotic remedies for infantile colicPDF, 260 KB

Drinking water. Breast milk is more than 80% water. It is enough to quench the thirst of a child up to four to six months, even in the heat. Supplementing babies with water puts them at risk of diarrhea and malnutrition. It can also cause the baby to suckle less at the mother's breast, producing less and less milk, and stop breastfeeding too soon.

WHO: why is it harmful to give water to infants

Phytotherapy. Few studies have been done on the effectiveness of various herbs. Chamomile, peppermint, lemon balm, licorice, and dill water are reportedly no more effective than placebo. Some herbs can be dangerous for a child and cause allergies. For example, fennel in large quantities can cause vomiting and impair the functioning of the baby's muscles. This is the same plant, from the essential oil of which "dill water" is made.

Simethicone. This is a synthetic substance that reduces bloating. Included in, for example, "Bobotika", "Espumizan baby", "Sub simplex". Simethicone is not absorbed, it acts only in the intestinal lumen on gas bubbles, which causes them to disintegrate. No study has proven that the use of simethicone is effective in treating colic in children.

390 Р

average price per bottle of simethicone

If colic is mainly due to increased gas formation, then simethicone can help. You can only find out by trying. If after a week of taking you have not noticed any difference in the frequency and intensity of colic attacks, it is pointless to continue using it.

Tea for lactation. Hot drinks are generally not prohibited. It promotes the release of oxytocin, relaxes and calms. And it is easier for a calm mother to cope with a crying child. But herbal tea can be harmful for both mother and child. For example, fennel, lemon balm and sage reduce lactation. Carefully read the composition and recommendations for the amount of tea so as not to overdo it.

E-Lactanciya: compatibility of medicines and herbs with breastfeeding

Chiropractic, osteopathy. These are alternative medicine methods that use physical manipulations such as stretching and massage. Studies have shown that chiropractic and osteopathy are not effective for treating colic. The safety of these methods for children has not yet been proven.

Manipulative techniques for the treatment of infantile colic, article in Pubmed

Acupuncture, or acupuncture. Proponents of the method insert fine needles into the skin at certain points. They believe that the impact on these points restores vital energy, and pain goes away from this. Acupuncture is useless and is not recommended for treating colic. The safety of this method has also not been proven.

A review of the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for colic in infants, article in Pubmed

When colic in newborns goes away three days a week, and ends by three months.

Rome IV Criteria: Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in ChildrenPDF, 828KB

Since 2016, colic has been considered to last up to five months. After that, the baby begins to cry less often. If after five months the crying time has not decreased, you need to contact your pediatrician.

Prevention of colic in newborns

There is no method of prevention that would prevent colic. But proper feeding will help ease their flow and reduce the duration.

Keep your baby on your tummy for as long as possible before each feed. Start with two to five minutes, gradually increasing the time. By three months, the baby can lie on his stomach for about an hour a day.

Attach the baby correctly to the breast: not only the nipple, but also the areola should be in the mouth.

Mayo Clinic Feeding Position Slideshow

Carry your baby upright for 5 to 15 minutes after each feed to burp up any swallowed air. If feeding at night, lay the baby so that his head was raised.

If formula-fed, try using nipples and anti-colic bottles. Inside these bottles there is a valve that equalizes the pressure.

500 R

average price per anti-colic bottle

Colic is optional, 70% of children do not have it. If, even before the birth, the family tunes in to the fact that even if colic makes itself felt, they will stop sooner or later, then the first months of parenthood are more likely to pass calmer.

You can use a pillow or your free hand to lift your baby's head. The baby must grasp not only the nipple, but also the areola. Even in the horizontal position, the nipple is always full of milk. Air does not get into it. Source: philips.ru

Remember

Not everyone has colic.
Colic is part of normal baby development.
The exact cause of their appearance is not known.
Treatment of colic begins with parental anxiety.
More often than not, the treatment of colic does not cost anything - most therapies have not been proven to be effective.
Colic ends in all children by a maximum of five months. It just needs to be experienced.

When does colic start in a newborn? How long does colic last in newborns? Until how many months does a baby have colic?

09.10.2015

45787

Calm sleep conditions

0-3 months

Article

Tatyana Chkhikvishvili

Head of Online Programs, Psychologist, SNOS consultant

Mother of two children

Colic is a very common problem for parents of newborns. Probably everyone has heard about abdominal pain in babies, but many parents are not ready for this situation, feel confused, do not know how to help their child.

In this article we have used important information from Prof. Mark Weissbluth's book Healthy Sleep, Happy Child.

0–4 months. Improve sleep in 3 weeks

Causes of colic in newborns

Colic occurs in every tenth baby, but their causes are not completely known. Colic in infants usually begins a few weeks after birth, and their main symptom is crying, which lasts more than three hours a day with varying intensity and is repeated at least three times a week.

Many believe that abdominal pain in babies is associated with increased gas formation, which causes discomfort. Another explanation for colic is related to the immaturity of the nervous system and increased intracranial pressure. Another look at the cause of stomach problems in a newborn is the unformed microflora and adaptation to the environment.

Why can colic occur?

There is still no consensus on what causes colic in babies. Experts put forward the following versions of :

Incorrect attachment to the breast or bottle, because of which the baby swallows air.
Inappropriate formula for formula-fed baby.
Allergic reaction to certain foods in the diet of a nursing mother.
Milk allergy or lactase deficiency.
Unusually strong contractions of the intestines due to the immaturity of the digestive system.
Accumulation of milk or gas in the esophagus.
Hormonal changes in the baby's body.
Infant temperament or mother's anxiety.

What to do with colic at home?

Parents are most concerned about the question of whether it is possible to alleviate the condition of the baby. Can!

These tips help your baby feel better:

Have your baby lie on their stomach during the day.
Make skin-to-skin contact, place your baby on your stomach.
Bring the baby's legs close to the tummy and hold in this position.
Place a warm diaper or heating pad over the abdomen.
Massage your baby's tummy with light circular motions in a clockwise direction. It is desirable that at least 30 minutes have passed before this after feeding.
Carry your baby in your arms or in a sling not only to relieve colic, but also to help you fall asleep – many newborns find it easier to fall asleep in this position.
Check for correct attachment to the breast so that the baby does not swallow air. Make sure the bottle nipple is the right size and shape for your baby.
Different feeding positions can be used for babies: from under the arm, lying down, etc.
Put your baby in the car seat, secure it with the seat belts and take the car for a ride.
Play soothing music or sing a lullaby.
Use white noise to reduce anxiety.
Try Dr. Harvey Karp's Baby Calming System.
Seek advice from Dr. Sears to relieve colic symptoms.
After feeding, hold the baby in a column, especially if he is bottle-fed.

Don't put your baby to sleep on his stomach - it's not safe!
To alleviate the symptoms of colic, you can and should let the baby lie on his stomach while awake. But never put your baby to sleep on his stomach - this increases the likelihood of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).

When does colic begin in a newborn?

In his book "Healthy Sleep, Happy Baby" Professor Weissbluth also writes about a topic that worries most mothers - colic. The parents of almost every baby are sure that their baby has tummy pains, but do all crying children suffer from them? How to distinguish crying associated with increased nervousness from colic? How does this painful condition affect the child's sleep? Do abdominal cramps play a role in shaping character and temperament?

Mom and dad bring the newborn home, he sleeps sweetly, friends and relatives congratulate the parents for having such a calm baby. But after about 2 weeks, the child seems to be replaced. He cries inconsolably for no apparent reason, nothing can calm him down, this nightmare continues day after day! Putting him to sleep becomes more and more difficult, and finding ways to calm him down is becoming more and more difficult.

How can you tell if your crying is caused by colic?

80% of infants experience increased nervousness and frequent crying. 20% have extremely strong nervousness and colic. Currently, in world practice, the diagnosis of colic is made if strong inconsolable crying lasts :

at least 3 hours a day;
at least 3 times a week;
at least 3 weeks.

If the rule of "three triples" is not followed, then experts talk about the increased nervousness of the child, which is a variant of the norm under the age of 4 months.

Symptoms of colic are quite pronounced:

usually the peak of anxiety occurs between 18:00 and 22:00 hours;
the baby is healthy according to the doctors;
he is fed;
the infant does not experience discomfort related to the temperature in the room;
the child waves his arms and presses his legs to his stomach;
abdomen swollen, tense to the touch and enlarged;
the baby's cry may change in intensity, becoming more intense during an attack;
after passing gas, the stomach becomes soft, and the baby calms down.

Nursing mother's nutrition for colic

Many mothers whose babies are breastfeeding ask themselves the question: does their diet affect the digestion of the baby? This is especially worrisome for those mothers whose babies suffer from colic.

Sometimes pediatricians advise breastfeeding mothers to follow a diet: give up dairy, sour-milk, legumes and other products that can cause increased gas formation. You need to follow such a diet with caution, you should not exclude entire food groups. It is enough to start with one thing and observe the condition of the baby. If after 5-7 days the baby feels better, it is possible that the child has an intolerance to this product or its components.

But, as a rule, the mother's diet does not have a direct effect on the digestion of the baby. The baby eats breast milk, and not what the mother eats. It is much more important that the mother has a complete varied diet and a good mood, and she does not feel like a “violator” because of the candy eaten.

Prevention of colic

In order to prevent colic, you need to know the causes of their occurrence. There can be several reasons: from an inappropriate mixture to hormonal changes in the baby's body.

However, one of the main causes of increased gas formation in the intestines of the baby is improper feeding, in which the baby swallows air along with milk or formula. Make sure that the baby is properly grasping the breast - the areola of the nipple should be completely in the baby's mouth when sucking. When formula-feeding, pay attention to the choice of the bottle: the hole for formula or milk should not be too large.

A good preventive measure for colic is to lay the baby on the stomach 10-15 minutes before feeding. This position stimulates the bowels and reduces gas formation after feeding.

Are all babies equally prone to colic?

There are a number of theories about this, but none of them has yet been confirmed. Breastfed and formula-fed babies, boys and girls all suffer from colic in about the same degree.

According to scientists, the risk of colic in children is not associated with the fact that :

This is the first child in the family. Parents of the first child experience colic in their babies no more often than experienced parents, but colic and gaziki can be a serious test for them;
The baby is breastfed. If the baby is breastfed, it can be assumed with a high degree of certainty that colic is not related to the mother's diet;
The baby is bottle-fed. Bottle feeding is not thought to be the cause of colic;
The baby has a lactase deficiency. Most infants have some degree of lactase deficiency, and its association with colic is not clear.

How long does colic last in newborns and how does it affect the baby's sleep?

Children with colic and increased nervousness sleep an average of 2 hours less than their calmer peers. The time of evening and night sleep is especially reduced. But the less they sleep, the more anxiety and colic. The peak of crying usually occurs at the age of 6-8 weeks, when exhausted parents finally lose hope for the best and ask themselves: until what month does colic last?

There is good news for them: after 8 weeks the situation starts to improve, colic gradually subsides and the process of consolidation of sleep around the night begins (the baby sleeps longer at night and the duration of daytime sleep is reduced). By 4 months, when increased nervousness and colic pass, the baby has a fairly predictable rhythm of sleep and wakefulness. Family life begins to gradually return to normal.

Rarely, babies over 6-7 months of age also have digestive problems. In this case, we are talking about the individual characteristics of the development of the child.

If we talk about premature babies, they have individual dates for the start and end of colic. Discuss this issue with your pediatrician.

Possible errors

After colic is over, many parents report that their children become calmer. Many even begin to sleep a little better, but often sleep problems still remain. Why is sleep after the end of colic not normalized? This is explained not so much by colic as by the possible mistakes of the parents.

There are 3 ways to soothe a baby: rocking, sucking, swaddling. Once the colic has passed, it is important not to maintain these associations of falling asleep simply out of habit. Help your baby learn to fall asleep in a different way.

Parents whose children suffer from colic are in a state of constant stress and lack of sleep, so in matters of sleep they often act inconsistently and impulsively. They try to put the child to sleep by any means. Usually one way is found to work better than the others. And parents begin to constantly use it. And the baby gets used to falling asleep that way. As a result, there are strong associations for falling asleep, the inability to fall asleep without the usual actions of parents. Since young children wake up so often during sleep cycles, the baby sleeps even worse, and the parents do not get even more sleep. The circle closes. Thus, the nature of sleep in the future is influenced not by the presence of colic, but by the actions of the parents.

That is why in order for the baby to sleep well after colic is over, it is important to form healthy sleep habits and introduce different ways of relaxing and falling asleep: white noise, patting, stroking, hissing, lullaby. Try to put the baby in the crib relaxed and ready to fall asleep, but not yet sleeping.

Summary

Increased nervousness in a child under 4 months of age is a variant of the norm, use any methods of calming.
Colic is diagnosed if inconsolable crying lasts more than 3 hours a day, more than 3 times a week, longer than 3 weeks.
The peak of crying occurs at the age of 6-8 weeks, then there is an improvement, including sleep.
There are 3 ways to calm down: motion sickness, sucking, swaddling.
After the period of colic is over, it is important not to maintain strong associations for falling asleep simply out of habit.
Healthy sleep habits should be introduced at 4 months.

Colic in newborns cannot be considered a natural condition, but they are not a disease either. Try to wait out this period and find the most suitable way to relieve the symptoms of pain in the baby's tummy. Remember that this is a temporary stage of development that will definitely end.