It is still up for debate on what actually causes an infant to experience colic. Many researchers believe it has everything to do with the immaturity and sensitivity of a child's digestive system. Others claim it is associated with a milk allergy or a lactose intolerance of a given infant. Still more suppose it has a direct correlation with the mother, be it what she is eating, how she is feeling or even the position in which the baby is fed. No matter what the reason there are a few different formulas on the market that can help remedy the signs and symptoms of colic.
Identification
Of the various formulas available today, a few of them have been said to treat your infant when he or she has colic. Each has shown results to help with the sensitivity some babies experience in their digestive systems. Carnation Good Start is probably your best first option. It has what is called "comfort proteins," or smaller proteins that are easier for an infant's stomach to digest, lessening the effects of gas pain. However, this formula does contain protein from cow's milk, so if your baby's colic is a result from an allergy to this type of protein, you'll want to next try a formula that uses protein from soy, like Carnation Alsoy, Isomil Baby Formula or Enfamil ProSobee. All three have shown good results for babies who have been suffering from colic. Yet, of those infants who have an intolerance to cow's milk, about 50 percent will also have a sensitivity to soy. If this is the case for your child, you'll then need to switch to a formula for more sensitive stomachs, like Nutramigen or Alimentum. Any child with both cow and soy sensitivities should be helped with his or her colic by this sort of switch in formula.
Features
If you're unsure that your child actually has colic, there are a few very telltale signs you should look for before switching to a specific formula. Most children who experience colic will be under the age of four months. Generally, they will have an almost habitual crying episode at the same time every day, most often in the evenings as well as late in the afternoon, for no apparent reason at all. During these episodes, your baby will likely bring his thighs into his belly while tensing his arms, fists and abdomen. These movements are usually accompanied by a fairly high amount of activity, a flushness in the face and a strong, forceful cry.
Effects
When you do move to a formula to help with your child's colic, make sure you give it enough time to actually take effect. Generally, you'll need upwards of a week to see any sort of change in your baby's colic, and most likely find a slight worsening for the first day as your baby's system adjusts to this new solution. That being said, to quickly change from one formula to another or from breast milk to a formula may exacerbate the colic, so use care when switching from breast milk to formula or from brand to brand.
Expert Insight
If your child is showing symptoms of colic, it is perfectly fine to contact your pediatrician before changing to a specific formula. Though the formulas listed above have shown good results in helping with colic, your doctor may know of a better option in treatment, or find that it isn't colic at all and another method of action would better serve the baby.
Misconceptions
Just because your child experiences colic, doesn't mean you have an unhealthy baby. Actually, a colicky infant will grow like any other normal, healthy child, just a bit more loudly, so to speak. And though many people believe it to be true, signs of colic do not increase a baby's chances of sudden infant death syndrome.
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