One of the most frustrating things about colic is that, for the most part, there are not too many reliable treatments. The fact of the matter is that researchers aren’t even agreed about what it is that causes colic, much less what can be done to help with colic. some parents have had success with anti-gas medications, such as simethicone. Simethicone is one of the most common treatments for colic in Europe, for example. Other parents have had some success treating colic with alternative medications and treatments, including anything from gripe water to aromatherapy. The good news for parents with a baby that has colic is that probiotics are showing great promise as a way to reduce colic. In fact, in scientific studies, colicky babies stopped crying as much. One study actually showed that colicky babies given the probiotic L. reuteri Protectis actually cried for as much as an hour and a half less than babies that were not given the probiotic.

Again, experts don’t know for certain what causes colic. This is at least part of what makes colic hard to treat. There are those that believe that colic is caused by some form of gastrointestinal difficulty or another, for example. There are those that believe that colic is the response of the infant’s immature nervous system to the stimuli around him or her. It is likely that colic may have different causes, or that colic may be caused by several things. In general, however, there does seem to be a connection between colic and the digestive system in one way or another.

Here is where probiotics can help with colic. To understand how probiotics help with colic, it is important to understand a few things about what probiotics are and what they do. Probiotics are live beneficial bacteria that are introduced into a person’s system. These bacteria help contribute to what is called the “gut flora” - the balance of bacteria in the digestive system. The gut flora perform a variety of functions, from helping the formation of the digestive system to helping with absorption of minerals and other nutrients. The gut flora even are believed to assist with the functioning of a person’s immune system. By helping the gut flora, then, probiotics can help a person’s digestive system. In some babies with colic, then, this is how probiotics can help with colic.

Posted in Baby and Toddler

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