Colic is something of a complicated problem. The most complicated thing about colic is that researchers aren’t entirely sure what it is that can cause colic. This makes it especially difficult to find medications that can help with colic. In addition, the medications that are available for colic tend to have a limited success rate. Even common medications for colic such as simethicone, which is commonly used in Europe for colic, isn’t terribly effective for many children.

Because there are few reliable medications available for colic, health care providers and parents have had to turn to other ways to try to help out the family with the colicky baby. Many of these remedies for colic operate on the assumption that colic is, at its core, caused by a disturbance of some form or another in the digestive tract. While experts are not agreed that it is digestive tract issues that are always responsible for colic, there does seem to be some consensus that there is sometimes, if not always, a connection between the two. Many of the alternative treatments and medications available for colic, then, attempt to help out the digestive system in hopes that it will reduce colic.

In this regard, probiotics are one product that may help with colic. Probiotics are actually live bacteria that are introduced into a person’s system. These bacteria are not harmful, or the sort that will cause infection; rather, these bacteria help the body to do its job. For example, the probiotic L. reuteri Protectis works with the natural environment inside the gastrointestinal tract. This probiotic helps to restore the balance inside your baby’s digestive system. These bacteria help the process of digestion. They help the absorption of nutrients. They help to synthesize vitamins. They help with the absorption of minerals. They help to break down carcinogens in the diet. They help the development and the functioning of the immune system. They even help to form a barrier that acts against harmful bacteria, as well as toxins and antigens. Finally, these bacteria in the gut help to protect the body against infections of a variety of types. By restoring the balance in your baby’s digestive system, probiotics can help with 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 a day than babies that were not given the probiotic.

There are other alternatives to medications for colic as well. Gripe water, for example, generally contains a variety of herbs that are thought to help settle a baby’s tummy, and to help him relax. Ultimately, treating your baby’s colic is likely to be a process of trial and error.

Posted in Baby and Toddler

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