Colic and Jaundice

Colic

Colic is a common and natural condition that most newborns will grow out of in the first few months of life. However the spasmodic pain of colic causes a baby to cry and wail constantly, which is exhausting for both mother and baby. Signs of colic are impatience, irritability, periodical bouts of persistent crying, hardening of the belly, attempting to bend back while feeding at the breast, screaming, high levels of wind and disrupted sleep. To alleviate colic, look at your own diet and limit foods that have a tendency to produce gas or allergies such as beans, wheat, peanuts, excessive fruits, onions, garlic, sugar and nuts.

Colic and Jaundice - tostadophoto.com / CC BY 2.0

Adding fennel, mint, caraway, cumin and ginger to your meals will help. An easy way to get a dose of these herbs altogether is by using a breastfeeding tea. Homeopathic baby colic powder may also be beneficial and offers a safe, easily prepared medicine. Avoiding cold foods such as iced drinks and ice-cream will help too. Stroking in a clockwise direction on the abdomen, rocking and playing with your baby will also help. The wind-relieving pose of yoga (legs bent and thighs pressed up toward the chest) helps to clear gas from the body and should be done slowly and gently with a baby. Answering a cry is akin to answering a distress signal, and while doing this keep your movements slow and your breathing deep. Holding your baby in such as way as to put pressure on the belly will help, especially where they are held against something warm such as a hot water bottle or a warm towel. Colic should be diagnosed by a health professional as other conditions such as undeveloped lower oesophageal sphincter, food allergies and constipation produce similar symptoms. Check that the baby is having regular daily bowel movements, and that there are no food triggers to the symptoms to first rule these out.

Herbs and Homeopathics that relieve Colic:

• Fennel eases spasm and griping in the abdomen, stimulates breast milk production
• Chamomilla (homeopathic) is an anti-spasmodic agent that reduces cramping
• Conchae (homeopathic) treats cramping pains in the abdominal area
• Tabacum (homeopathic) relieves nausea and painful distension of the abdomen
• Caraway is often added to breads to improve digestive function, relieves spasm and bloating
• Aniseed promotes breast milk production and relieves digestive symptoms such as flatulence, abdominal distension and indigestion.
• Peppermint is an anti-spasmodic that is cooling on the system and relieve bloating, cramp and flatulence.

Jaundice

Higher than normal levels of bilirubin (5 mg/dl or higher), a substance found in the bile, causes a yellowish discolouration in the skin and whites of the eyes known as Physiologic Jaundice. It first appears in the face and eyes and then progresses downwards to the trunk, arms and legs. This occurs in approximately 60% of newborns, and is more common in pre-term babies (around 80%). It is less common in babies who establish a breastfeeding routine quickly and successfully. Healthy bowel habits and regular stools will ensure that bilirubin is constantly being released from the body, so a baby that feeds well is less likely to experience jaundice. As a guideline new mothers can aim to feed their babies up to 12 times daily on the first few days of life to minimize the risk of jaundice. Drinking a nursing tea that improves breast-milk production will help.

In more serious cases, jaundice may occur in the first day of life, possibly indicating a more serious underlying condition. Bilirubin levels are usually highest on the third to fourth day of life, and should not be excessive before this. What is more commonly seen is jaundice occurring by the fifth or sixth day. This may be related to breast milk, and a temporary cessation of feeding will usually remedy the problem. Symptoms of severe jaundice include poor feeding, weight loss, tenderness around the liver (in the upper right quadrant of the abdomen), vomiting and lethargy. A common therapy for baby jaundice is specialised phototherapy sessions that stimulate the removal of bilirubin from the body.

If you suspect your baby may have jaundice, seek a professional opinion such as asking your midwife to take a look. Avoid self-diagnosis and self-treatment.

Resources:
1. Noelle Borders, After the Afterbirth: A Critical Review of Postpartum Health Relative to Method of Delivery, J Midwifery Womens Health. 2006;51(4):242-248
2. Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom
3. Marian Condon, Breast is Best, but it Could Be Better: What is in Breast Milk That Should Not Be?, Pediatr Nurs. 2005;31(4):333-338
4. Whitney et al, 2002, Understanding Normal and Clinical Nutrition ed.6
5. Balch P (2000) Prescription for Nutritional Healing ed.3
6. Morris, J (1991) Pregnancy, Childbirth & The Newborn
7. Cohen, S (2006) Jaundice in the Full-Term Newborn, Pediatr Nurs, 32(3):202-208
8. Kalliomäki, M. Isolauri, E (2003) Role of Intestinal Flora in the Development of Allergy, Allergy Clinical Immunology, 3(1):15-20
9. Warner, J. (2002), Breast-feeding Is Analgesic in Healthy Newborns, Pediatrics, 109(4):590-593