MYTH: A baby that doesn’t stop crying for an insubordinate amount of time is simply spoiled! Some parents and professionals give advice, by saying, “let the baby cry and eventually the child will calm down”. “If you keep picking them up every time they cry, they will be spoiled”.
There is a very common and treatable condition called COLIC. We should start this article off by defining the word colic; It is generally defined as the condition of a newborn or infant who is suffering from intestinal gas. The location of the gas cramps is usually in the colon (large intestine), therefore they are called colic babies from the root word colon.
Causes for this condition may vary. The first one I would like to discuss with the readers, is that a breast-feeding mother’s diet will affect the baby. Much of the food ingested and digested by the mother can transfer in the breast milk. Basically, any foods that would make the mother “gassy” will affect the baby in the same way. Everyone has experienced this at some point in life. Some examples of foods that will produce intestinal gas are, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts), beans, legumes (split pea, lentils) and raw vegetables (salad). Don’t get me wrong, some of these foods are the healthiest foods on the planet, but they will usually create gas in the mother and therefore transfer in the breast milk.
The second cause of colic stems from such a common condition that I find and fix daily in my practice and is due to gastro-intestinal (GI) valve spasms. Let me explain a little more with a brief anatomy lesson. The GI tract, which starts at the mouth and ends at the anus (rectal region) is a continuous tube that is thirty plus feet in length. Each of the sections (esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine) relate to valves made of skeletal muscle. Think of coupling two pieces of garden hose to get the length you need.
These valves are connections or couplings between sections. The location of the four valves are as follows:
- The first of four valves is called the cardiac sphincter, which connects the bottom of the esophagus to the top of the stomach known as the neck of the stomach. When this valve goes into spasm it commonly pushes up through the diaphragm (main breathing muscle) into esophagus territory and is typically diagnosed as a “hiatal hernia”. The reason it is named the cardiac sphincter is due to its proximity to the heart but has nothing to do with the actual heart valves.
- The second valve as we travel downstream is called the pyloric valve located in the pylorus or end of the stomach connecting it to the beginning of the small intestine(duodenum). Some of the readers may be familiar with an infection that is common to this region of the stomach called, H. Pylori, a discussion for another time.
- The third valve which connects the end of the small intestine (ilium) to the beginning of the large intestine (cecum) hence, the name ileo-cecal valve.
- The fourth valve has a few names (eustrum, houston, eustonian) connects the sigmoid colon to the rectum. This valve is also of considerable interest in controlling the frequency of bowel movements.
If the spasm creates a valve stuck in the open position there is usually frequent small pieces of stool but if it is stuck in the closed position, it can predispose the child to constipation which can also cause colic, not only from the closed valve but also due to stool that putrefies (spoils) in the gut. This can also happen at the beginning of the GI tract. Basically, if food that is being digested stays in any of these chambers too long it ferments (ages) which gives gas. Same as wine becoming champagne (wine with bubbles).
The third most common cause for intestinal gas is a strained, congested, or inflamed gallbladder. When this happens the bile salts (gall bladder content) do not mix properly with the fats from the milk/formula or food therefore not allowing proper breakdown of the meal.
It is of great interest to note that when gas is trapped in any area of the GI tract it feels like a sharp cutting or pinching sensation, when all it is, is air. This pain can cause considerable discomfort that will cause the baby to cry and fuss constantly.
Bottom line, only a trained professional in the healthcare field can assess the cause. Therefore, the baby needs a proper and thorough examination. No breast-feeding mother should assume that the cause is coming from what she is eating. Colic usually affects children from birth to approximately three years of age or once potty trained. The older the child gets and as the intestines mature, the less of an issue it becomes.
This is a condition that falls under the category of healthcare, not crisis care. Rarely is a medical doctor needed for treatment unless there is an underlying condition. This means that the most successful treatments are; chiropractic, kinesiology, reflexology, and homeopathy. All natural and conservative approaches.
There is no reason why parents should shy away from asking a healthcare practitioner for help. I want to stress that treatment is always best when the CAUSE of a condition is identified and treated, rather than taking “gas relieving” medicine to only give relief of SYMPTOMS (effect) for a temporary amount of time.
I hope the parents who read this article can better understand the approach to take to bring their child to comfort with proper evaluation and treatment. BTW, besides having a happy playful baby, the parents may get more rest.