Our viewers asked us on our Face Book how to tell if your baby is colicky or is just being fussy. Dr. Zak Zarbock, M.D. from Family First Pediatrics joins us today with tips to help soothe your baby.
Dr. Zarbock says, "We see a lot of fussiness in babies. The colic symptoms are in the first few months of life. It usually peaks right around six weeks of age. By about three months we see improvement." There are characteristics about it where there may be a sudden onset and nothing you can really do to help calm your baby and then it stops suddenly. Oftentimes it will occur in the late afternoon or evenings. It is something that is certainly difficult for parents.
He adds, "There's several theories as to why it happens. Sometimes it's thought to be due to overstimulation. That's why in the evenings it's worse. Reduce stimulation throughout the day. The only other thing that has been shown over time to make a difference are pro biotics. It may be gut maturity and there are things you can use which may be beneficial.".These are safe for newborns. In fact, this product comes in drops designed for babies. Five drops a day. It can be placed on the breast if the baby is breast-feeding. Other types come in a packet that can be mixed in with a formula.
Often parents have use products which target baby's gas problems, not shown to be as effective. This product is compared against the gas drops who crying time decreased by 20 minutes.
When we asked, "Why do some kids get it and others don't?" Dr. Zarbock says, "There's not a direct genetic link. Although some siblings may have it but we don't know if those are environmental factors within the family or truly an issue with genetics. It's really kind of all across the board in terms of research. No one really knows."
For more information, visit Families First Pediatrics, such a great group of doctors and healthcare professionals there.show you a little piece of what they have to offer.
