>In addition, colic has never been proven to be the result of
>indigestion and certainly not as a result of over-feeding.

Kate, with respect, I disagree. I do agree that there is some very
inappropriate stuff on this site (especially the scheduling
information), but in my experience, one of the commonest causes of
colic is 'oversupply', 'OALD', 'foremilk/hindmilk imbalance',
'functional lactase deficiency' or whatever you want to call it. To
the mothers, I call it 'too much milk, too fast'!

It is simple lactose overload when baby gets more milk than he can
digest efficiently, so the excess lactose gets to the bowel where it
is fermented by bacteria to produce acid stools and gas. Voila -
colic pains! Baby cries in pain and wants to suck (as that's the only
comfort he knows), so mother interprets that as hunger, feeds him
again, and perpetuates the cycle. These babies often don't go to
sleep after feeds - they scream!

For anyone wanting a fuller explanation along with other discussion
of lactose intolerance in breastfed babies, I wrote a paper for NMAA,
and it is on the website: http://www.nmaa.asn.au/bfinfo/lactose.html

I must admit, I have found it frustrating when colic is covered on
medical websites and there is no mention of this 'benign' cause that
is so easily 'treated' by simple breastfeeding management.

******************************************************************
Joy Anderson B.Sc. Dip.Ed. Grad.Dip.Med.Tech. IBCLC
Nursing Mothers' Association of Australia Breastfeeding Counsellor
Perth, Western Australia.   mailto:[log in to unmask]
******************************************************************

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