As a paediatrician from the "Islands" who believes in the merits of small
amounts of alcohol, I can assure you'll that breastfeeding West Indian
babies never need any form of gripe water.  Not the same however with the
formula fed ones whose mothers happily carry on that well known English
tradition of giving baby "gripe water" and the more alcohol in it the
better!  Seems to me however that there is less gripe in babies around this
time of the year, maybe the fumes from all the drinking that goes on
reaches the babies (or the mothers?)  David