According to my "Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing and Allied
Health", the definition of colic is "acute paroxysmal abdominal pain." and
it is "caused by spasmodic contractions of the intestine, most common during
the first 3 months of life. The infant may pull up his arms and legs, cry
loudly, turn red-faced and expel gas from the anus or belch it up from the
stomach. The exact cause of infant colic is not known..." (Frankly, as I
never could get my baby to tell me if he was having "spasmodic contractions
of the intestine", I'm not sold on this definition, but nonetheless, that's
what the book says.)
As a mother of a very colicy baby - a full 3 months of it - I can attest to
the frustration and fear that moms feel when they have such a baby - and the
willingness (short of weaning) that I had to do ANYTHING to fix it! Marty
would come home some nights to find me rocking him and BOTH of us crying!
When he asked why didn't I just put him down, as obviously holding him
wasn't stopping the crying...I answered between sobs: "But at least this way
he knows I care!"
The moms of these babies need lots of emotional support - and suggestions on
how to deal with not only their infant's behavior, but their own. Please
don't forget your counseling skills when talking with them! They need to
hear that their fears and frustrations are valid long before you give them a
list of suggestions on what to do!
They also need to know that they may get to the point when they can't take
it any longer - and discuss with them what alternatives they have - I had NO
family or friends nearby - my answer was putting Larry in a safe place,
going to the shower and running it full force and screaming! (Thank heavens
the duplex I lived in was empty on the other side during the day, when I was
overwhelmed and alone.)
We must take the time to allow mom to verbalize her feelings - and
acknowledge these feelings - as well as asking them what they have already
tried. (Please, please give her the respect that she has tried something
before seeing you!)
Teaching "repetition to soothe" skills as well as informing moms of what
babies are REALLY like (I used to ask Larry, tongue in cheek, of course, as
he was only 8 weeks old, if he hadn't read the book that said he was
supposed to sleep 18 of 24 hours? - now I know it's more like 11 - but I'm
sure he only slept 5 - 6 during that time!) can be helpful.
We often want to say that this is caused by dairy or other food allergy -
and it may be so - or it may be that as we go along and the "foods to avoid"
lists evolves, we don't necessarily hit on what this child is allergic to as
much as allow him/her to outgrow the problem. It was actually my second
child, Alex, who has dairy intolerance - but that Larry never did need much
sleep - which is a good thing, as now he has child #3 and he jokes that he
has not had a full night's sleep for 5 years - and he won't for another
three - unless this one graces them by being more like her mom!
Some researchers I have heard believe that this crying is caused by the
infants' immature neurological system, (remember humans are born at a more
immature gestational stage) and these babies feel and respond more acutely
to sensations both internal and external. Thus, the crying gradually ceases
as the neurological system matures and the baby is more capable of
distinguishing normal from not-normal sensations.
One consolation I did have was when I heard that these babies tend to be
very bright - of course! They spend a lot more time awake and interacting!
Jeanette Panchula, BSW, RN, PHN, IBCLC
California, USA
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