Colic is a sharp , painful sensation in the abdomen manifested by infants by excessive crying and usually a relatively tense / tight tummy and the child may tend to fold his legs upon the tummy and get red in the face and cry incessantly.

 What can I do to prevent colics ?

The following shall usually reduce the tendency for colics :

• Feeding in the head up and legs lower position
• Burping the child after a feed properly and for long periods
• Laying the child in the prone position ( tummy at the bed ) or laying down the baby on your thigh so that gentle yet firm pressure is exerted on the tummy
• If bottle fed make sure there is no air in the nipple while the baby is sucking – this air goes into the tummy and the resultant gas accumulation is what aggravates the colic
• If bottle fed use “ ANTI COLIC “ nipples – these are specially designed nipples that have a port for expulsion of air that may be trapped in the nipple.
• If bottle fed check the milk powder and its proper dilution – do not use a tin of powder beyond 1 month of opening it – dilute it in the 1:1 proportion ( 1 scoop of powder to an ounce of boiled , cooled water)
• Powder ( formula ) milks tend to give a higher  tendency to colics – if your child is really having very frequent and troublesome colics – consider shifting to natural milks ( like a “ desi “ cow’s milk or a medium fat dairy milk – WITHOUT dilution.

What do I do for immediate relief ? 

• Try soothing the child by rocking him fairly vigorously in your arms or a rocking bed
• Put the child on your thigh.
  
• Put the child in the prone position.
  
• Some medicinal preparations that contain antispasmodics ( anti colic ) ingredients like  COLIMEX DROPS /  MEFTAL SPAS DROPS  and a host of other ones , in a dose of 8 drops right away and may be repeated as per need upto say 3-4 times a day.

 Dietray medifications in mother     

Avoiding the following has been found to be generally useful :

• Spicy foods
• Heavy “ pulses ( daals ) like Urad Ki Daal , Chane Ki Daal , Besan
• Spinach
• Fresh fruit juices ( orange , sweet lime)