Saturday, January 20, 2007

Colic Information 101

Colic is so common among infants that most people are not surprise anymore when it happens. Still, for the first time mom it can be a harrowing and panicking experience especially with her normally quiet angel screaming non-stop in the background. It is usually manifested at about two to three weeks of age. It becomes more prominent during the first two months and subsides at three months old. Colic altogether stops at about three-and-a-half to four months of age.

Colic, to those who are not familiar with the problem, is a stomach ache that occurs after eating. Because of the continuous pain, babies cry for hours and hours until the colic is relieved. Crying can last for about one to four hours, depending on the severity of the pain. Babies’ cheeks will also become red from the exertion and perhaps the pain.

Colic is actually not so dangerous. It might seem so though from the way babies would cry and scream at the top of their lungs. In fact, it can be so common that parents may experience an episode on a daily basis; and after the first episode, parents usually learn to handle succeeding ones with aplomb. Still, physicians and scientists cannot pinpoint up until now just what exactly causes colic. It just happens.

When there is colic, the belly of the baby may become distended or may become enlarged. One leg will be bent while the other will extended straight out. The feet will become cold and the hands clenched tight because of the pain. This is actually a common reaction for people whose stomachs pain them.

Often, it will occur late in the afternoon or early in the evening after every meal. It can however also happen any time of the day. Not all babies suffer from colic and some even suffer less frequent than others. Medical experts believe that genetics play a role. It seems that if one or both parents have suffered from colic when they were babies, their offspring will also experience colic episodes.

Still, there are factors that will exacerbate a colic condition in babies. Below are some of them. Read on so that you can avoid these factors and prevent your baby from further suffering.

Treatment:

1. There are certain foods that will worsen the colic. Those with high sugar content, those with undiluted juice will only increase the gas in the stomach and thus, exacerbate the condition.


2. Overfeeding can only worsen the situations when you have a colicky baby in your arms. Make sure that your baby is suffering from hunger and not colic before you feed him again.

An excellent guide for new mothers can be found by CLICKING HERE:

Good Colic Information for Mothers

Good Colic Information for Mothers

If your baby is onto a different level of crying or showing signs of chronic irritability, then the infant might probably be suffering from a severe abdominal pain caused by spasm, obstruction, or distention of any of the hollow viscera—such as the intestines—called "colic."

Known to occur at the early stages of infancy, colic is characterized in varying levels of severity. Since this is caused by gas trapped within the intestines or spasms of new intestines, most babies experience extreme discomfort and can even develop serious digestive problems if not paid proper attention.

Colic Information

Colic refers to the extreme end of normal crying behavior of babies with ages 3 weeks up to 3 months or from 6 to 8 weeks of age. Experts say that the amount of the baby's crying can be at varying levels and can be generally diagnosed as colic when a baby but cries extremely and excessively for more than 3 hours a day, more than 3 days a week, of for more than 3 weeks.

Research shows that colic mostly results from a combination of an infant's sensitive temperament, environment, and immature nervous system. These factors can easily make a baby cry and can be difficult to stop once the period started. Experts say that colic is Norman and is not usually related to serious health conditions like digestion problems. It can only lead to this if the baby develops intolerance to cow's milk protein, fructose, and transmission of medication by-products during breastfeeding.

Colic can be characterized in newborn babies if they show abnormally irritable attitude or cries for no apparent reason. Aside from crying vigorously for long periods despite your consoling efforts, colic can also be distinguished when the baby shows signs of gas discomfort or abdominal bloating, has a hard and swollen stomach, knees pulled to the chest, clenched fists, flailing arms and legs, an arched back, and experiences frequent sleeplessness, irritability and fussiness.

Usual symptoms of colic include extreme discomfort in a baby's tummy due to unreleased abdominal gas, but serious symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, fever, or blood or mucus in the stool are not. If you notice these symptoms, he or she might be suffering from a more serious digestive problem that needs immediate medical attention.

A good source for new mothers can be found by CLICKING HERE

Colic Information For Mothers And Horse Owners

Colic is a problem that both humans and horses share. But unlike with babies, of which colic is just an incidental problem that will go away after a few months; colic in horses is a serious problem that need to be addressed right away. This article will provide more colic information.

1. Colic in babies
Colic is a problem in the digestive tract characterized by a pain in the abdomen or in the stomach. Up to now, there is still no reason why this happens in babies. Experts believe that colic arises from the gas in the intestines. In babies, colic starts as early as three weeks.
First signs will of course be frequent crying and screaming that can last anywhere from an hour to five hours nonstop. It peaks during the second month and declines during the third month. By the end of the fourth month, incidents of colic will just cease.
And though there is really not much danger that colic poses to babies, parents are still worried because of the amount of crying that it can ensue. Because there is no known cause, there is also no specific cure or solution. In fact, the only thing that parents can do is to make their experience of colic as less painful as possible. This is done by putting babies in comfortable positions like in swaddling, walking them or making them listen to some soothing music. Parents should avoid giving them too much food because this will only aggrivate the problem.

2.Horse colic
Colic in horses is not the same. In addition to being a serious problem, colic in horses can appear anytime, any age. The same reactions are elicited in horses. They will also be crying and groaning, prancing and kicking all over the place. In severe cases, they can even become so wild that they will assume difficult and almost unnatural positions just to be relived of the pain.
However, horse owners should remember that colic in horses has a much different onset. Unlike with humans where the pain can be readily felt and shown through crying, horses will deal with it alone through listlessness and lack of energy.
They will start to refuse food and will not have any appetite for eating. This is one of the signs that horse owners often miss when trying to deal with colic. Remember that they will only get wild and restless when the pain is too severe for them to bear. Otherwise, they only suffer in silence.
Wired differently Horses cannot also cope with colic the same way humans can. Because of their different body structure and body system, they are not able to vomit or relieve the pressure that they are feeling in their stomach. Because of this, the pain and the problem can build up inside; thus worsening the situation. This is perhaps why colic in horses is much serious. In fact, while some horses do respond to therapy and eventually get well; most will deteriorate despite medication and treatment.
Another reason why colic is a problem with horses is the fact that they are built in different ways. Passages of blood and food in their bodies are much narrower; thus, more susceptible to impactions and obstructions especially with food.
When stricken with colic, it is important that you call a veterinarian as soon as you can so that he can administer appropriate treatment. Make sure also that your horse does not have any access to solid foods such as hay or grass. The only thing that the horse is allowed to take in is water.

An Excellent Source for new mothers can be found by CLICKING HERE