Medicines against colic in newborns should be in every parent's medicine cabinet. Almost all babies experience intestinal problems, which are accompanied by unpleasant and painful symptoms. There is most often one reason - the immaturity of the entire gastrointestinal tract.
To prevent and alleviate the condition in such situations, various drugs and folk remedies are used. But first you need to consult with your pediatrician. Based on the results of the examination, he will prescribe the dosage and duration of treatment. Before taking the medicine, be sure to read the instructions.
Classification of drugs
All medications for colic in newborns can be divided into three groups:
- use for preventive purposes;
- to relieve an acute condition;
- traditional medicine recipes.
You can buy drugs at the pharmacy in any form. It is most convenient to use them in the form of suspensions and emulsions. They do not require additional dilution in water, have a pleasant taste and can be given regardless of meals.
Any medicine is started with a minimum dose in order to identify an allergy to the components in time. If a rash appears, redness on any part of the body, changes in behavior and increased symptoms of gas formation, stop taking the medication.
Video about colic in a newborn
Many young mothers have no idea what it is. The baby suddenly begins to cry heavily and presses his feet to his tummy, which becomes tense and swollen. To differentiate colic from any other problem, use the rule of three: baby cries for more than three hours, more than three days a week, and for more than three weeks. Needless to say, such a phenomenon is very exhausting for the baby and the people around him.
What to do and how to help a tiny suffering person? Should you listen to the advice of grandmothers or is it best to use modern medicines? For colic in newborns, treatment should combine all possible methods, from massage and use, to medications.
Especially for our readers, the Mommies portal has prepared a selection of medications for colic in newborns. Conventionally, they can be divided into 2 large groups. The first group will include medicines and biological additives made from natural oils and plant extracts, and the second group will include drugs based on simethicone.
Preparations for prevention
Products based on natural ingredients (anise, dill, fennel) can reduce the risk of unpleasant processes in the tummy and reduce the number of attacks. The most common medications for colic in newborns of this group are: Baby Calm, Bebinos, Plantex.
Such drugs help to activate the production of enzymes, increase the passage of gases, eliminate fermentation, normalize intestinal motility and reduce pain.
Plantex contains fennel. Available in granules that can be dissolved either in water or milk. 2-3 sachets of 5 g are prescribed per day. It is allowed to give from two weeks.
Baby Calm consists of a mixture of oils, which, when diluted, are brought to an emulsion state. Boiled water is poured into the bottle until the risk is reached. The diluted drug is stored in the refrigerator for a month. The dosage for infants is 10 drops, which are given before feeding.
What other medications for colic can be prescribed? Probiotics are prescribed for preventive purposes. Intestinal bacteria normalize the beneficial intestinal microflora, improve the absorption and digestion of food, and reduce the impact on the intestinal walls.
Probiotics can be offered to children who are bottle-fed, since breast milk already contains enough lacto-, bifido- and other beneficial bacteria.
Probiotics include a list of such effective tablets as Bifidumbacterin, Bifiform, Lactobacterin, Linex, Hilak Forte. They shape bowel function and minimize the occurrence of attacks.
Bifiform Baby can be used from birth, but only in the form of syrup. The medicine should be given during meals, 0.5 g. Duration of administration is 10–14 days.
The positive effect after taking Linex medication becomes noticeable immediately. Most often, one capsule is prescribed three times a day. The capsule is opened and the contents are dissolved in warm water.
Hilak Forte drops are given to the baby 16 drops 2-3 times a day. Duration of treatment is a month. After a week's break, the course of treatment can be repeated.
It is especially important to prescribe these drugs in case of weaning or in the development of problems with breastfeeding. They help the intestines quickly adapt to new foods and reduce the risk of developing unpleasant sensations.
Additionally, enzyme preparations are prescribed for the treatment of colic: Creon, Lactazar. They promote rapid breakdown of food, preventing it from fermenting. The powder from the capsules is dissolved in 10 ml of any liquid.
Means for the prevention of colic
Plantex
A preparation based on fennel fruit. The package contains 10 bags of granules for preparing the solution. The granules easily dissolve in warm boiled water. For 1 sachet of Plantex you need 100 ml. liquids. Newborn babies can take 1-2 sachets, dividing them into 2-3 doses in between feedings - complete instructions.
Dill water
Ready-made dill water is served in 15 ml glass bottles. A child over 2 weeks old can be given 1 tbsp. spoon 3-6 times a day. You can buy children's dill tea. In this case, the tea bags need to be brewed and allowed to brew. There are a lot of varieties of children's dill tea; you can definitely find it in any pharmacy. You can also prepare dill water yourself - check it out.
Baby Calm
An Israeli preparation that is a mixture of vegetable oils of dill, anise and mint. Before use, the oil mixture must be diluted with boiled water, pouring it to the mark indicated on the bottle. The finished emulsion can be dripped 10 drops directly into the baby’s mouth before each feeding. The bottle should be stored in the refrigerator. Details about the drug - instructions for use
Drugs for relieving colic attacks
Colic is accompanied by pain, a feeling of fullness, and cramping in the abdomen. The baby cries a lot, sleeps poorly, refuses milk, and often spits up. To reduce the manifestation of these symptoms and eliminate the feeling of pain, the child is given drugs based on simethicone.
Drugs containing the substance simethicone should be used precisely at the time of the attack. They help reduce the formation of gases, eliminate pain, and improve intestinal function. This component is contained in such medications for colic for newborns as Bobotik, Simplex, Infacol, Espumisan.
Espumisan is available as a white emulsion with a banana flavor. Allowed to use from the first days after birth. The dosage is 25 drops. Can be added to milk or formula.
Bobotik drops are allowed to be used from the 3rd week of a child’s life. The dosage is 8 drops. The recommended dosage is given 3-4 times a day. It exhibits its therapeutic properties immediately after administration.
Sub Simplex is sold as a suspension. Shake the bottle of solution before use. A single dosage for newborns is 15 drops (can be divided into two doses).
Infacol solution is prescribed to newborns in a dosage of 0.5 ml before meals. The doctor, depending on the symptoms, may prescribe a dosage of 1 ml. The condition improves already on the third day of treatment.
If the cause of colic is dysbacteriosis, doctors prescribe probiotics. The drug Acipol for newborns, based on natural ingredients, helps to quickly cope with colic. Can be used after two months of life. The course of treatment is two weeks. The contents of the capsules are given three times a day, after being diluted in liquid.
Herbal remedies for colic
Just like the previous group of drugs, they have the property of reducing gas formation, but due to natural rather than synthetic substances in the composition.
"Plantex" A product made from fennel fruit. Available in the form of granules for preparing a solution. Packaged in bags. Dissolve the medicine in warm boiled water. For 1 sachet of Plantex, use 100 ml of warm boiled water. Infants are given 1–2 packets per day, dividing them into 2–3 doses between feedings. "Dill water". 15 ml of the prepared solution is sold in bottles. A newborn over two weeks of age is given 1 tbsp. 3 – 6 times a day. "Baby Kalm" (Bebikalm). An Israeli preparation created on the basis of vegetable oils: mint, dill and anise. The oily mixture is diluted with chilled boiled water, pouring to the mark on the bottle. The resulting emulsion is dripped 10 drops into the baby's mouth before each feeding. The bottle with the finished mixture is kept in the refrigerator. "Kolik Kalm". American homeopathic remedy for colic based on medicinal herbs and charcoal. The drug is given to the baby 1/2 teaspoon; if necessary, it can be given after another 30 minutes, but not more than 3 times a day.
In addition to ready-made pharmacy dill water, you can prepare it yourself at home. Read the article.
Folk recipes
Traditional medicine offers its own proven and safe compositions for newborns against excessive gas formation.
Dill water is considered the best remedy for colic for newborns. It promotes the growth of beneficial microorganisms in the intestines, eliminates spasms, and reduces fermentation. The baby is given 5 ml three times a day. A nursing mother can also drink at the same time.
Before each feeding, it is useful to give the baby a few sips of herbal infusion of fennel, chamomile, lemon balm, mint, buckthorn, sage, and a decoction of carrot seeds. They help not only prevent cramps, but also relax the walls of the stomach and intestines, improving peristalsis.
Ways to take anti-colic medications
All of the listed groups of drugs are available in various forms. In the form of powder, drops, granules, tablets:
- Powders and granules dissolve easily and quickly in water (for dilution you will need clean, boiled, warm water).
- If the drug is used in the form of capsules, they are opened and the contents are added to the water.
- The products may be in the form of tea mixtures. It is more convenient to give brewed water to your baby from a bottle.
- Emulsions and suspensions for colic are given to the newborn in their pure form; they do not require additional dilution. You just need to measure out the required dosage and give it to your child from a spoon.
- Colic drops are added to the liquid.
The use of any drug must be carried out according to the instructions with strict adherence to the dosage. You cannot reduce or increase the amount of medication on your own.
It is useful for a nursing mother to drink teas based on fennel, cumin, lemon balm, and anise. Starting from the first month, teas based on all these herbs are allowed to be given to infants for colic.
Medicines containing simethicone
The modern mother prefers medications to dispel gases in her small tummy. There is a wide range of different types of drugs on the market. Medicines for infants are available in the following forms:
- Droplets.
- Suspension.
- Emulsion.
The rating of effective drugs based on simethicone includes Espumisan, Bobotik and Sab Simplex.
Espumisan L
A medicine that has established itself as the best remedy for flatulence for adults. Shipped from Germany. The children's version of the product is available in two types: emulsion and drops. Espumisan is added to the bottle or given to the newborn separately after feeding. The active components of the substance destroy gas bubbles, and the breakdown products are excreted along with the feces. For up to a year, five to ten drops (a teaspoon) of the emulsion is enough. For older children, ten drops are prescribed. The drug has a banana taste.
Sub Simplex
A worthy drug presented in the form of a suspension. The dosage is the same for newborns and older children: 15 drops before or after meals. It can be given pure or mixed with milk. Sub Simplex reduces the tension of gas bubbles, leading to destruction of structures. Has a pleasant vanilla scent. Country of origin: USA.
Bobotik
Polish colic medicine for newborns with fruit flavor. Release form: drops. Prevents the formation of gas bubbles and destroys them. The intestines absorb destroyed substances. Release form: 30 ml bottle. Give Bobotik 8 drops four times a day before meals. It is permissible to mix with water or any other liquid without gas. An anti-colic drug is prescribed only for active symptoms. The rest of the time, the use of the medicine is contraindicated.
Recommendations for taking medications for colic in a child
All medications for abdominal colic for newborns should be given taking into account the age restrictions specified in the instructions. Most medications can only be used from two weeks of a baby's life.
For example, drugs created to prevent colic can be given to a child from two weeks of age. Regular use is stopped by 4 months. By this age, there is most often no need to take medications that eliminate colic. The intestines get used to the new working conditions and do not cause severe pain.
Children up to one month old are given diluted drops and powders at a time in the recommended dosage. The remains are poured out. After a month, you can already divide the diluted medicine into two doses.
Medicines for colic based on the chemical component simethicone have an anti-foaming effect on the mucous surface of the gastrointestinal tract. They quickly cope with the problem, but they have many more side effects.
The instructions for each drug indicate possible side effects and contraindications.
You should not take it if you have an allergic reaction to at least one component. Give with caution to children with lactose intolerance.
Bebinos for newborns from colic
This colic medicine is a brown or dark brown liquid. Bebinos has a distinct scent of fennel, its main active ingredient. In addition, the medicine contains extracts of chamomile and coriander fruit. Excipients are propylene glycol, sorbitol, sodium saccharinate.
As you can see, Bebinos belongs to the group of herbal preparations. It eliminates and prevents pain and gastrointestinal spasms associated with flatulence.
Dosage regimen of this drug: up to a year - 6 drops once, over a year - up to 10 drops, for preschoolers - 10-15 drops once. You can give the medicine three times a day, adding it to food or simply consuming it before taking it. You should be aware that sometimes allergic reactions are possible when using this drug. The manufacturer of the medicine warns about this. But pediatric practice shows that this happens very rarely.
Food for thought
If a child cries and presses his legs to his tummy, parents should not panic. Colic in a child is not a pathological condition - it is a temporary phenomenon. As soon as the intestines adapt to working in new conditions outside the womb, the problem disappears by itself.
If the baby is bothered by colic, the nursing mother needs to reconsider her diet (foods such as cabbage, legumes, onions, tomatoes, spicy and salty foods, nuts, and dairy products are excluded).
If the mother is sick and takes any medications, this can also negatively affect the condition of colic.
Doctors prescribe medications for the increased formation of colic only if other methods have not helped to cope with them (massage, gymnastics, nutritional correction, selection of a lactose-free formula). For newborns who develop colic, enzymes, probiotics, and carminatives can be prescribed.
