What is Colic Really?

Colic is a fifty-year-old term for an irritable baby and there is not even a real scientific way of diagnosing it. Some doctors will diagnose it if the baby will not be put down to go to sleep, which is ludicrous if you consider the entire medical, psychological, and other factors that could be causing a baby to be sleepless.

Other doctors will employ what is called the White Noise Rule. The diagnosis is confirmed if the baby settles down after listening to some kind of loud droning sound such as a vacuum cleaner or hair dryer. The diagnosis in effect comes after the cure has been established.

It is only lately that both the medical community and the general public understand colic a little better.

Recently, with the creation of pediatric gastroenterology as a specialty in children's medicine, the causes and cures for colic have been better understood. Believe it or not this is a specialty of gastroenterology that only became recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties in 1988. Since then smaller endoscopes that can help diagnose what goes on inside a colicky baby's belly has been developed and so have pediatric versions of common medicines to treat some of the physical symptoms of colic including nausea, gas and diarrhea.

In the last decade or so many cases of colic are thought to be caused by acid reflex. This is the backflow of stomach acid into he esophagus. This is the muscular tube that carries food and drink to the stomach. Using fiber optic endoscopes doctors have been able to detect that acid reflux does exist in colicky babies.

Advancements in infant nutrition have also led to the development of hypoallergenic formulas that became available for common use in the early 1990s. This has revolutionized the care and feeding of the infant with severe allergic disease. Endoscopic technology has also now allowed doctors to 'see' an intestinal allergy on a television screen.

When breastfeeding causes colic, manufacturers are learning to make a formula that benefits babies who can't breast feed. Formulas that were once nothing more than a vehicle for protein, fat and carbohydrate now sometimes contain long-chain fatty acids that have been show to improve visual and cognitive function in infancy and beyond. In essence they become super formulas that are more than a substitute for mother's milk.

Pediatric over-the-counter drugs have also evolved for use in children. There are now safe, effective antacids for children and all kinds of gas drops and gripe waters on the market that are safe, effective and can provide your child with great relief.

The bottom line is that you need to realize that a cranky colicky baby is just that. There is no real definition for colic and even the medical community is not sure what it is. All you can do is try every avenue that you can to try and solve the problem.

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Breast Feeding or Bottle Feeding?

Should you breast feed or bottle feed. Most experts recommend breast-feeding. This is because recent research has shown that babies who are breast-fed have higher intelligent quotient scores (ICQ's) then children who were bottle-fed. So if you want a smart kid you better bottle-feed because the average boost in IQ for breast-feeds babies over non breast-fed was ten points. This difference in points could make the difference between your child being a worker in a car wash or a brain surgeon. Many studies of thousands of children have also show that those who were breastfed consistently get better marks in school.

The reason kids get smarter if breast fed is because breast milk contains a brain-boosting fat called DHA (docasahexaenoic acid). This is an omega-3 fatty acid. DHA that is crucial for the growth and development, of brain tissue. The brains of breastfed babies have a higher concentration of DHA. There is no DHA in milk unless it is added as a supplement.

By the way soymilk is the worst thing you can bottle feed a baby as it is missing this essential nutrient and also causes your baby to have gas. Babies are carnivores and need their mother's milk.

DHA levels are highest in babies who are breastfed the longest, which also creates an argument for feeding a child for as long as possible. Infant formulas made in the United States do not contain DHA, which is why bottle-feeding is frowned upon. You are basically feeding your child's body and not their brain.

Babies also need lots of cholesterol for their brains to grow. Breast milk contains a lot of cholesterol, while infant formulas currently contain none. “Low in cholesterol” may be good news for adult diets, but this is not true for babies! Cholesterol helps cells grow essential nerve tissue in young brains.

Children that are bottle-fed may also be more nervous or sensitive than children who are breast-fed. This is because both DHA and cholesterol are the building blocks of a substance called myelin. Myelin acts as insulation for nerves, making it possible for nerves to carry information from one part of the brain or body to another.

Breastfeeding can also help your baby build healthy fat and tissue. The skin of babies who are breast-fed is nicer, softer and firmer to the touch. The skin of bottle fed babies can be rough, scaly and have red patches

Yet another benefit of breastfeeding is that it produces less foul smelling feces in the diaper. The stools of a bottle fed infant tend to be more smelly because cow' milk does not contain enough lactose to allow the infant to digest the milk properly. A baby that is breast-fed may also have less gas, colic, and struggles with burping and as a result be more good-natured and sleep better at night. The bottom line is that breast fed babies is just smarter and healthier in every way.

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