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Colic: (Health Problems During Infancy)

Colic refers to frequent crying and irritability in infants under 3 months old due to gastrointestinal issues like gas, immature digestion, or air swallowing. Doctors diagnose colic if crying lasts over 3 hours a day for over 3 days a week for more than 3 weeks. Management includes burping, gas drops, probiotics, dietary changes if breastfeeding, soothing the baby, and addressing any overstimulation. The diagnosis is pain related to abdominal issues, and interventions focus on assessing pain, acknowledging it, providing rest and comfort, and placing the baby in a relaxing position.

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Faye Dianne Damian-Buenafe
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22 views

Colic: (Health Problems During Infancy)

Colic refers to frequent crying and irritability in infants under 3 months old due to gastrointestinal issues like gas, immature digestion, or air swallowing. Doctors diagnose colic if crying lasts over 3 hours a day for over 3 days a week for more than 3 weeks. Management includes burping, gas drops, probiotics, dietary changes if breastfeeding, soothing the baby, and addressing any overstimulation. The diagnosis is pain related to abdominal issues, and interventions focus on assessing pain, acknowledging it, providing rest and comfort, and placing the baby in a relaxing position.

Uploaded by

Faye Dianne Damian-Buenafe
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Colic

(Health Problems during Infancy)

By: Buenafe, Drexler Justine A.


What is Colic?
Spasmodic pain in abdomen in
infants accompanied by
irritability and crying.
Conditions of gas or other
digestive irritability in infants up
to 3 months old.
Refers also to alkaline, high-
sodium conditions, but can be
also caused by over feeding,
swallowing of air, or emotional
What causes Colic?
Newborns have immature
digestive system that has never
processed food.
Newborns lack the benevolent
bacterial flora (probiotics) that
develop over time to aid
digestion.
Infants often swallow air while
feeding or during strenuous
crying.
Doctors usually diagnose infant colic based on the
"rules of three." Your baby's crying:

Lasts at least 3 hours at a stretch


Occurs at least 3 days a week
Persists for at least 3 weeks in a row
Management:
If you suspect overstimulation:
Respond. Crying is a baby's only way of communicating her
needs. But it's also her only way of wielding any control at all
over a vast and bewildering new environment: She cries, you
come running to her side — powerful stuff when you're
otherwise completely powerless. In fact, studies show that
responding promptly to your baby's cries will reduce her crying
in the long run.
Excise excitement. Limit visitors and exposing your baby to
new experiences in stimulating environments, particularly in
the late afternoon and early evening. Watch how your baby
responds to certain stimuli — and steer clear of any that seem
to offend.
Create calm. Trying to make her environment peaceful might
help her relax. Dim the lights, speak or sing in soothing tones
(or don't speak at all) and keep other noise and distractions to
a minimum.
If you suspect gastrointestinal issues:
Apply pressure to baby’s tummy. So place your
infant face-down on your lap or upright with his
tummy against your shoulder, or try the “colic
carry,” where your little one lies face-down with his
belly resting on your arm. Then gently rub or pat his
back as you hold him.
Try burping your baby. If your baby's inconsolable
fussiness is due to gas, sometimes burping him will
help relieve the pain.
Ask about antigas drops. Studies show that reducing
gas may reduce the discomfort (and crying). So ask
your pediatrician about trying gas drops made with
simethicone, which works by breaking up gas
bubbles and can relieve your baby's symptoms.
Consider probiotics. Probiotic drops may curb
the crying in some colicky babies, probably
because they ease tummy troubles (probiotic
bacteria grow naturally in the digestive tract
and help promote intestinal health).
Watch what you eat. If you’re breastfeeding,
talk to your doctor about whether you should
try temporarily eliminating any foods from
your diet that can cause tummy troubles,
such as gas-causing cruciferous veggies
(cabbage, cauliflower), acidic citrus fruits ,or
allergenic foods (dairy, soy, wheat, eggs,
peanuts, tree nuts, fish).
Diagnosis/ Interventions:
Diagnosis: Acute pain related to
abdominal distention and
tenderness.
Interventions:
>Assess pain characteristics;
acknowledge reports of pain
immediately; provide rest periods to
promote relief, sleep, and relaxation;
place infant on a position of comfort
to reduce pain.
References:
Adele Pilitteri-Maternal & Child
Health Nursing Care: Care of the
Childbearing and Childrearing
Family.
https://www.whattoexpect.com/fir
st-year/health-and-safety/what-i
s-colic/#remedies
https://nurseslabs.com/colic/#nur
sing-diagnosis

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