Infant colic can be caused by many things such as eating too quickly, eating the wrong types of food, indigestion or any type of excessive air swallowing. Read on to discover natural cures for infant colic that you can administer easily at home. Symptoms of infant colic include sudden loud crying, pulling the knees up to the stomach, a red face, distended stomach and/or clenched fists. This can be a painful ordeal for an infant and disturbing to parents as well. Try some of these natural cures for infant colic to ease your mind and your child’s pain.
Natural Cures for Infant Colic – Catnip Tea
Warm catnip tea given in a bottle is one of the best natural cures for infant colic. Make a weak tea by placing one teaspoon of the dried herb in one cup of boiling water. Allow the mixture to steep for twenty – thirty minutes.
Catnip tea will ease the stomach of the infant and reduce the pain by reducing the air in the stomach. Make sure the tea is warm, though not too hot for the infant when you serve it. This is the most highly recommended of the natural cures for infant colic.
Natural Cures for Infant Colic – Hot Lavender Bath
One of the more overlooked natural cures for infant colic is simply a hot bath. When an infant has colic, the crying spells will come at regular intervals. If a very warm bath is given about one hour prior to the expected crying spell, this can sometimes prevent the attack. Make sure to spread the warm/hot water over the child’s abdomen to give relief.
Add a few drops of lavender essential oil to the hot bath water to give further relief. You may also wish to massage the infant, focusing on the abdomen area for one of the best natural cures for infant colic. This will help get rid of painful gas that’s trapped in the child’s stomach.
Natural Cures for Infant Colic – Movement
Another of the best natural cures for infant colic is simply movement or motion. Simply place the infant with its head resting on your palm and its stomach on your arm. Put your other hand on the child’s back, making sure the neck is secure. Swing the infant back and forth quickly while patting the child on the back with an equal rhythm. This will calm and soothe the infant in no time. The “colic carry” as its known is one of the most time-honored natural cures for infant colic, being handed down from generation to generation.
Natural Cures for Infant Colic – Reverse Sit-Ups
Another of the natural cures for infant colic that includes movement is to lay the infant on their back. Then, take their feet and bend the knees up towards the chin. I’ve heard this natural cure for infant colic referred to as “reverse sit-ups”. Do this slowly for a while and it should help remove some of the trapped gas and ease the child’s pain.
Natural Cures for Infant Colic – Diet Change
If the baby is nursing, then one of the best natural cures for infant colic is a diet change on the part of the breastfeeding mother. Broccoli, cabbage, onions, cauliflower, garlic, spicy foods, dairy products and caffeine should all be eliminated from the mother’s diet.
These foods can cause excess gas and irritation of the intestinal system of the infant when eaten by the breastfeeding mother. Cutting out these foods can reduce infant colic tremendously.
Natural Cures for Infant Colic – Acidophilus
Acidophilus is one of the natural cures for infant colic that can be given to both the breastfeeding mother and the infant. Acidophilus regulates the digestion and helps cut down painful gas in the stomach.
Give one capsule per day to an infant by breaking open the capsule and adding to a bottle in divided doses throughout the day. For adults, take one capsule three times per day with meals.
Another of the natural cures for infant colic in this field is acidophilus formula made especially for infants. Inquire at your local natural health store for more information or order this formula online.
Natural Cures for Infant Colic – Fennel Seed
A tea made from fennel seed is one of the most wonderful natural cures for infant colic because fennel seed helps expel gas and is a gastrointestinal relaxant. Make a tea of fennel by steeping one teaspoon of the seeds in one cup of boiling water for twenty – thirty minutes.
Fennel seed tea may be given to the infant in one teaspoon increments both before and after feedings as a natural cure for infant colic. The tea may also be given to the breastfeeding mother in a dose of one cup three times per day.
Natural Cures for Infant Colic – Slippery Elm Bark
Slippery elm bark is another of the natural cures for infant colic. This herb soothes the digestive system and can help relieve the pain associated with infant colic. Make a tea of the bark by steeping one teaspoon in one cup of boiling water for twenty to thirty minutes. Slippery elm bark can also be powdered and combined with water to make “gruel”, then fed to the child for as a natural cure for infant colic.
Please check with your infant’s pediatrician before administering any of these natural cures for infant colic to be sure they are safe for your child.
