Is it safe to give my baby probiotics for colic?

Having a colicky, inconsolable baby can be one of the toughest parts of parenthood. Seeing your newborn cry and scream — without the slightest clue as to how you can help — is enough to make most moms and dads want to curl up and cry right along with the child. Making things worse, science isn’t really sure what causes colic, making a quick and simple treatment hard to find in many cases. “Fussy or colicky babies can be a source of stress for parents, caregivers and doctors,” says Dr. Sonia Ballal, a gastroenterologist atBoston Children’s Hospital. “Right now, we do not completely understand what causes colic, which can make treating it quite difficult.” Even though there isn’t enough data available to say definitively what causes colic, many of the prime suspects are thought to be gastrointestinal (GI) issues like reflux, constipation and poor motility in the baby’s GI tract. So, if a parent wants to avoid colic in her newborn (or reduce already occurring episodes) it stands to reason that she should do all she can to help her child avoid these conditions. The GI tract of newborns is already populated by billions of bacteria soon after birth. In recent studies, investigators have attempted to alter the flora and fauna of the bacteria in the gut to observe if it could have an effect on colic. According to a study in JAMA Pediatrics, parents may be able to do just that with probiotics. Probiotics are bacteria thought to have a beneficial...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Parenting colic gastroenterology Gastroesophageal reflux disease probiotics Source Type: news