| Colic is the nightmare no parent wants to live | | | | contributor to our good health." |
| through. When your baby cries non-stop for hours on | | | | Your baby is crying non-stop and the doctor has told |
| end, you as the parent are powerless to do | | | | you, "It is colic, and there is not much you can do |
| practically anything about it. Many post-colic parents | | | | but wait it out." The third night has passed without |
| have said this was not just a rough period, but one | | | | sleep and you're just about willing to try anything for |
| of the hardest times in their lives. Colic is particularly | | | | colic relief. Should you go out and buy probiotics or |
| difficult because it's so hard to discern the cause. And | | | | some other colic remedy? Well, the January 2007 |
| the emotional distress that is felt by a new parent | | | | edition of the Journal of the American Academy of |
| forced to listen to their baby cry endlessly is | | | | Pediatrics reported on an Italian study testing the |
| incomparable. | | | | effectiveness of the probiotic, lactobacillis reuteri, in |
| Probiotics have been touted by some to be a cure | | | | treating colic versus the effectiveness of simethicone |
| for this crying, one of the safest and most effective | | | | ( |
| of colic remedies. But what are probiotics, and why | | | | Ninety breastfed colicky infants were either given the |
| would they bring colic relief? Baby or adult, we have | | | | probiotic or the simethicone for 28 days, while in |
| billions of bacteria, flora and other microbes that live | | | | both groups, the mother eliminated cow's milk from |
| in our gut. These interesting little creatures allow us | | | | her diet. By the end of the study, 95% of the babies |
| to get nutrition from food, protect us from harmful | | | | in the probiotic group experienced significantly |
| bacteria, toxins, and antigens, support the | | | | reduced levels of crying (from 159 minutes a day |
| development and functioning of our immune system, | | | | down to 51 minutes a day), whereas only 7% of the |
| and protect us from various infections. | | | | babies in the simethicone group experienced less |
| A breastfed newborn gets these microbes from | | | | crying - and those reductions were more modest |
| mom but what if mom's bacterial balance is off? In | | | | (from 177 minutes a day down to 145 minutes a |
| our world of highly processed foods, many of the | | | | day). In other words, not only did many more of the |
| foods we eat harm or destroy these wonderful little | | | | babies who received probiotics respond, they |
| digestive helpers. A healthy lower intestine should | | | | responded with vastly decreased crying times in |
| contain a ration of 85% friendly bacteria to 15% | | | | comparison to the simethicone group. |
| unfriendly bacteria. This proportion will prevent the | | | | Probiotics are promising and well worth a try, |
| overcolonization of the gut by disease-causing agents. | | | | especially given that they will provide a whole host of |
| However, in most people, this ratio is off, often even | | | | health benefits to your baby. Seeing as it will take a |
| 85/15 in favor of the bad bacteria. Scientists at the | | | | good month to see the effects on your baby's colic, |
| European Molecular Biology Laboratory have | | | | however, it would make sense to try other colic |
| concluded that, "a good bacterial balance is a key | | | | remedies at the same time. |