Infant colic is relieved by osteopathy

Infant colic is the most common and, at times, most painful affliction in our babies. The continuous crying of the baby supposes a great emotional, psychological and physical burden to the parents. Thanks to the Osteopathic Manual Medicine we can alleviate this problem through massages. Infant colic

Infant colic is the most common and, at times, most painful affliction in our babies. The continuous crying of the baby supposes a great emotional, psychological and physical burden to the parents. Thanks to the Osteopathic Manual Medicine we can alleviate this problem through massages.

Infant colic is a pathology that affects between 6 and 30 percent of infants. A problem that is corrected only at 4 or 5 months of life, but that makes the sufferer suffer a lot.

The osteopathy against the cry of baby's cramps

The definition of infant colic dates back to the 1950s, when Wessel established the criteria that are used to date. According to this author, they are a complex symptom that is defined as a crisis of paroxysmal crying or irritability of the baby, which occurs in a previously healthy child, including signs of gastric discomfort junto, along with distension or bloating of the stomach. knees to the gut, excess gas, and a facial expression of the baby indicating great discontent and discomfort.The duration and quality of the crying baby is the hallmark of colic. The duration of the symptoms follows the 3: 3 rule, which responds to 3 hours of crying a day, for at least 3 days a week, for 3 weeks. Infant colic begins in the first month of life, has a peak at two months, and

resolves to the 4th-5th month of life . They have been associated with prenatal maternal anxiety, tobacco smoke from smoking mothers and sensitivity to cow's milk protein.There are different hypotheses to justify the appearance of colic, from food intolerances,

immaturity of both the digestive system and the nervous , to the presence of dysfunctions in the spine, together with irritation of the vagus nerve at the base of the skull. On the one hand, we have a nervous and digestive system (intimately united) immature and overstimulated after delivery.To these discomforts we have to add tensions in the thorax, spine, base of the skull and first cervical of the baby, which interfere in the correct function of the organism (as it would happen in an adult). These dysfunctions cause that breast milk is not processed well, ferment and generate more gas. If in addition the mother suffered stress, smokes, takes vegetables such as cabbages, cabbage ..., excess caffeine, bananas or very spicy foods, it is very likely that the baby will develop colic.

Osteopathic treatment consists of assessing the tension zones in the baby's body, and

apply very gentle and precise techniques in those dysfunctions , to eliminate that tension, with special emphasis on thehead , subjected to great pressures during the delivery, thediaphragm , to allow the expulsion of the air and to relax the stomach, and theintestine , relaxing the muscles of its wall and thus calming the irritation. In 2-3 sessions of 30 minutes the baby is again happy and without colic.Ignacio Díaz Cerrato

Osteopath specialist in babies and pregnant women. Physiotherapist.
Director of Govés. Osteopathy and Physiotherapy
Full Professor of the Osteopathy School of Madrid
Adjunct Professor of the Camilo José Cela University.