patient experiencing colic and difficulty breastfeeding: a case report

What is the role of breastfeeding in the treatment of colic?

Colic in infants. BMJ Clin Evid. 2010 Cohen Engler et al. Breastfeeding may improve nocturnal sleep and reduce infantile colic: potential role of breast milk melatonin. Eur J Pediatr. 2012

Is there a link between colic and feeding problems?

Author Marsha Walker says an association between feeding problems and colic has been noted in some babies. For example babies who have difficulty coordinating suck, swallow, breathe (the sequence needed for comfortable breastfeeding) or who have reflux may have more episodes of feeding related discomfort and be less responsive during feeding.

Does breast milk melatonin help infantile colic?

BMJ Clin Evid. 2010 Cohen Engler et al. Breastfeeding may improve nocturnal sleep and reduce infantile colic: potential role of breast milk melatonin. Eur J Pediatr. 2012

What foods cause colic in breastfed babies?

What foods cause colic in breastfed babies? Cows’ milk and other dairy produce including beef (bovine protein) or chocolate are very common causes of crying and discomfort but other foods can be involved (Lawrence. 2016, pp274-280).

How to help a baby with colic?

Ideas to help a baby with colic include to keep breastfeeding and seek help for any breastfeeding difficulties, comfort your baby when they are upset, and for the nursing mother to try an elimination diet. Always seek help from a medical professional if your baby is constantly crying. Footnotes & References.

When does colic stop?

Colic is usually said to start after a few weeks of age and stop after a few months. While some sources report that colic usually stops by three months when the baby’s gastrointestinal system matures (Lawrence, 2016) others say six months of age 11.

What happens if you eat too much lactose?

In general by breastfeeding on demand and offering the first breast until it is finished before offering the second side; there will be the perfect amount of lactose in a breastfeed for optimal digestion. However, if a baby gets too much lactose too quickly or if anything interferes with lactase production, it can prevent lactose being digested properly in the intestines causing a temporary lactose overload. Too much lactose rushing through the bowel may cause colic like symptoms such as fussing at the breast, tummy ache, excess flatulence, and frothy copious green poop. An allergy can cause damage to the lining of the intestine that produces the enzyme lactase so that allergy (#1) and lactose overload may be present together (Minchin, 2015; Noble, 2015).

What causes a crying baby?

One of the first things to consider with a crying baby who cannot be consoled is whether they could have an intolerance to something in their diet causing tummy ache or other symptoms. An allergy could be to one of the ingredients in infant formula or solid food but even an exclusively breastfed baby may sometimes react to an allergen via his mother’s milk. Some babies can be very sensitive to certain food proteins and may even have been sensitised before birth. 12 Several studies in the 80s and 90s have linked the transfer of cows’ milk proteins or allergenic proteins into human milk with symptoms of colic 13 14 15 16 and many breastfeeding text books mention the link between a crying baby and a food sensitivity. 17 18 19 20 21

How long does it take for a baby to get over a milk allergy?

If allergy is suspected it makes more sense to remove the allergens via modifying the nursing mother’s diet through an elimination diet rather than remove breast milk altogether. See Elimination Diet and Milk Allergy in Babies for more information. Once a mother has excluded the trigger food from her diet, a baby’s symptoms may start to improve within three to four days 50 51 although it may take two to four weeks to see full improvement 52 53 54. This may be due to the healing time for any damage to the baby’s gut in terms of inflammation.

Why do babies refuse to breastfeed?

There can be an overlap between reasons for a baby to be fussy and reasons for a baby to cry much more extensively and inconsolably.

How to help a crying baby?

Ideas to help a crying baby include: Respond to baby’s cries as quickly as possible. Carry baby as much as possible, baby carriers such as slings or wraps can help with this. Breastfeed frequently for food, comfort and pain relief. Skin-to-skin contact can be comforting.

How does a baby get colic?

Your breast milk comes out at different speeds, depending on the latch and suckling of your baby’s mouth. If your baby begins to take in a lot of milk quickly, they will also be swallowing a fair amount of air. Your baby may also begin to choke or visibly struggle and then return to the breast. If this is occurring, an overactive let-down phase can be contributing to colic as your baby goes through phases of frustration or impatience during feeding. To help avoid this problem, make sure that your baby has a strong latch and play around with your baby’s positioning. While you may not be able to control the intensity at which your infant feeds, you can make the intake easier with the right position.

What to do if your baby doesn't latch?

This will give you the chance to rule out hunger if they don’t latch, but if they do it provides a soothing, close connection that helps to foster protection and love. It can also reduce any pain that your baby is feeling and increase their sleepiness. If colic is getting in the way of breastfeeding, consider talking to a lactation consultant for help.

Can you burp a baby after you nurse?

Trapped gas can cause discomfort and lead to colic symptoms so make sure that you burp your baby after you nurse. You may also find that your baby responds to a slight pressure applied on their abdomen. Try both and see if they bring relief.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to discuss a chiropractic case of management and resolution of breast-feeding difficulties.

Introduction

Recently, more attention is being given to feeding problems where the infant itself is the cause, which is estimated at 59%. 1 In the past, unless there were clear medical problems concerning the infant, their suckling capacity was often not examined.

Case report

An 8-day-old infant presented with breast-feeding problems. These consisted of poor latching on, quickly pulling away, weak/poor vacuum, and a desire for nonnutritive suckling; and the mother had painful nipples from the infant's feeding behavior. In the first 4 days after birth, there were no problems.

Discussion

When considering injuries and dysfunctions of the pediatric spine and its associated structures, the significance of birth trauma is often underestimated; and the resulting symptoms are frequently misinterpreted. 10, 14 During the delivery, the infant's cranium and neck experience various stressors.

Conclusion

This case demonstrated that an infant with breast-feeding problems improved under chiropractic care. Multiple regions of the neuromusculoskeletal system that did not optimally function were noted during the examination. After several chiropractic treatments, the dysfunctions resolved and suckling improved.

Funding sources and potential conflicts of interest

No funding sources or conflicts of interest were reported for this study.

What are the challenges of combining disparate studies into meaningful results and conclusions?

45, 46 Errors in methodologies can lead to lack of rigor, and contribute to inaccuracy and bias. 47 Our study found diversity both in chiropractic technique (i.e., the method of application of the spinal adjustment or spine manipulation) ( Table 2) and in the methodologies from peer-reviewed to non-peer-reviewed articles. The chiropractic manual techniques were used singly or in combination with adjunctive therapies, based on the clinical needs of the patient and the attending chiropractor. This wide variation in the approach to patient care reflects the complexity and uniqueness of the patient׳s presenting complaint (s) as well as the individualized/personalized and flexible nature of chiropractic care.48 Nonetheless, we found chiropractors commonly addressing dysfunctions of the cervico-cranio-mandibular complex with the use of a number of spinal manipulative techniques including high velocity, low amplitude thrust appropriate for the patient׳s age, Gonstead technique, activator methods, Logan basic technique, toggle recoil, and upper cervical technique. We also identified the use of a number of adjunctive therapy techniques including cranial therapy or craniosacral therapy and soft-tissue manipulation.

Do chiropractors care for breastfeeding babies?

Chiropractors have long advocated on the benefits of breastfeeding and given the realized and potential role of chiropractors in the care of infants with breastfeeding difficulties, we performed this review of the literature on the subject to inform clinical practice.

Is breastfeeding good for babies?

The benefits of breastfeeding are well-documented in the literature. When compared with formula-fed infants, breastfeeding confers a lower risk of acute otitis media, gastroenteritis and diarrhea, severe lower respiratory infections, asthma, sudden infant death syndrome, and obesity, and enhances brain development. 1, 2, 3 Despite these documented benefits, particularly in the first six months of life, breastfeeding rates are still not optimal in much of the world. It has been estimated that suboptimal breastfeeding results in more than one million child deaths per year and in substantially higher levels of childhood morbidity. 4