If your baby is crying inconsolably, you may be wondering whether colic or gas could be the culprit. Both conditions cause otherwise healthy babies to cry incessantly, leaving lots of parents stressed out and scratching their heads about how to help their little one. Although there is no known cause for colic – and, thus, no tried and true remedy for all babies – parents typically find success with two common remedies. Gripe water and gas drops are both frequently used by parents to treat their baby’s tummy ailments. But, is one preferred over the other? Let’s take a closer look at gripe water vs gas drops.
Along with these remedies, we also recommend trying an anti-gas bottle and gentler formula if bottle feeding!
Gripe Water Basics
Gripe water is a type of over the counter alternative medicine. It is made of water and a mixture of herbs, which can vary based upon the manufacturer. a lot of commonly, however, gripe water consists of dill seed oil and sodium bicarbonate. Dill seed is known to have a soothing effect on the stomach, and sodium bicarbonate is added to off-set stomach acid. Gripe water is usually alcohol-free and sugar-free, and its ingredients are created to soothe a baby’s upset tummy.
Pros of Gripe Water vs Gas Drops
Since gripe water consists of herbs known to have a warming and soothing effect, it can be effective in treating both gassy babies and colicky babies. In fact, lots of parents vow by it. It is easily easily accessible over the counter, is easy to use, and isn’t expensive.
Click here to purchase Gripe Water to soothe your little one!
Ulemper
As with lots of over the counter medications, too much gripe water can cause side effects. If a baby gets too much sodium bicarbonate, it can cause a condition called alkalosis. In this hazardous scenario, the blood loses its natural acidity and becomes base instead, causing symptoms such as vomiting, tremors, confusion, and numbness in the face, hands, and feet.
When stored improperly, gripe water can also grow bacteria and fungi. To avoid this, be sure to always store your bottle in a cool, dry location and do not use it once it is past the manufacturer’s expiration date.
Gas drops Basics
This over the counter liquid medicine consists of the active ingredient simethicone. It breaks up large gas bubbles in the baby’s digestive system, creating smaller gas bubbles that are a lot more easily passed instead. Gas drops can be dispensed directly into the baby’s mouth, or they can be mixed with formula or expressed breast milk.
Pros of Gas drops vs Gripe Water
The American Academy of Pediatrics has labeled gas drops as safe even for newborn babies, and adverse side effects are very rare. They are proven effective in helping babies ease their gas pains, and they can be used multiple times daily for recurrent gassiness in infants.
Click here to get Gas drops from the very popular brand little Remedies.
Ulemper
Since there is no proven cause of colic, gas drops may not impact a baby’s crying. Additionally, they are risky for use in babies who are also taking thyroid medications, as they may cause a harmful drug interaction.
Deciding Which is better for Your Baby: Gripe Water vs Gas Drops
Parents who are faced with a crying baby are normally ready to try anything but wonder where to start. If you think your baby may have gas, give gas drops a try. Symptoms of gas in infants include a firm belly, drawing the legs up toward the abdomen repeatedly, and crying after feedings. If you’re observing these behaviors in your child, gas drops are probably the best place to start. However, things are not nearly as clear-cut with a colicky baby.
Since colic remains a bit of a medical mystery with no proven cause, there is also no proven remedy. Neither gripe water nor gas drops can be said to be effective, and colicky babies may exhibit a large variety of symptoms. Sometimes, a colicky baby will simulate a gassy baby, pulling their legs up toward their abdomen as described above. In this case, gas drops may help to ease some of a colicky baby’s discomfort.
However, lots of colicky babies respond better to soothing techniques like walking, swaying, back rubs, and singing. If your child seems to respond a bit to these or other types of soothing techniques when crying, gas is probably not the issue. Gripe water and its calming ingredients may be of a lot more use for a crying baby in this scenario.
A note about medical Attention
While all babies cry and about twenty percent show signs of colic, you may not always be able to treat your baby’s discomfort on your own. here are some things to enjoy for if you have a baby who cries incessantly:
A blue tint to the lips, which indicates baby is not getting enough oxygen
Crying that occurs after a fall or other injury and sounds different than your baby’s normal cry
Blood in baby’s stool, or a change in bowel movement habits
A temperature grEater enn 38 C (38 ° C)
Gråt som blir verre over tid (høyere, i lengre perioder)
Hvis du føler deg hjelpeløs eller overveldet mens du bryr deg om den gråtende babyen din
I tilfeller av noen av de ovennevnte symptomene er det avgjørende å søke lege. Noen ganger kan det være at babyen din lider av en matallergi, spesielt hvis barnet ditt blir ammet. En barnelege kan hjelpe deg med å finne ut om barnets gråt er normal eller grunn til bekymring.
Stoler på tarmen din
Som med mange aspekter ved foreldreskap, vil du ha venner og bekjente klare og klare til å fortelle deg hva som fungerte best for deres gråtende baby. Uunngåelig vil noen løfte grep vann er svaret mens andre synger ros av gassdråper. Husk at hver baby er annerledes, og du kjenner barnet ditt best. Avhengig av tarmen din og prøv middelet som gir mest mening for deg først. Du kan alltid prøve den andre hvis du ikke oppnår resultatene du håpet på.
Når du jobber for å berolige den gråtende lille, ikke fortvil. Selv om det kan være veldig å prøve for øyeblikket, må du minne deg selv på at det ikke vil vare evig. Selv de mest colicky babyene har en tendens til å vokse ut av det rundt 3-4 måneder, men vi håper grep vann eller gassdråper kan levere bare det middelet du trenger i mellomtiden.
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