Colic is a condition commonly found in babies/infants who are in their initial weeks of birth. It can affect almost every baby and last for more than first four months of birth. The babies start crying for long hours and the crying can be furious and intense. The crying starts anytime but mostly it happens in the evening and afternoon.

Causes

1. The babies cry because of a feeling of pain or discomfort which is mostly caused by certain medical condition. It can also happen if the baby is not given feed on time or if the breast feeding mom eats something which is difficult to digest.

2. It can be triggered by medicines, food or feeding patterns. It is caused when a baby is not feeling conformation.

3. Allergic reactions caused by food products can cause the problem and medicines taken by breast feeding moms can also cause the trigger.

4. It can be caused by some medical problem in the baby.

Symptoms

The baby may cry for more than three hours or stop crying when the baby is exhausted or the belly clears.

Herbal Remedies for Colic

Natural remedies are best and easy treatment for babies as the little ones cannot be given harsh medicines. There are a number of herbs used for curing Colic.

Ferula Foetida (Asfoetida, Hing): It is a pungent smelling species of Ferula and it is unpleasant when raw. It reduces symptoms of flatulence because it prevents the growth of micro flora in gut. It is used in Colic because it prevents formation of gas in infants belly and reduces pain caused by irregularities in digestions.

Gardenia Gummifera Linn (Dikamali): It has twisted branches and it has brown bark. The leaves and flowers are yellow in color and the leaf bud produces resin which is also called the Cumbi Gum. The large shrub or a small tree of Gardenia Gummifera Linn is used to prevent stomach related problems.

Mint (Poudina): It is also used to make teas to prevent stomach aches. The leaves were used to whiten the teeth and mint tea has a strong fragrance. It contains essential oils which are used to make many drugs. It is also used for aromatherapy.

Terminalia Chebula (Haritaki): It is mentioned in Ayurvada and it contains five rasas. It contains Vijaya, Rohini, Putana, Amrita, Abhya, Jeewanti and Cheataki. It is used to cure a number of medical problems.

Cassia Angustifolia (Sanay): The main elements in leaves are dianthrone glycosides which are effective laxative and they helps to increase intestinal fluids which improve mobility in the digestive tract.

Zingiber Officinale (Sonth): It also reduces the symptoms of sea sickness and sickness caused during pregnancy. It is used in babies to reduce discomfort caused by production of digestive gases.

Ptychotis Ajowan (Ajwain): It has been used long by parents to treat bloating in infants.