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Colic in babies can be caused by allergens in breast milk, and an elimination diet can help identify and remove these foods. The diet involves restricting certain foods and gradually reintroducing them while keeping track of any changes in the baby’s colic symptoms. However, the effectiveness of the diet is debated, and non-dietary factors may also play a role.
Maintaining the best diet for colic usually requires checking for potential allergens in breast milk. Colic is a condition in which babies cry excessively for reasons that are not obvious. Once a mother eliminates various foods from her diet, she can gradually reintroduce them and keep track of whether her baby’s colic decreases or remains. Raw fruits and vegetables, soy products, cow’s milk, and other proteins are potential allergens. However, there is some debate as to whether or not there is a true correlation between colic and breast milk consumption.
Colic is a common condition among babies, in which excessive crying occurs and is difficult to diagnose. If a baby cries for three hours a day for at least three days a week, colic is present. The condition is often the result of intestinal spasms that cause pain and discomfort in the baby’s abdomen. This can be attributed to the presence of allergens in breast milk.
An elimination diet is a very popular diet for colic. The diet allows the mother to discover what kinds of foods, passed through breast milk, may be aggravating the baby’s condition. Elimination diets usually take several weeks to complete, and always involve keeping detailed dietary records.
Initially, on an elimination diet for colic, the mother restricts meat consumption to ranch-fed meat that is minimally seasoned. The only grains that are generally consumed are rice or millet. Pumpkin is generally the only vegetable eaten, and pears are generally the only fruit eaten. Instead of drinking milk, the mother will use a rice-based drink and take calcium supplements.
After maintaining this diet for two weeks, and if the colic symptoms subside, new foods can be gradually introduced. Approximately every four days, a new element can be integrated into the diet. If colic symptoms arise again, the mother can keep a record of foods that may be allergenic to the baby. In general, it is recommended that the mother avoid caffeine, cruciferous vegetables, and raw fruits or vegetables, as young babies tend not to be tolerant of these foods, whether colicky or not.
However, older babies can tolerate traces of fruits or vegetables in breast milk better than younger babies. An elimination diet for colic among older babies may simply involve eliminating protein. Instead of avoiding fruits and vegetables, the mother can slowly eliminate and reintroduce meats, eggs, nuts, legumes, and wheat products.
Sometimes a colic diet does not involve the elimination method. If a baby is being raised on cow’s milk instead of breast milk, the mother might try switching to soy formula to see if lactose intolerance is the problem. When colic persists after switching to soy, other formulas made from various processed proteins may also be available.
The perceived effectiveness of a colic diet is somewhat ambiguous in the medical community. Some experiments suggest that colic simply fades over time, as even a large percentage of babies in control groups have been shown to reduce colic symptoms over the course of observation. Non-dietary factors, such as the presence of cigarette smoke, may also influence the occurrence of colic.
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