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Probiotics seen to help with newborn crying, spitting up / positing

Daily use of a probiotic early in life reduced inconsolable crying, spitting up / positing and functional constipation in newborns reports a new study in JAMA No adverse events were reported by parents and the supplements were well tolerated.

Although infantile colic is not considered a serious problem by the medical profession, 10% to 20% of all pediatrician visits in the first 4 months are related to this issue.

Colicky crying  frequently contributes to anxiety, exhaustion, and stress.

Posseting / positing / spitting up is very common (around 50% of babies do this  for at least their first 12 weeks, some for much longer).

Constipation can be a real issue for both the baby and the family – with little ones being really uncomfortable in the days leading up to a bowel movement, as well as crying considerably beforehand in some cases.

What are called “functional gastrointestinal disorders”  in newborns usually gets better of their own accord. Help from probiotics may be really useful until it does.

A newborn check by a qualified paediatric osteopath may also highlight other issues that could benefit from some gentle osteopathic support.

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More news on the importance of limiting paracetamol dosage

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is finally asking physicians / Doctors and other healthcare professionals to stop prescribing combination prescription pain relievers that contain more than 325 mg of paracetamol (acetaminophen) per table due to the potential risk for liver damage.

Many prescription analgesics  contain both paracetamol and another ingredient (like codeine) and may have up to 750 mg of acetaminophen per dose.

In a statement, the FDA stated, “There are no available data to show that taking more than 325 mg of acetaminophen per dosage unit provides additional benefit that outweighs the added risks for liver injury.”

“Further, limiting the amount of acetaminophen per dosage unit will reduce the risk of severe liver injury from inadvertent acetaminophen overdose, which can lead to liver failure, liver transplant, and death,” they added.

Severe liver injury in patients taking paracetamol have occurred when patients  took more than the prescribed dose of an acetaminophen-containing product in a 24-hour period or took more than 1 paracetamol-containing product at the same time; or drank alcohol as well as medicine that  contained paracetamol.

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“Is infant colic really a type of migraine?” asks new research

Colic (also called paroxysmal crying) – we aren’t yet sure why babies get it

Colic refers to episodes of irritability, screaming, or inconsolable crying for 3 or more hours a day,  for 3 +days a week,  for more than 3 weeks. It is worse around 6 to 8 weeks of age and usually sorts itself out by around 16 weeks.

Studies are beginning to show links between colic and adult migraines: if mums have migraines, their babies are 2.5 times more likely to have colic.  If a baby has colic, they are 6.5 times more likely to have headaches and migraines as a child or teenager.

Colic may not be stomach / tummy related 

Current evidence suggests colic is unlikely to be caused by intestinal gas as the frequently used infacol (simethicone) was not seen to have a beneficial effect compared to placebo in a recent trial. Breast and bottle fed babies both get colic. Lactose intolerance is not colic and babies with this respond very quickly when put on a lactose free formula / breast feeding mums cut out lactose in their diet. However, babies with an allergy to cow’s milk protein often have colicky symptoms, as do babies with reflux.

Probiotics have, however, been seen to give relief for some colicky babies, but not all.

In vulnerable babies, nerve fibres in the brain (migraine) or the gut (colic) may be hypersensitive. Children are also known to have abdominal migraines (like a ‘headache’ in their tummy, sometimes with nausea and vomiting, like a migraine). The immature brains of newborns may be more sensitive to normal stimuli, triggering migraines / headachy symptoms  – this results in inconsolable crying.

It is nice to see that research is beginning to agree with what some paediatric osteopaths have been saying for a while – that some colicky symptoms may be head / neck / spine related, and babies sometimes may get a ‘headache’ or ‘neck ache’  which may be diagnosed as ‘colic’, but is not always related to wind / gas or a tummy pain.

Infant Colic May Be Early Migraine Pauline Anderson. American Headache Society (AHS) 56th Annual Scientific Meeting. Presented June 27, 2014.

Childhood Migraine Linked to Colic in Infancy. Megan Brooks JAMA. 2013;309:1607-1612,1636-1637

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Unborn babies start learning at 34 weeks

Evidence of learning by their 34th week in the womb has been found. This is three weeks earlier than previously thought.

The study followed 32 women from their 28th through 38th weeks of pregnancy to try to find when the ability to learn starts. Each woman had to say a set 15-second nursery rhyme (that they didn’t previously know) 3 times out loud, twice a day for 6 weeks.  They then monitored the heart rate of the unborn babies when they listened to someone else saying the same rhyme at certain stages.

Babies showed responses to the ‘learnt’ rhyme around 34 weeks. The mums then stopped repeating the rhyme daily, but the unborn babies responded to the rhymes at 38 weeks, despite not having heard it for a month!

So maybe playing certain types of music or talking and reading to your unborn child really will have an effect  – make those choices wisely!

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/1lEBzAl

Emergence and retention of learning in early feral development Charlene Krueger, Cynthia Garvan. Infant Behav Develop 2014. Volume 37, Issue 2, May 2014, Pages 162–173

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Probiotics may help lower blood pressure

Having probiotics  (found in live yogurt, fermented and sour milk, probiotic cheese, probiotic supplements, drinks, miso soup and other foods) has a modest effect on lowering blood pressure, according to the results of  a study analysing other studies on the subject (a meta-anaysis)

Better reductions were seen in people who had higher blood pressure and who took multiple probiotics. Taking probiotics for longer was more beneficial.

“However, even a small reduction of blood pressure may have important public health benefits and cardiovascular consequences,” states Dr Saman Khalesi (Griffith University, Australia) in the article published July 21 in Hypertension.

Just a small reduction in blood pressure was associated with a 22% relative reduction in risk of cardiovascular mortality, MI, or stroke.

Khalesi S, Sun J, Buys N, Jayasinghe R. Effect of probiotics on blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials. Hypertension 2014; DOI:10.161/hypertensionaha.114.03469. Abstract

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As well as being principal at Amersham Osteopathic Clinic, I am also Consultant in Charge at the Osteopathic Centre for Children's London clinic (part of the Foundation for Paediatric Osteopathy) and teach theory and practical techniques on the current Diploma course. I am on the Sutherland Cranial College of Osteopathy Teaching Faculty. I teach … Read more...