Intestinal colic in a child of 6 years old symptoms. Intestinal colic in adults, signs and treatment. Combination of pathological colic with other symptoms

Description:

Intestinal colic - sharp paroxysmal pain caused by certain changes in the intestine.

Symptoms:

The most striking clinical signs of this disease: 1) paroxysmal, spasmodic pain in the intestines; 2) bloating and rumbling of the intestines; 3) stool disorder (constipation or diarrhea); 4) secretion of mucus in the form of white ribbons or tubes. The allergic nature of mucosal colic is confirmed by the presence of eosinophils and pointed crystals in the feces (as in sputum in bronchial asthma).

Attacks of colic come after nervous shocks, conflict situations. During an attack of colic, palpation of the abdominal cavity establishes a spasmodically contracted large intestine, very painful. However, there is no muscle tension, the temperature remains normal. The duration of an attack of mucosal colic is different - from several minutes to a day. Outside of an attack of colic, patients remain constipated with the release of "sheep's" feces.
When lead poisoning develops lead intestinal colic, characterized by bouts of severe pain, while the stomach is drawn in, the abdominal wall is tense. There are prolonged constipation, a gray border on the gums, other signs of lead are revealed.

Causes of occurrence:

The pathogenesis of intestinal colic is very complex. In some cases, the pain is associated with stretching of the intestinal loops with their peritoneal cover, in others - with irritation of the nerve endings in the intestinal wall due to the tension of the mesentery of the small intestines. But the main role in the mechanism of intestinal pain is played by impaired intestinal motility: tone, peristalsis, stretching and spasms of intestinal loops.

So, for example, with intestinal obstruction, pain is associated with increased stenotic peristalsis in the segment of the intestine located above the obstruction site. In colitis and enterocolitis, they are associated with stretching and peristaltic contractions of the intestinal wall, altered due to the inflammatory process.

Treatment:

For treatment appoint:

Intestinal colic can and should be removed. For this, drugs already known to us are used - antispasmodics, but with some "intestinal accent" (i.e., predominantly acting on the intestine). Unlike biliary & nbsp & nbsp and renal colic, with intestinal colic (if not), drugs are taken orally. It is possible to apply the following treatment options at home:

   1. 2 no-shpy tablets, drink a glass of warm mint broth;
   2. "dry belladonna" extract (in "gastric tablets", "becarbon", "besalol", "bellalgin" and "bellataminal" preparations - 1-2 tablets, as well as in rectal suppositories);
   3. papaverine tablets with platifillin - 1-2 tablets;
   4. warm healing enema with a decoction of mint or lemon balm (200 ml);
   5. Smecta preparation (1 powder per 100 ml of water).

"Simple" intestinal colic after such treatment disappears, often after passing gases and a single liquid stool.

The patient should not eat anything for 6-12 hours after that; you can drink warm weak unsweetened tea with crackers.

Almost all parents are faced with the fact that their child has acute pain in the abdomen.

Immediately after discharge from the maternity hospital, the baby does not cause much trouble to parents, because his main occupations are sleep and eating.

A more “fun” life begins when the baby turns one month old and has pain in the tummy.

Very often, the child does not leave the mother's arms day or night, constantly crying loudly and thereby frightening young parents.

Although intestinal colic in children does not provoke serious disorders in the child's body, it has a negative impact on the mental state of both the newborn and his parents.

How does colic manifest?

Intestinal colic in children of different ages is a phenomenon that pediatricians quite often encounter.

Colic often occurs in an infant, and often does not indicate any pathological processes in the body.

If the problem manifested itself at an older age, then it can be provoked by an improper diet, overeating, or other disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.

Symptoms in newborns

Colic is commonly referred to as episodic acute abdominal pain that occurs in the first 4 months of a baby's life.

Such phenomena bring a lot of suffering to the baby, so he screams piercingly and subsides only after the gases pass or the feces come out.

If intestinal pathology manifests itself frequently and lasts for a long time, then it can lead to dysbacteriosis, intestinal inflammation and other complications.

Experts note several main signs of the phenomenon in question in children. The symptoms are:

Colic in the intestines appears at 4 weeks of life of the baby and lasts up to 4 months.
Attacks are more often observed in the evening, from 18 to 20 hours.
The child becomes very restless, cries a lot. Due to the fact that a large amount of gas accumulates in the tummy of the crumbs, the tummy is very swollen and hardens.
The child raises the legs to the stomach or shakes them in the air. Then he strains a lot, his face turns red and the baby farts. When gaziki leave the intestines, intestinal colic disappears, but may reappear. Even in this case, treatment is not prescribed.
The baby continues to eat well and steadily gain weight. The consistency of his stool is usually normal.
Initially, symptoms occur about 2 times a week and last no longer than 30 minutes. In the future, they appear daily and last for 5-6 hours.

In more severe cases, intestinal colic lasts up to 8 hours, which completely exhausts both the child and the parents.

Experts say that intense and prolonged colic provokes unpleasant complications: liquefaction of the stool, often profuse regurgitation, loss of appetite and lack of weight gain.

It should be noted that such symptoms can be provoked not by intestinal colic, but by any serious pathologies that cause pain in the baby's abdomen. In this case, the doctor must prescribe adequate treatment.

Symptoms in older children

Pain in the intestines of a child always occurs unexpectedly and is manifested by a strong burning sensation of an acute nature. The child may behave aggressively, cry and scream loudly.

Due to the fact that the muscles in the abdomen tense, it becomes very hard. Symptoms disappear as suddenly as they appear.

Usually they do not last more than 2-3 minutes and are accompanied by fetid stools with mucus.

In the event that intestinal colic did not appear due to an infectious or inflammatory process, the child's temperature does not rise.

If there is inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, then the child may show symptoms of a cold.

Causes of colic

There are a lot of factors that cause intestinal spasms in a child. Colic in infants may indicate a disorder of the intestines, which is explained by the inferior development of the internal organs of the infant.

Colic in newborns

The appearance of intestinal colic in infants is associated with the fact that the child stops eating in utero, and receives regular food in the form of breast milk or formula.

The fact is that beneficial microorganisms settle in the intestines of the baby, which produce special enzymes for digestion.

In addition, the entire gastrointestinal tract "learns" to contract in the right sequence to move food from the mouth to the anus.

It takes some time for the digestion process to be fully adjusted. In some children, this period proceeds without any problems, while in other children intestinal colic appears.

The most important thing is to understand that this phenomenon is physiological and transient, because the digestive system of a little man will mature and begin to function fully.

The formation of independent digestion is a difficult period for the baby, which is quite easy to break. At this stage, the child has abdominal pain associated with such factors:

Increased gas formation in the intestines. Gaziki put pressure on the rectum, leading to its irritation and severe soreness. A similar condition is often observed in adults, so everyone knows how painful and unpleasant it is.
The appearance of spasm of the muscular walls of the intestine.
Irregular motility in the intestines. This refers to slowing down or speeding up the movement of food through the alimentary canal.

Intestinal colic often occurs even in completely healthy children. Therefore, when the phenomenon in question appears, you should not immediately panic.

Colic in the intestines of a healthy baby

There are several main factors that provoke the appearance of colic even in a perfectly healthy child. They are:

Pain in the abdomen, more precisely, in the intestines, is more often manifested in the first-born, especially the boy.

This phenomenon can be explained by the woman's excessive anxiety during pregnancy, which was transmitted to the fetus. In addition, the reasons may be frequent stress in the mother.

Aerophagia is the condition of swallowing excess air during suckling. The following reasons influence the appearance of such a phenomenon:

the baby is sucking too hard at the breast;
the child lies incorrectly when feeding;
a huge hole in the nipple;
the child incorrectly holds the mother's breast;
the child does not have the opportunity to burp air after eating, because he is immediately placed on his back;

The use by the child of improperly prepared mixtures. An inexperienced mother may dilute the mixture too much or too little.
Sweetened drinking water.
Rare laying out of the child on the tummy. It is lying on the stomach that normalizes the work of the digestive system.
Mother's consumption of foods that increase gas production.
Hormonal failure in a nursing lady.

All these nuances should be taken into account and try to prevent them.

What diseases provoke colic in babies

Doctors distinguish several main diseases, during the course of which, the child develops intestinal colic:

Allergic reaction to cow's milk.
Deficiency of lactase - an enzyme that is responsible for the breakdown of milk sugar.
Dysbacteriosis is the appearance of harmful microorganisms in the intestines.
Underdeveloped nervous regulation of the intestine.
The presence in the body of an infection that worsens the general condition of the baby.

If the child cries and his stomach hurts, then the parents are obliged to recognize in a timely manner what is happening with the baby: he has gaziki or the case is in some kind of pathology.

It should be noted that appendicitis or some other surgical disease may be hidden under intestinal colic.

Intestinal colic in adult children

In a school-age child, intestinal colic manifests itself for other reasons. They are:

Intestinal obstruction.
The presence of helminthiases in the body.
Improper functioning of the stomach, pancreas or other organs involved in digestion.
Gastritis and pancreatitis, the treatment of which is necessary.
Enteritis, irritable bowel syndrome.
Intoxication of the body with heavy metals.
Infectious processes in the body.
Inflammation of the intestines.
Psychological factor: stress, emotional overload.
Reinforced workouts.

All these factors should be diagnosed in a timely manner, so parents are advised to carefully monitor the health of their child and regularly show it to pediatricians.

Diagnosis of intestinal colic

Only a qualified specialist should carry out diagnostic measures regarding the appearance of intestinal colic.

After the doctor talks and examines the baby, he will schedule a blood test for analysis. This diagnostic method makes it possible to detect anemia or inflammation.

Coprogram - the study of feces, which helps to identify the type of intestinal disorder and pathological processes occurring in the liver or pancreas.
Ultrasound examination of the intestine.
Gastroscopy is a study of the gastrointestinal tract.
Computed tomography of the body.
X-ray of the abdominal organs.
Colonoscopy is a procedure that allows you to examine the condition of the intestine.

Based on the results, the doctor makes a diagnosis and prescribes the appropriate treatment, if any.

How to help your baby with colic

Most often, intestinal colic in infants does not require treatment with medications. In order to help the baby at home, you should follow the basic rules:

Airbrush Prevention:

you need to feed the crumbs in a semi-vertical position, and after feeding, keep it in an upright position for some time;
make sure that the baby correctly grasps the nipple or nipple on the bottle;
often put the child on the tummy;
give babies a tummy massage just before feeding;
feed the baby no more than 1 time in 2 hours so that the food can be completely digested;
Trying to breastfeed your child longer is the key to his health in the future.

Refusal of the mother from products that form gases. A nursing woman should strictly monitor her diet and exclude the following foods from her diet:

dairy products;
cabbage;
conservation;
legumes;
fresh tomatoes;
grapes or apples;
mushrooms;
fresh bread;
kvass;
muffin.

Properly dilute artificial mixtures that the baby eats. Ideally, if the pediatrician chooses the mixture suitable for a particular baby. It is he who can tell the young mother what dosage the baby needs.

If you follow all these rules, then intestinal colic can be completely prevented or reduced in intensity.

Help for older children

In order to provide first aid to older children, it is necessary to accurately determine the cause of colic. This can be done by a pediatrician or gastroenterologist.

You can get rid of spasms on your own by doing the following:

Apply a heating pad with warm water to the stomach, which will relax the intestines and relieve spasms.
Take an anesthetic pill: No-shpu, Platifillin or Smecta.
Lie down quietly and do not eat for a while. It is allowed to drink weak tea.

But it is worth considering that colic can be caused by a serious pathology that requires urgent medical attention. Therefore, if the intestinal problem does not go away for a long time, then it is better to go to the hospital.

Colic treatment

According to doctors, it is not necessary to treat colic in infants, because such safe symptoms disappear on their own.

The fact is that medications aimed at eliminating pain in colic do not cope with their task. They only slightly alleviate the condition of the baby: Espumizan, Disflatil, dill water.

Treatment of the phenomenon in question in older children is possible only after a diagnosis has been made. It should be taken into account that there is a risk of developing intestinal obstruction or appendicitis - pathologies that require immediate surgical intervention.

It is forbidden to give babies pills that can blur the picture and prevent doctors from providing first aid.

In the event that the child is not faced with colic for the first time, and their exact cause is known, then you can give him No-shpu, Spasmalgon, Papaverine or Drotaverine.

In addition, it is appropriate to use drugs to eliminate gas formation: Espumizan, Bobotik or Disflatil. In the event of diarrhea, children are prescribed Lactofiltrum, Smecta or Enterosgel.

Prevention of colic

In order to prevent treatment and the appearance of pain in children, it is worth following simple rules. They are:

Refuse harmful products that increase gas formation.
Eat only wholesome food that has been stored under storage conditions.
Do not eat dry food, because it slows down digestion.
Do not overeat and greatly burden the stomach. If this could not be avoided, then you need to drink Mezim or Festal.
You should eat more vegetables and fruits that have undergone heat treatment. In addition, it is very useful to include linseed oil in the diet.

If the condition is started, then there is a risk of developing complications: dysbacteriosis or enterocolitis.

Useful video

Intestinal colic is paroxysmal pain that occurs in the abdomen along the course of the intestine. Their appearance is associated with overeating or improper diet of the child, the inflammatory process in the tract and the influence of other factors. The term "intestinal colic" is not tied to a specific disease. Gastroenterologists refer it to special types of sensations that occur in various pathologies.

What causes colic?

Intestinal colic is provoked by spastic contractions of the small or large intestine, which originate from the small intestine and spread throughout the tract. Usually a spasm occurs due to irritation, the causes of which are quite a few:

binge eating;
helminthic invasions;
intestinal obstruction;
poisoning with fungi or toxins;
bacterial damage to the intestines;
diseases of the oral cavity, stomach, pancreas;
eating stale, low-quality or exotic food;
stressful situations and nervous strain in school-age children adapting to a new way of life.

Symptoms of intestinal spasms

The clinical symptoms of colic in children appear suddenly with acute sharp pain in the abdomen. Attacks occur after a fast run, heavy lifting, or a heavy meal. Abdominal pains seem to be cutting for the child. In an attempt to get rid of them, the baby changes the position of the body, is naughty, screams, and experiences nervous excitement.

Irritation of the nerve endings of the peritoneum causes the child symptoms such as: flatulence, nausea, bowel problems, headache. An increase in blood pressure is possible. If intestinal colic had a significant duration, the baby will look tired and indifferent. Diarrhea, which opened after a spasm, gives a sharp relief, but pulling pains in the abdomen persist.

Dr. Komarovsky draws the attention of parents to the child's feces. If fat or mucous inclusions are visible in the feces, this indicates improper digestion of food. The process causes general discomfort, decreased appetite and physical activity.

Signs of acute intestinal colic

Spasmodic sensations are always acute in nature and are manifested by burning in the intestinal area and cramping pains. As soon as the child gets better, he should undergo an examination to clarify the diagnosis that provoked adverse changes.

To make sure that the spasm is really acute, the following symptoms will help parents:

pains come on suddenly;
with spasms, the abdominal muscles tighten;
a loose, heterogeneous stool with mucus and a fetid odor is released;
intestinal spasms in children appear periodically and for a short time.

When intestinal colic occurs, the child's body temperature may remain normal if the discomfort is not associated with an intestinal infection. When the tract is infected, the thermometer gets to high levels, and the symptoms of colic resemble a cold in combination with intestinal upset.

Intestinal colic as a symptom of the disease

Diagnosis of a condition in which intestinal spasm occurs is carried out taking into account the doctor's suspicions of a specific disease. After collecting an anamnesis, the child is sent to various studies. A complete blood count reveals anemia and inflammatory changes. The biochemical method shows the ratio of electrolytes and dysfunction of the kidneys, pancreas, liver.

The coprogram allows you to study the composition of the child's feces and establish the presence of pathological changes that have affected the intestines, pancreas, and liver. Urine analysis also detects violations of important digestive organs.

To obtain more reliable information, children with intestinal colic are sent for instrumental examination:

FEGDS;
colonoscopy;
sigmoidoscopy;
CT scan;
abdominal x-ray.

Treatment of intestinal colic in children

With severe spasms in the intestines of a child, it is advisable to call a doctor at home. Before the arrival of a specialist, it is forbidden to give enemas, apply heating pads and give the baby painkillers, otherwise the measures will make it difficult to make a diagnosis.

How the treatment will be carried out depends on the pathology that provoked colic. In special cases, the baby is taken to the hospital and resorted to surgical intervention, if necessary.

P For simple colic, treatment is carried out at home using the following medicines:

Antidiarrheals with simethicone - Smecta and Espumizan.
Sorbents - Activated carbon, Atoxil, Enterosgel, Sorbex.
Antispasmodics - No-shpa (Drotaverine), Buskopan, Duspatalin. They relax the smooth muscles of the intestines.
Sedatives - motherwort or valerian extract tablets relieve stress and nervous tension.

With simple colic, as a self-help measure, you can put a warm heating pad on the child's groin area. The procedure will eliminate spasms and pain. If the problem of intestinal colic is associated with flatulence or constipation, a warm enema with mint decoction will help to free the tract from feces and gases.

Phytotherapy against spasms

Harmless treatment of intestinal colic can be carried out using folk remedies (after consultation with a specialist). If the spasm is accompanied by constipation, decoctions obtained from herbal teas with anise fruits, elder flowers, buckthorn bark or licorice will help to relax the intestines and speed up defecation.

To suppress fermentation and putrefactive processes, treatment is carried out by a combination of herbs. Bird cherry, oak bark and alder cones are simmered in a water bath and the child is allowed to drink the decoction during the day in small sips (daily dosage - 250 ml).

Immortelle flowers, sage, blueberries, cinquefoil root and cumin have astringent effects. All ingredients are poured with boiling water and after insisting they are given to the child for treatment. It is necessary to drink the drug 3 r. per day before meals, 100 ml.

- a clinical syndrome that occurs against the background of the morphofunctional immaturity of the digestive tract and its neuroendocrine regulation in the first months of a child's life and proceeds with paroxysmal pain in the intestine. Intestinal colic is accompanied by crying and screaming of the newborn, restlessness, tension and bloating. The diagnosis of intestinal colic in newborns is based on a characteristic clinical picture, scatological examination data, stool culture, ultrasound of the abdominal organs. Treatment of intestinal colic in newborns includes the mother's diet, adherence to feeding techniques, selection of an adequate mixture, light abdominal massage, taking herbal remedies, antispasmodics, probiotics.

General information

Intestinal colic in newborns is a condition associated with age-related functional disorders of the digestive tract in infants and is accompanied by paroxysmal abdominal pain. In children of the first six months of life, various functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract often occur: regurgitation, intestinal colic, functional diarrhea and constipation. Intestinal colic, according to the results of various studies, occurs in 20 - 70% of newborns.

The greatest severity and frequency of intestinal colic is observed in children aged 1.5 to 3 months. Intestinal colic is more common in boys and firstborns. Intestinal colic can disrupt the diet and sleep of the newborn, serve as a reason for emotional stress and nervousness of young parents. A comprehensive solution to the problem of intestinal colic in newborns and children in the first months of life is dealt with by pediatrics, pediatric gastroenterology, and neurology.

Causes of intestinal colic in newborns

The mechanism of development of intestinal colic in newborns is due to a violation of the motor function of the digestive tract and increased gas formation in the intestine, causing sharp local spasms and distension of the intestinal wall. The main etiological factors of intestinal colic in newborns can be associated directly with the child himself or with his mother.

On the part of the newborn, morphofunctional immaturity of the digestive tract, a violation of the neuroendocrine regulation of its function can contribute to the appearance of intestinal colic; reduced enzymatic activity of the digestive tract, lack of hydrochloric acid, lactase deficiency, disorders of the intestinal microbiocenosis.

Intestinal colic in newborns is due to the anatomical features of the structure of the intestine and the maturation of the nervous system, which lasts up to 12-18 months of age and may be accompanied by vegetative-visceral disorders. In violation of the technique of feeding a child, sucking on an empty nipple or breast with a small amount of milk, as well as in premature babies, excessive swallowing of air (aerophagia) is observed, leading to the appearance of intestinal colic in newborns. Age and individual immaturity of enzymatic systems and intestinal dysbacteriosis in newborns cause incomplete breakdown of fats and carbohydrates, contributing to increased gas formation and expansion of the intestinal lumen.

The development of intestinal colic in newborns may be associated with a deficiency of certain hormone-like substances (gastrin, secretin, cholecystokinin, motilin), which regulate the motor and secretory functions of the gastrointestinal tract. The cause of intestinal colic in a newborn may be the hypoxia and asphyxia suffered by him in the prenatal period or during childbirth. It has been established that the lower the gestational age and body weight of the newborn (i.e., the greater the degree of prematurity), the higher the risk of developing intestinal colic. In premature newborns, intestinal colic, as a rule, is more pronounced and more protracted.

Allergic reactions (gastrointestinal form of food allergy during the transition from natural feeding to artificial feeding, the presence of food additives in mixtures, etc.) can also cause intestinal colic in newborns. Rarely, the causes of intestinal colic in newborns can be congenital developmental anomalies (cleft lip, non-closure of the hard palate, tracheoesophageal fistulas).

Maternal factors provoking the development of intestinal colic in newborns include a burdened obstetric and gynecological history (gestosis), inverted nipples, bad habits and nutritional errors of a nursing mother (excess cow's milk, very fatty foods, foods that increase flatulence), violation of feeding technique (overfeeding , incorrect dilution of mixtures); emotional instability and stress in the family.

Symptoms of colic in newborns

Intestinal colic in newborns occurs in the first 3-4 weeks of life and lasts up to 3, less often - 4-6 months of age. Attacks of intestinal colic in newborns usually begin unexpectedly, without any apparent reason, usually at the same time of day, directly during or after feeding.

Episodes of intestinal colic last up to 3 or more hours a day, recur at least three days a week and last at least three weeks in a row. Intestinal colic in newborns is accompanied by loud shrill crying, screaming, expressed by the anxiety of the child, who twists his legs and pulls them to his stomach. At the same time, hyperemia of the skin of the face, bloating and tension of the anterior abdominal wall are noted. One attack of intestinal colic can last from 30 minutes to 3 hours.

With intense intestinal colic in newborns, there is a violation of appetite and digestion, rumbling in the abdomen, regurgitation, increased irritability and excitability, sleep disturbance. Relief from intestinal colic in a newborn occurs after the passage of gases or defecation. The general condition of the newborn between attacks of intestinal colic is not disturbed, there is no pain on palpation of the abdomen, a good appetite remains, weight gain corresponds to age. Intestinal colic in newborns can be combined with constipation, dyspepsia, gastroesophageal reflux.

Diagnosis in newborns

The diagnosis of intestinal colic in a newborn is established on the basis of characteristic clinical symptoms and the results of a comprehensive examination, including a general blood and urine test, fecal tests: (coprogram, determination of the carbohydrate content and the level of fecal calprotectin), stool culture for the intestinal group and dysbacteriosis, ultrasound of the abdominal organs cavities.

The level of calprotectin makes it possible to differentiate functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract from chronic inflammatory diseases - Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. In newborns, the level of calprotectin in the feces is higher than in older children (up to 1 year of age, the level of PCP> 500 mcg / g; up to 4 years -<100 мкг/г).

If there is fever, vomiting, blood in the feces, refusal to eat and stool retention against the background of intestinal colic, an additional more in-depth examination of the newborn and consultation of a pediatric surgeon are necessary.

It is advisable to conduct a differential diagnosis of intestinal colic in newborns with surgical pathology (acute intestinal obstruction), gastrointestinal form of food allergy, lactase deficiency, dysbacteriosis, acute intestinal infections, perinatal lesions of the central and autonomic nervous system.

Treatment of intestinal colic in newborns

Treatment is carried out jointly by a pediatrician and a pediatric gastroenterologist, is individual in nature and is aimed at eliminating the main cause of this condition, correcting motor and functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.

Some cases of intestinal colic in newborns who are breastfed can be prevented by observing the diet of the nursing mother. Products containing cow's milk protein and beef meat are excluded from her diet; food rich in fats, and also contributing to increased gas formation (raw and pickled vegetables and fruits, legumes; fresh yeast bread and kvass), chocolate, sweets and pastries are limited.

Before each feeding, it is necessary to lay the baby on the stomach for 5-10 minutes, and then lightly stroke the abdomen in a clockwise direction to improve intestinal motility and gas discharge. With intestinal colic, you can warm the belly of the newborn with a warm diaper or carry it in your arms, pressing the anterior abdominal wall against the mother's stomach.

For the prevention of aerophagia, it is important to observe the feeding technique, keep the child in an upright position for 10–15 minutes after feeding for better belching of air; limit sucking on pacifiers and select an adequate mixture. If a gastrointestinal form of food allergy is suspected in a child, they switch to mixtures based on protein hydrolyzate (casein or whey), with lactase deficiency - to low-lactose or lactose-free mixtures. Frequent use of gas tubes and enemas is not desirable due to the slight vulnerability of the intestinal mucosa in newborns, especially premature ones.

With significantly pronounced intestinal colic, newborns are prescribed herbal remedies with a carminative and relaxing effect (based on fennel, dill, chamomile, mint), defoamers based on simethicone, antispasmodics (drotaverine, suppositories with papaverine), sorbents. Medicines are used both during an attack of intestinal colic, and to prevent their development in newborns at each feeding. Probiotics are used to correct dysbacteriosis.

The prognosis of intestinal colic in newborns

The prognosis of intestinal colic in newborns is favorable, in most cases they disappear after the 3rd month of a child's life, in rare cases - after the 4-6th month.

Young parents should be patient and remain emotionally calm. Compliance with the recommendations of the pediatrician, primarily the regimen and feeding technique, makes it possible to alleviate the condition of newborns with intestinal colic.

In children, this is a fairly common occurrence in pediatrics. Colic usually occurs in young infants, and, as a rule, no serious pathologies are observed.

Intestinal colic that occurs in older children may be the result of malnutrition, overeating, or any other disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. It is worth noting that spasm attacks usually stop after a few minutes.

1 Etiology of the phenomenon

The causes of intestinal pain in children are very diverse. In infants, this phenomenon is considered the norm, since the internal organs and nervous system have not yet been fully formed. Usually in infants, this completely resolves by the age of 4-5 months.

In older children, the causes of intestinal colic are usually:

Poor intestinal patency, helminths, disturbances in the functioning of the entire system of the gastrointestinal tract, dysbacteriosis, intoxication of the body with salts of heavy metals, infectious diseases or inflammatory processes in the abdominal cavity.
Frequent stress, psycho-emotional overload due to the heavy workload in schools and the abuse of physical activity often become causes that provoke the appearance of intestinal colic.
There are a number of diseases in which intestinal colic is one of the signs of its development. Such diseases include SARS, influenza, gastritis, pancreatitis, enteritis, irritable bowel syndrome, nervous breakdown.

2 Symptoms

Intestinal pain in children always begins with an unexpectedly sharp burning sensation in the intestinal region. A child with the formation of colic and spasms experiences severe sharp pain, which always occurs suddenly. A child during attacks usually becomes irritable, cries, screams. During spasms, the abdominal muscles become very tense, the abdomen becomes very hard. Spasms usually stop as suddenly as they begin and last no more than a few minutes. Usually at such moments, the child has a bowel movement with an unpleasant odor and mucus clots.

If intestinal colic in children is not associated with any infectious or inflammatory processes of the intestine, then, as a rule, body temperature does not increase with such symptoms. If there is any inflammatory process in the system of the gastrointestinal tract, then in addition to an increase in body temperature, the child may experience other signs of colds.

3 Diagnostic measures

During the diagnosis of the causes that contribute to the formation of intestinal spasms, the child must pass a general blood test, thanks to which anemia can be detected against the background of anemia and inflammatory processes in the body. Thanks to the coprogram, you can find out all the violations, changes and pathological processes in the gastrointestinal tract. With intestinal colic, you must also undergo ultrasound, fluoroscopy, computed tomography, colonoscopy and FEGDS.

4 Treatment of pathology

Usually in newborns, intestinal colic is not treated with any medication. You just need to put the baby on the tummy more often or stroke the tummy clockwise. If the colic is too strong, then such drugs will help alleviate the condition - Espumizan, Disflatil.

Treatment of intestinal colic in older children should be started only when the exact cause of their appearance is found. To do this, it is necessary to undergo a thorough examination, since urgent surgical intervention may be required for treatment due to the fact that colic is caused by intestinal obstruction or appendicitis.

When breastfeeding, you need to keep the baby in an almost vertical position, the only way to prevent the baby from swallowing excess air, which causes colic after eating. If the baby is bottle-fed, then you need to carefully monitor that the baby tightly wraps his lips around the nipple. The hole on the pacifier should be medium in size.

In between feedings, you can make your baby a warm bath with decoctions of medicinal herbs: chamomile, mint, oregano. These herbs have excellent sedative and antispasmodic properties.

First aid for older children.

The very first aid for colic in children is the discovery of the causes of such unpleasant symptoms, so the child should immediately be taken to the doctor. There are several proven and effective ways to help relieve spasms and eliminate colic, but they should only be used if the diagnosis of the child did not reveal any serious diseases or diseases requiring surgical intervention. During severe spasms, you need to put a warm heating pad on the child's stomach, this helps to relax the muscles, eliminate spasms and alleviate the child's condition.

Taking antispasmodic drugs that act directly on the intestines, as a result of which relief comes very quickly, is also a fairly effective remedy for frequent colic. These drugs include: No-shpa, Platifillin, Papaverine, Smecta, mint decoction. In order for the attack not to recur, the child needs to be laid down for several hours, and during this time not to be given food, you can drink it with weak black tea without sugar.

5 Preventive approach

Prevention of intestinal colic in infants depends on the normalization of the diet consumed by the mother and transmitted to the infant along with breast milk. A woman needs to avoid foods that can cause bloating, cramps and colic in children. You need to eat not dry food, but try to eat more liquid food. Dishes during lactation should only be boiled or steamed, fried, fatty, salty and spicy, it is desirable to exclude from the diet. It is recommended to consume more vegetables, fruits, cereals and dairy products. It should be borne in mind that a woman during breastfeeding should not eat such foods: apples, pears, watermelons, tomatoes, cabbage, legumes.

If the child is artificially fed, then the mixture must be diluted with special care, carefully observing all proportions. In older children, intestinal colic often occurs as a result of eating heavy food, in which case animal meat should be excluded from the diet and replaced with fish or bird meat.