Should i try gripe water

If they get that urge, Ponti advises a different approach. Read more: 9 reasons why your baby is crying Should you give your baby a pacifier?

Colic Should I give gripe water to my baby? Gripe water has been around for ages, but can it really help babies with colic? Photo: iStock. What is gripe water? Some parents have even reported that gripe water can be useful in calming babies so that they start sleeping through the night.

If you are considering using gripe water, you should check with your child's pediatrician before administering the medication. No study has proven that gripe water works for any of its intended purposes. In fact, all of the studies that have been done have shown that gripe water does not seem to be effective at all. For instance, a study done in India showed that there was no difference in the amount of crying between two groups of babies.

The group of babies that received gripe water cried just as much and for just as long as the babies who did not. The study also found that mothers and caregivers reported more vomiting and constipation in the infants who received the gripe water. When it comes to giving your baby gripe water, you should always check with your baby's pediatrician before using gripe water. There are a number of factors that make gripe water a somewhat risky choice.

Here is an overview of the top concerns. Because the ingredients in gripe water can vary, it's hard to issue a blanket statement against all gripe waters. But overall, no one study has proven that gripe water is directly harmful to babies. However, there are ingredients in gripe water that can be a concern. For instance, gripe water is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration since it is a supplement and not a medication. Therefore, it may contain ingredients that are unsafe for babies.

In , one brand of gripe water was recalled because it contained a harmful ingredient. Additionally, most brands claim to be alcohol-free, but not all forms of gripe water are alcohol-free. One study found that gripe water sold in India, for example, contained alcohol. In the most extreme example of just how dangerous gripe water can be, there have been at least two confirmed cases of babies becoming very sick as a direct result of gripe water.

Other potential risks of gripe water include increased vomiting and constipation in babies. The Journal of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapeutics also notes that gripe water can put a baby at an increased risk for exposure to harmful things like bacteria and allergens. For instance, some babies may experience an allergic reaction to gripe water including experiencing hives, itchiness, or vomiting.

Gripe water may also lead to early-onset issues with developing teeth because it contains high amounts of sugar. One of the biggest issues with gripe water is not necessarily what gripe water does to babies, but what it takes away from them. More specifically, if you are giving your baby a lot of gripe water throughout the day or night, they might be getting full just from gripe water.

If babies drink too much gripe water, they may not be hungry for breast milk or formula. Gripe water does not have any nutritional value, so babies miss out on the key nutrition and ingredients that they need to grow and develop.

If this happens consistently, your baby may develop problems such as delayed or slowed growth or inadequate weight gain. Some experts think gripe water might be effective at soothing fussy babies simply because it tastes sweet. It's worth noting that gripe water is different than over-the-counter baby gas drops. These drops contain simethicone, an anti-foaming agent that breaks up bubbles in the digestive tract, which can help gas pass.

The original gripe water, first used by nannies and moms in England in the s, contained alcohol — which people used to think relaxed babies now we know that giving any alcohol to a baby can be toxic. Check the packaging for specific dosing instructions and get your pediatrician's approval first about how much and how often to give it to your baby.

The general limit is four doses a day, but only under the care of your practitioner. If your doctor says gripe water is fine for your baby and it seems to work, you should stop using it by the time your little one is 4 to 6 months old, when gassiness typically becomes less of an issue. Some parents notice that their babies seem drowsier after a dose of gripe water.

But does gripe water actually make babies sleepy? Probably not. Call your doctor if you see any of these signs in your baby. More serious allergy symptoms like swelling of the lips or tongue and trouble swallowing or breathing can be life-threatening and warrant a call to right away.

It depends on the specific brand and ingredients. You should always ask your doctor for a recommendation for gripe water and any other remedy you're thinking of giving your baby. Gripe water made with alcohol definitely isn't safe, and other formulas, including those labeled "natural" or "homeopathic" depending on where they're made and what's in them , contain a variety of other ingredients that may be unsafe or untested. Author information Copyright and License information Disclaimer.

Address for correspondence: B. E-mail: ku. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3. This article has been cited by other articles in PMC.

Sir, WHO recommends mothers worldwide to exclusively breastfeed infants for the child's first six months to achieve optimal growth, development and health. Open in a separate window. Vallenas C, Savage F. Evidence for the ten steps to successful breastfeeding. Infant feeding and child rearing methods in Pondicherry, South India. Indian J Pediatr. Blumenthal I. The gripe water story.