Are you a new mum of perhaps an experienced mum with a newborn baby? Has your child been labelled as colicky or grumpy? Searching for some colic relief and want to check out gripe water? Look no further, everything you need to know about gripe water and the gripe water side effects is in this page.
How do you know if gripe water works and if it really does treat colic? Find out the truth behind gripe water.
Gripe water is an age old cure that was concocted in England in the 1800’s. Having been founded in England, its fame spread throughout Europe and so is found commonly in pharmacies or medical shops in Europe, however, it is now gaining popularity throughout the world.
What does gripe water really consist of? The true gripe water contained dill, fennel, sodium bicarbonate and alcohol which has been deemed as unsafe for infant consumption.
If you are confused with the variety of gripe water treatments available, I don’t blame you! Stick with the truly herbal formulations or perhaps try making one yourself just to be sure they are purely herbal and not harmful.
Common ingredients found in gripe water are Fennel, Caraway, Lemon Balm, Ginger, Peppermint, Chamomile, Aloe vera, Blackthorn, Dill, Angelica, Cinnamon and Aniseed. Some contain sucrose which is not recommended for young infants. Unfortunately the most common side effects are allergies and these can range from skin rashes to breathing problems and swelling of the eyes and lips.
Confusion is easily set in when as a consumer you are faced with so many different kinds of gripe water and you are unsure of which ones work best. Stick with the purely herbal formulations or perhaps try making one on your own just to be sure they are purely herbal and not harmful. If your baby experiences a worsening of symptoms or any allergic reaction, stop the remedy at once.
Can gripe water treat colic and ease the symptoms of a crying baby? Soothing and curing are two very different things as soothing is simply easing the pain but curing is getting rid of the root cause of the pain.
Indigestion, wind and gas are not the cause of colic but are just the symptoms of an underlying problem. To find a cure that works you need to know what the cause of these symptoms is.
Gripe water soothes the symptoms of colic by aiding babies digestion and helps to ease the discomfort associated with teething, however, there is no evidence that gripe water treats colic. Without knowing the actual cause we are just looking for ways to treat the symptoms and this is what gripe water and most other colic cures are used for. By all means comfort the symptoms with gripe water but do not forget to treat the cause of colic!