Touch Therapy Relieves Colic
It's a naturally endowed tool that should be nurtured and encouraged, says Dr. Serafica
 Touch therapy or infant massage offers an alternative and effective way to relieve infants of problematic colic. More than that, infant massage is a perfect bonding tool between parents and child, aside from relieving babies of stress and pain, helping them sleep well, and toning their skin and muscles.
Dr. Edgardo Martin Serafica, a pediatric critical care specialist at the Chong Hua Hospital in Cebu said parental touch is a "naturally endowed tool that should be nurtured and encouraged in clinical setting." Dr. Serafica was speaker in a scientific lecture organized by the Philippine League of Government Midwives and Johnson & Johnson Philippines in Cebu under their
Haplos ng Pagmamahal Program.
Unexplained Crying
Crying is a universal behavior of infancy. While it appears that crying is a simple child behavior, it is in fact a complex behavior, said Dr. Serafica. "It serves as a graded signal. It may be a sign that the baby is in distress. More than that, it indicates the level of distress. The more intense the baby cries, the more distressed the baby is."
But colic, a common problem among infants aged two weeks to three months, is different from simple crying. It is in fact synonymous to "unexplained crying," said Dr. Serafica. In the Philippines, it is more commonly referred to as
kabag or impatso in Tagalog or butod in Visayan.
Described as a loud, prolonged cry lasting three hours for three or more days in a week, over a period of more than three weeks, it usually occurs between six P.M. and midnight after the baby has been fed. A baby who is having colic draws his legs to his abdomen, clenches his hands, and curls his toes, signifying pain. His face alternately flushes and pales. The crying sometimes begins or ends with a bowel movement, or passing of gas. Frustration and the added tension in the family causes the colicky infant to be irritable even more.
Dr. Serafica said the exact cause of colic remains a mystery although an infant's immature digestive system, hormones in breast milk, overfeeding, and gas have often been blamed. It is also usually associated with lactose intolerance.
There is also no exact cure for colic, which sometimes cause mothers to be wary and anxious when their babies experience colic attacks.
Which is why Dr. Serafica has one piece of advice to mothers: "Remain calm and don't be afraid to try more than one method of relieving your child of the discomfort." Dr. Serafica also counsels mothers not to punish a colicky baby or to make their baby feel their own anxiety as this could only cause their baby to cry even more.
Touch of Relief
Dr. Serafica said there are many home remedies for colic. Infant massage is among those that have proved its effectiveness in research and clinical practice. He said infant massage or
haplos ng pagmamahal reduces pain and stress associated with colic, teething, and constipation.
While it is not known exactly how infant massage works, Dr. Serafica said research has shown that at a very basic "mechanical" level, infant massage directly stimulates the muskuloskeletal, nervous, and circulatory systems thereby affecting the biochemical and physiological processes regulated by those systems. Massage increases the vagus nerve activity, which stimulates food digestion and absorption. It also helps the baby pass flatus or expel gas.
Dr. Serafica said it is not uncommon for mothers to instinctively massage their baby's stomach during a colic episode, which in many cases provides relief.
Massaging infants during colic episodes and before bedtime "will result in positive feeding interaction with the caregiver, make the baby less irritable and exhibit less stress behavior, and enable the baby to sleep better," he said.
"At the same time, it will make parents worry less about their baby and instead view their baby's temperament more positively."
Dr. Serafica cited a study in Finland in which the researchers compared the effect of infant massage with using a crib vibrator to treat colicky infants. The results showed both were effective. Colicky crying decreased by 64 percent in the massage group and 52 percent in the vibrator group.
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