Can Acupuncture Relieve Colic In Babies?

Colicky babies may cry for more than three hours a day, for three or more days a week. This will make parents feel really helpless over their baby’s needs, as it is very painful for the little one and they cannot do anything. In addition to impotence, this can also be very stressful for parents, as hearing a baby cry without comfort can be irritating.

Acupuncture is associated in our society to relieve pain, restore bowel function, and induce calm. It is normally used in adults, but there are researchers who assess that it may also be a solution for babies with colic. Although there are parents reluctant to this, if it can be a method to alleviate the baby’s pain, why not try it? But is it really effective?

Treating Babies with Acupuncture

There was a study to find out if acupuncture can really help to treat baby colic. The researchers compared two types of acupuncture with conventional treatment in just 147 colicky babies in Sweden. The babies were between 2 and 8 weeks old and their parents had prevented them from drinking any type of milk from the cow for at least 5 days.

The babies were randomly assigned to a different group so that the research could be carried out:

• Babies in group A received minimal acupuncture for two to five seconds without any other stimulation.

• Babies in group B were given acupuncture fixed at five points on the body for a maximum of 30 seconds, with mild stimulation.
• Babies in group C did not receive any acupuncture.

During the next two weeks, parents had to keep a diary of the frequency and duration of their newborn children’s crying to assess how colic was in the little ones. So the researchers could have information about the amount of time the babies in the three different groups cried. So they could do an acupuncture assessment. 

It is true that colic decreases as the weeks go by, but the researchers found that the reduction in crying in babies was greater in those who were treated with acupuncture than those babies who did not receive any type of acupuncture. Also, the babies who were treated with acupuncture stopped having so much colic.

Can Babies Tolerate Acupuncture Well?

Some may think that acupuncture may be too much for a newborn baby or that it may hurt or make him cry. Or they may also think that it has side effects in the little ones and that it is better to avoid it. But the reality is that acupuncture is completely harmless, just as it is when adults or children are applied. 

These are some data to take into account for some research so that you can get an idea if a baby can really tolerate acupuncture well or not on his little body. Although these data are quite clear, it will always be the parents’ decision to apply it or not, since each baby is different and you may think that your baby is not doing well at all:

• Of 388 treatments to babies, babies did not cry at all 200 times
• Out of 157 times, babies cried less than a minute
• With 31 treatments there were babies who cried for more than a minute
• Small drops of blood came out in 15 treatments

If your baby has colic, it is best to record the time your baby cries to see if it is excessive, then you should eliminate cow’s milk from his diet before seeking additional help. There are babies who do not tolerate cow’s milk well (present in many formula milk) and therefore they feel pain in their stomach after each feeding.

According to this research, parents of babies who suffer from colic can find a good solution in acupuncture so that they stop feeling so much pain and do not cry for so long. But as in everything, it is necessary for parents to assess whether acupuncture is really a good option for their baby or if it is better to opt for other more traditional methods such as belly massages.