For several years, the paradigm of first thousand days in the life of a boy or girl It has been strongly installed to highlight the importance of this period that includes the 270 days of gestation and the 365 days of the first and second year of the baby’s life as a key stage for its future development. During this period, adequate nutrition constitutes one of the fundamental pillars to strengthen the human potential of the child.
But what happens when babies cry inconsolably due to colic, spit-up, constipation or diarrhea? These gastrointestinal symptoms They are called ‘functional digestive disorders’ (FDDs) and from birth to six months of age approximately 1 in 2 babies develop at least one functional disorder or related signs and symptoms, which represents a significant affectation in a very significant number of babies. families.
Although they are conditions whose origin is not a defined organic disease, are disorders that affect the health and quality of life of the babycause anxiety in families, poor quality of life, reduction in the duration of complete breastfeeding and numerous changes in formula milk, among other aspects, accentuating those infants with more than one of these symptoms.
“Gastrointestinal symptoms in newborns and children under 4 years of age are one of the main causes of consultation with the pediatrician, presenting a functional disorder or related signs and symptoms, such as colic, regurgitation, constipation, diarrhea and dyschezia, defined the latter as a defecation disorder that consists of a difficult evacuation and that usually causes chronic constipation,” explained the Dra. Carmen Vecchiarelli, doctor pediatrician neonatologist, deputy head of the Neonatology Service of the Otamendi Sanatorium.
distressing symptoms
Regurgitation consists of the return of the food stomach effortless and occurs in about 30% of children at this stage of life. Meanwhile, colic causes severe abdominal pain, which manifests itself in an acute, intermittent and spasmodic manner: it affects 1 in 5 babies and generates inconsolable crying. Constipation or constipation is defined when there are restricted evacuations of the child and produce great general discomfort. It is estimated that they affect 20% of infants.
“The symptoms of functional disorders can be very distressing for the baby and their families; in fact, inconsolable crying is a cause of frequent consultations on duty, in many cases in the middle of the night, generating a lot of stress in the family “, completed the Dr. Vecchiarelli.
There are digestive disorders that affect the quality of life of the baby and the family
Los TDFs They are largely attributed to the digestive immaturity typical of the first months of life, where the intestinal microbiota, the set of microorganisms that inhabit our intestine, also plays an important role. The balance between healthy microorganisms and those that could potentially make us sick is key to intestinal and general health.
Bacterial colonization begins in intrauterine life and extends through the first two years of life. During pregnancy, the baby’s microbiota is influenced by maternal health and nutrition, while, at birth, the type of delivery also plays an important role, natural birth being the ideal, since the baby, when transiting through the canal vaginalis acquires the beneficial bacteria from the mother. Immediate skin-to-skin contact and exclusive breastfeeding up to 6 months and maintaining it for 2 years or more are also important.. All of these are determinants of a healthy microbiota that will impact the health of the newborn throughout their lives.
Expert Recommendations
Among the recommendations for the treatment of functional digestive disorders, always under the advice of the pediatrician, the Dr. Vecchiarelli Above all, he recommended providing families with peace of mind along with adequate nutritional recommendations. Among the latter are:
- Always keep breastfeeding and allow time in the consultation to support families in these clinical situations.
- That pharmacological treatment is NOT the first option in children with TDFs.
- For those who receive formula milk, opt for those specially designed for the treatment of these digestive disorders, which are covered because they are considered medicated formulas (Law No. 27,305).
This rule, also called ‘medicated milk law’, It was promulgated in 2016 and establishes that all social and prepaid works and, in the event that the family does not have social security, the State, must cover 100% the consumption of milk medicines for all children who ‘…suffer from allergies to cow’s milk protein (APLV), as well as those who suffer from disorders, diseases or gastrointestinal disorders and metabolic diseases…’.
“Pediatricians will not get tired of recommending and insisting and insisting again that the best option will always be the Breastfeeding. For those children who receive formulas, there are those specially designed for their treatment, which help reduce the frequency of regurgitation, reduce the intensity of colic or soften the stool if the problem is constipation. At the same time, some specific exercises and postures are usually recommended to improve the situation,” concluded the Dr. Vecchiarelli.
