Benefits of Gripe Water

Your baby is in distress and you've tried everything you can think of to calm your little one---all to no avail. Colic is no fun for anyone, and there is no cure for this puzzling condition. But, that doesn't mean you can't offer some relief. Gripe water is a natural solution popular in Europe for soothing fussy babies with no known side effects.

Function

• Gripe water is a solution of sterile water and natural ingredients to soothe fussy, colicky babies. Colic is a mysterious condition that is difficult to treat but easy to identify. Parents with colicky babies will often try anything to stop their baby from crying. Since there's no single treatment for colic, pharmaceuticals may miss the problem and load your baby with unnecessary chemicals and unnatural ingredients. Gripe water is a natural alternative with no known side effects, so parents have little to worry about when giving it to their babies.

Effects

• Gripe water doesn't just soothe the stomach, it calms the entire digestive system. Gripe water has been used in Europe for centuries and many parents today are raving about its effects in calming fussy, cranky babies. Because newborns have an immature digestive system, they're predisposed to gas, indigestion and an upset stomach. Gripe water is gentle, yet effective.

Types

• Most forms of gripe water consist of water and a combination of herbs, such as ginger, fennel, peppermint, catnip, dill, cardamom, cinnamon bark, caraway, angelica, anise or other soothing herbs combined with some fructose as a sweetener and sodium bicarbonate, which decreases stomach acidity. Ginger is a well-known remedy used to relieve nausea. Dill helps ease flatulence, settles the stomach and stimulates the appetite. Fennel is another herb used to treat an upset stomach, hiccups and gas. Cinnamon bark relieves vomiting and flatulence.

Features

• Not all gripe water is made with herbal ingredients. Some solutions are homeopathic, meaning they're based on the principle "like cures like." Homeopathic remedies contain miniscule amounts of ingredients that, in larger doses, would cause the condition you're tying to cure. But since the remedies contain such a small dose, it stimulates your body's natural healing process to ward off the condition. Unlike herbal remedies, homeopathic medicines are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Significance

• Colic is defined as crying for more than 3 hours a day for 3 days a week, lasting more than 3 weeks. Colicky babies have been fed, have a clean diaper and are still fussy and inconsolable. Consult with a pediatrician about your baby's condition and to see if gripe water is the right medicine to try. Always check with your pediatrician if you have any concerns. Luckily, colic usually disappears when your baby is about 3 months old and has a more mature digestive system.