Infant colic is the spasm or painful contraction of the intestines, something that causes much distress to the child and parents, since its management is complicated.
What is infant colic?
Intestinal spasms are a painful contraction of the baby’s intestine, whose cause is unknown, but which are associated with an immaturity of the digestive system. These usually appear between fifteen days and three months of life, but less frequently may occur in children four days or more than a year.
Symptoms of infant colic
When the baby cries without associated symptoms it is necessary to consult the pediatrician, since if any other discomfort is discarded, the most probable thing is that the child suffers the colic of the infant. The newborn has a sudden onset of symptoms, something that is usually repeated at the same time of day, especially between 18 and 24 hours. What is observed is that the child shrinks the legs, cries in long episodes and expresses nervousness by becoming more flushed and clenching his fists.
The baby will have difficulty passing gas and stool, and will not respond to the soothing stimuli that work at other times. It will also be observed that the belly is slightly hardened.
The Rubio method as a treatment for infant colic
The Rubio method is a visceral osteopathic technique that manages to armoinize, relax and elasticize the baby’s intestine. It has been developed by physiotherapists, based on the evolution of more than 10,000 babies since 1996.
This method is performed by the physiotherapist in two sessions. In the first one, the larger area is elastified and, in the second one, it is applied on the deep area. Between the two sessions there should be five or seven days of margin. These sessions have an approximate duration of 30 and 45 minutes, being performed on the relaxed baby and allowing improvement in nine out of ten cases.
The purpose of the Rubio method is to improve the functions related to feeding, assimilation and elimination of feces, increasing the newborn’s well-being and improving sleep and rest time.