Gripe water for babies – Is it safe?

Some gripe water has alcohol and are high in sugar that can be harmful for the baby.

By: Debjani Arora | | Published: August 29, 2018 8:40 pm

Is gripe water good for babies. © Shutterstock

Many mothers believe in giving their children gripe water to nurse their colicy baby. If your baby cries inconsolably for at least three hours for three days a week it can be contributed to colic. It usually happens with babies aged between two to four weeks and leaves once she is four or five months old. Colic has no particular that one can point to, though there are various reasons cited by doctors and medical experts for its existence. A lot of explanations are given regarding colic, one being that the contractions of the intestine causes the abdominal pains, when the baby takes in a lot of air during feeds. While there aren’t any concrete ways to treat colic some take help of gripe water for the same.

But many experts advise against using gripe water for baby. But some store bought gripe water formulas include alcohol, sugar and artificial flavours these ingredients are not very palatable with kid’s intestine. Too much sugar can increase the risk of tooth decay, and it may affect your baby’s feeding habits. Also, the alcohol and artificial flavours in the gripe water can lead to intestinal pain and indigestion. However, the best way to make gripe water for your baby is to make it at home.

Here is how to make it: Boil some water in a pan and add few grains of fennel, carom seeds and pieces of ginger. Boil this concoction for 10 to 12 minutes. Once it cools down, strain the water and give your child few spoonfuls of it.

However, if you still want to buy store bought gripe water make sure that you read the ingredients correctly and there is no alcohol or added sugar in the contents. But keep a tab that your child doesn’t suffer from any adverse affects of store bought gripe water. Some signs to watch out for are: