Parents with a colicky baby are often willing to try just about anything to get their little one to calm down. When rocking, burping and singing won?t work (and they often won?t), one option you?ll hear about is gripe water, an old-timey home remedy meant to soothe excessive fussiness and gas pains in babies.
What is it"
If you haven?t heard of it before, you may be surprised to know that gripe water has a history that dates back to before Canadian Confederation. Developed in Britain in 1851 from a formula that was used to treat malaria, gripe water originally contained a mixture of sugar, sodium bicarbonate and nearly four percent alcohol. Given that beer at this strength can have a calming effect on fully grown adults, it?s easy to see why the mixture produced results among babies. Fortunately, gripe water has evolved, though slowly, partly due to alcoholic versions being banned in the United States in 1982. In Canada, you can still find some brands of gripe water that contain very small amounts of alcohol, but most modern formulas don?t, and they may feature sugar. Depending on the manufacturer, it can also contain herbs like dill, ginger, fennel, licorice, chamomile and peppermint, and there are DIY recipes for people who want to make it themselves.
?It?s one of those very, very old-fashioned treatments,? says Michelle Ponti, a paediatrician based in London, Ontario.
Because it?s considered a dietary supplement, you can buy it online or off the shelf at pharmacies...