Question
A two-month-old girl baby has tension below her navel and often cries and fusses between 6 PM and 2 AM, sometimes very intensely, but her bowel movements and urination are normal.
Answer
Intestinal cramps are caused by irregular contractions of the intestinal wall smooth muscles and are one of the most common situations of acute abdominal pain in children. The occurrence of intestinal cramps in breastfed infants may be related to the mother’s diet, particularly milk and its products. Based on the scoring results of the intestinal cramps, a treatment plan can be determined. The criteria for scoring include the intensity and duration of crying, accompanying symptoms, parents’ views on crying, and the association between crying and intestinal cramps. If the crying is not too severe, a first or second-level treatment plan is used; for severe intestinal cramps, a third-level treatment is adopted. First-level treatment includes soothing the child, reducing environmental noise, using a hot water bottle to warm compress the baby’s abdomen, and providing support and care to parents. Chinese medicine or dimethyl silicone oil can also be considered. Some antispasmodic Chinese herbs, such as a powder made from chamomile, vervain, licorice, fennel, lemon balm, and mint, may improve intestinal cramps after taking for seven days.