Gripe water has been given to babies for several centuries as an accepted tradition, and society seems to have taken that as a natural course of order. I'm positive that many of us rarely stop to think about the pros and cons of giving gripe water to babies. For example, the ingredients that are used in its making or whether there are any harmful side effects of the same or other similar details. But, is that the right way to go about it? If you're pregnant and about to have a baby soon, then it would do you good to read the article because it focuses on the gripe water pros and cons and helps you in taking an informed decision for your baby. Gripe Water for Babies: Pros and Cons All mothers are every bit careful when it comes to their babies, especially newborns. Then being skeptical about gripe water or having thorough knowledge about the pros and cons of gripe water is not a bad idea at all. In fact, it should be encouraged. If there are any gripe water problems then they should be brought out in the open. Gripe water for babies helps to relieve them of colic, i.e., extended periods of crying (over 3 hours or more), in an otherwise healthy baby, believed to be caused by a digestive system that is not mature enough. It is said that the gripe water ingredients provide the much-needed relief that massages or any other medication cannot provide. These gripe water ingredients include ginger, fennel, dill, peppermint, cinnamon, cardamom, angelica, caraway, catnip, fructose, and chamomile. Although these herbs are used in gripe water, the most common ingredients that are found in all gripe waters include fennel, ginger, peppermint, and chamomile.

Gripe Water: Pros

Natural Ingredients Gripe water contains natural ingredients like fennel, chamomile, and more (as is mentioned above). So that makes it a very healthy drink to have. Aids Digestion Colic usually affects 25% of the babies and starts around the period of 3 weeks after birth. It is said that this comes about because the digestive system of the baby is not fully developed at this time and, therefore, they develop gas in their stomachs. This gas is what makes them cry out in pain. Gripe water is known to convert the tiny bubbles of gas into one whole gas bubble, which becomes easier to burp out and leads to relief. That is how gripe water aids in digestion. Teething Pains Some parents have reported that gripe water also helps to soothe the pain that comes with baby teething. No Side Effects Another gripe water advantage is that it has no side effects on the baby. Being made out of all natural ingredients like, fennel and peppermint-which if taken individually, would also help the baby-do not lead to any untoward effect on babies. This is a major advantage. Easy Availability Gripe water is easily available at all medical shops and the price is very affordable as well. So it's not like one has to struggle to get it. And, therefore, it can be easily given to colicky babies.

Gripe Water: Cons

Alcohol Content One has to be very careful when giving their baby gripe water. It has been known that some gripe water brands have alcohol in them (probably to induce sleep). Which is not good for an infant. Make sure that you read the contents and ingredients on the label of the bottle before purchasing it. Time period Gripe water, it is said, should not be given to infants who are less than a month old. Their systems are still fragile and might not be able to deal with the influx of so many ingredients. So if a baby becomes colicky, one cannot do anything but try and deal with it in other ways, even though gripe water might act as the perfect pacifier. Trial and Error The thing with gripe water is that, one can never be sure that one particular product will be best suited for their baby. One has to undergo a process of trial and error to see which brand is the most effective. It is possible that while one product might not work for the baby, the other might be just perfect. So until the time one keys in on the most effective product, the trial and error method has to be taken as a natural course. Many times, one might find that gripe water does not work at all, as one might have hoped it would. Hiccups Quite often infants are affected by hiccups along with suffering from colic. It is said that gripe water does nothing for hiccups in babies. However, there have been other cases which report otherwise. So, one needs to test it for themselves to ensure the same.

These were some of the gripe water pros and cons that I have listed and explained through this article. Choose a product well and hope that your baby is not troubled by these niggling problems anymore. All the best!