Colic Diet
While we don't know exactly what causes colicky behavior in infants, some research has shown a slight decrease in crying when the breastfeeding mother cuts out certain foods.
Half of the mothers in the study cut cow's milk, soy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat and fish completely out of their diet, while the other half did not restrict their diet. All babies in the study presented with colicky behavior. Results indicated a decrease in crying among babies on the low-allergen diet, although it by no means completely stopped, or even significantly decreased the crying.
The Elimination Diet or 'Colic Diet'
If your baby is fussy and is displaying other signs of a food sensitivity or allergy, it may be worth going on an elimination, or colic diet. The goal of the diet is to determine which foods, if any, your baby is reacting to.
The most common allergen among babies tends to be cow's milk, so you may want to try eliminating dairy from your diet for a week or two to see if there is any improvement. If you are formula feeding, you can try a hypoallergenic formula like Alimentum or Nutramigen, although research shows these have limited success in improving colicky behavior. These formulas have had the milk proteins broken down and are therefore thought to be easier to digest.
Soy Formula
Soy formula is now not recommended as an alternative to regular cow's milk based formula or hypoallergenic formula, due to the high levels of hormones found in it.
Full Elimination Diet
If you have cut out dairy for a period of time, and see no improvement, you may want to try a full elimination diet. This involves cutting out all allergenic foods, and slowly reintroducing them back into your diet to determine which one(s) affect your baby.
Please be sure to consult with your doctor before significantly modifying your diet, particularly if you have any health issues. Even cutting out just the dairy from your diet can result in significant weight loss or nutritional deficiencies. Inadequate intake of liquids can also result in a decrease in milk production which can jeopardize your breastfeeding success.
