What Is Gripe Water?
Gripe water is an herbal remedy marketed to soothe colic and gastrointestinal discomforts in infants. It typically contains ingredients such as fennel, ginger, and sodium bicarbonate, which are believed to help with digestion. While many parents swear by its effectiveness, there is limited scientific evidence to support its claims. It's important to consult with your pediatrician before using gripe water or any other over-the-counter medication for your baby.
What Is Colic?
Most of the time, you can tell the reason why your baby is crying, such as a dirty diaper or hunger. But with colic, they may cry uncontrollably for no obvious reason.
Babies with colic might show fussiness and have trouble sleeping, but they are otherwise healthy and growing as expected. They are usually more agreeable during the day, with colic crying beginning in the evenings and lasting for several hours at a time.
Crying is considered colic when it:
- Lasts over 3 hours
- Happens at least 3 days each week
- Doesn’t go away within 3 weeks
Colicky babies have a distinct crying pattern. During colic crying, your baby may:
- Have a loud, high-pitched cry or a cry that sounds like screaming
- Be very difficult to soothe and won’t calm down
- Have a red face and may be pale around their lips
- May bend their knees up, stiffen their arms, arch their back, or clench their fists
- Burp after swallowing air while crying
Colic affects as many as 1 in 4 babies in their first 3 or 4 months of life. Most babies grow out of it by 4 months, or 6 months at the latest. But in the meantime, it can be very upsetting for parents.
Is Gripe Water Safe?
Gripe water is considered an herbal remedy. Although many parents swear by it, the FDA has not approved gripe water. That means that no one is checking to make sure it’s safe or effective. There is also no proof that it eases stomach discomfort in babies who may have colic.
Gripe water ingredients
There are many different recipes for gripe water, but most have a few ingredients in common.
In the past, common ingredients found in gripe water included alcohol, sugar, and baking soda, as well as herbal ingredients such as dill seed oil and ginger. Alcohol, in particular, is dangerous for newborn babies. Some gripe waters are made of up to 9% alcohol, which could potentially lead to addiction.
Today, gripe water ingredients vary by brand, and many no longer include alcohol as a common ingredient. Nowadays, the most important ingredient is usually sugar or other sweeteners. The sweet taste seems to ease pain, helping babies to calm down. Unfortunately, sugar isn’t the healthiest option for newborn babies.
Most gripe water recipes also have ingredients such as fennel, ginger, baking soda, and flavorings. In adults, fennel and ginger can help with digestion and soothe upset stomachs. But that doesn’t mean they work for babies, because babies’ stomachs are very different from those of older kids and adults.
Gripe water benefits
Some people believe gripe water can help babies with colic, gas, or general fussiness. Many think it helps with digestion and prevents stomach aches. But these claims haven’t been proven.
Does gripe water help with constipation?
There’s no evidence that gripe water helps with constipation or other stomach upset. In fact, it can have the opposite effect — one study found that babies who were given gripe water were more likely to be constipated. Although it’s possible that constipated babies were more likely to be given gripe water in the first place, the scientists concluded that constipation was a side effect of gripe water.
Does gripe water help with reflux?
Many gripe water brands contain baking soda, an antacid. Antacids can help calm stomach pain caused by too much acid in the stomach. But for most babies, stomachaches aren’t caused by stomach acid, so baking soda won’t help.
Does gripe water help with diarrhea?
There’s no proof that it can help with diarrhea or any other symptoms. In rare cases, bacteria (like Cryptosporidium) in gripe water can even cause severe, watery diarrhea. Gripe water has occasionally been recalled because of this kind of bacterial contamination.
How to Use Gripe Water
Before you give your baby gripe water, it’s important that you talk with their pediatrician. If you decide to give your baby gripe water, carefully follow the directions on the package. One well-known brand suggests giving your baby a dose of gripe water 10 minutes after feeding. Shake the bottle, measure out the recommended dose (1/2 teaspoon for babies younger than 1 month and 1 teaspoon for babies younger than 6 months), and give it to your baby using a clean teaspoon or medicine dropper. Note that every brand is different and will have different instructions.
Gripe Water Side Effects
Doctors recommend that babies drink only breast milk or formula until they are at least 4 months old. This means no gripe water or other herbal remedies.
Plus, herbal supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA, so they might have harmful ingredients or sources of contamination. Some may even contain harmful metals such as lead, mercury, and arsenic.
Because babies are so small and their immune systems aren’t developed yet, they are at high risk of getting sick from any sort of contamination, no matter how little it may seem. Some babies have developed lead poisoning and mercury damage from herbal supplements.
In particular, there have been many recalls of gripe water because of bacterial contamination, choking risks (from undissolved ingredients), and other hazards. It has also been linked with vomiting and nausea.
In rare cases, giving young children herbal supplements also can trigger allergic reactions. If your baby has trouble breathing or swallowing, or if their lips and tongue start to swell, call 911.
What Are Other Solutions for Colic?
If your baby has colic, there are other ways to help. Keep in mind that there is no targeted solution for colic, but you can figure out what works for your baby.
Feeding. Breastfeed or offer a bottle as your baby may be hungry or need comfort. If you breastfeed, some foods you eat may pass through breast milk and bother your baby’s tummy, such as caffeine, dairy, soy, egg, and wheat. If you use formula, talk to your doctor about switching to a different kind.
How you feed your baby may also make a difference. You can take breaks during feedings to burp your baby more often. If you use bottles, try different bottles that have ventilation filters, allowing less air into the milk as your baby drinks.
Movement. Babies often feel comforted while moving. Try walking around with your baby or rocking them in a rocking chair. You can even put them in a stroller and push them around, or take them for a ride around the block in your car.
Soothing sounds. Speak to your baby softly or play music that they respond to. If you have a sound machine or a white noise machine, turn it on.
Less stimulation. Sometimes, the bottom line is that your baby is feeling overstimulated by all of the sights, sounds, and feelings bombarding them. Try swaddling your baby so they feel secure, and lay them in their crib with the lights off.
If all else fails, call a friend or family member to come and help so you can take a break from your crying baby. Or if you need to lay your baby in their crib and take a break, that’s OK too. In their crib, you’ll know they’ll be safe even if they are upset.
When to call your doctor
When your baby cries all the time because of colic, it can be difficult to tell if something is seriously wrong, or if your baby is colic crying. Call your doctor if your baby displays any of these symptoms, which may indicate a more serious condition:
- They have a fever of 100.4 F (38 C) or higher.
- They are less alert than usual.
- They aren’t eating or sucking well.
- Their poop becomes looser (or you see blood in their poop).
- They are vomiting more than just spit-up.
- They are losing weight or not gaining weight.
- They won’t calm down.
Takeaways
Many people believe that gripe water, or water with added herbal ingredients, can calm a baby with colic. However, there is no research to support this. Meanwhile, gripe water isn’t regulated by the FDA, so there is no way to guarantee that what you’re buying is safe for your baby. Instead of gripe water, consider solutions such as rocking and swaddling your baby. Talk with your baby’s doctor about any fussiness that doesn’t go away or is accompanied by other symptoms.
Gripe Water FAQs
Why don't pediatricians recommend gripe water?
Most pediatricians don’t recommend gripe water because it’s not regulated by the FDA. That means there’s no one checking to make sure it’s safe or effective.
Why was gripe water illegal?
It’s not illegal, but it’s not approved by the FDA. So even though you can buy it, no one is making sure it’s safe or effective.
At what age should gripe water be given?
There's no specific age for giving infants gripe water. It's not necessary for their health or widely recommended by doctors. Colic usually happens in babies younger than 3 months, which is when some parents choose to give gripe water.