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Woodwards Gripe Water is an effective treatment for baby colic symptoms such as trapped air bubbles and stomach pain. The medicine contains dill herb oil and sodium hydrogen carbonate, which relieve abdominal pain in infants aged one month to one year by releasing gas.
Trapped wind can be extremely painful for babies, but it is not uncommon. Long periods of crying are a common symptom of colic, but treatments such as gripe water can gently ease a baby's tummy for natural relief.
Woodward's Gripe Water is a sugar free oral treatment that contains targeted ingredients that help to relieve trapped wind and gripe. Dill oil gently warms the tummy, breaking down the bubbles that cause pain, while sodium hydrogen carbonate neutralises acid in the baby's tummy and encourages wind to be released. Gripe water is a common treatment for colic and gripe.
Muscle spasms and excess acid are created when air bubbles form in a baby's tummy and this causes gripe. When air bubbles become trapped in a baby's stomach, the stomach believes it is full of food and produces acids that would normally break down the food particles. These acids are unnecessary and may cause irritation. At the same time, because the stomach is full of air bubbles, the muscles cannot relax, resulting in cramps and spasms — this is where gripe water for babies can relieve symptoms.
Gripe can be frustrating for parents. It often leaves babies crying and fussy for long periods of time which is difficult to distinguish and manage as a condition; however, if your baby is usually easy to settle, this change in behaviour is an indicator that your baby’s stomach could be unsettled.
Common signs of gripe include:
Episodes of gripe or colic usually peak at around 6 weeks and tend to become less common at around 3 to 4 months.
Woodwards Gripe Water can take a few days to start working, but it depends on the severity of trapped air. Once your baby has started consuming gripe water, you should notice a difference in their mood as the relief of wind minimises pain and reduces trapped air bubbles. Always follow the recommended dosage and if symptoms persist speak to your doctor for further advice.
If you suspect that your baby has gripe, you may want to try alternative treatments before using Woodwards Gripe Water. However, these suggestions may not provide rapid relief of the condition itself, but simply make your baby feel a little more comfortable, and therefore using gripe water alongside these methods is often the most effective solution.
You can provide relief of wind and discomfort by trying the following methods:
This oral medication is only for babies aged 1 month to 12 months. Follow the recommended dosage to relieve muscle spasms and release trapped wind:
1-6 months: 1 x 5ml spoonful
6-12 months: 2 x 5ml spoonfuls
In most cases, gripe water does an effective job at treating colic. Dill oil warms the stomach to break down air bubbles while sodium hydrogen carbonate neutralises excess acid.
Although rare, with all medications there’s a small chance you’ll experience side effects. If you notice any of the following symptoms in your baby, stop using the treatment and seek medical advice.
Side effects may include:
An allergic reaction may show the following side effects:
In this case, stop using the treatment and seek immediate professional medical advice.
Woodwards Gripe Water is an alcohol free and sugar free oral solution containing terpeneless dill seed oil and sodium hydrogen carbonate as its active ingredients. Further ingredients include maltitol liquid, glycerol, sodium salts of esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid (E215, E217, and E219), disodium edetate, propylene glycol and purified water.
Although this product contains no sugar, it does contain maltitol, which may affect blood sugar levels. If your baby has an inherited intolerance to certain sugars, consult your doctor before administering this medication.
Woodwards Gripe Water could have a mild laxative effect.
This medication contains hydroxybenzoate derivatives (E215, E217, and E219), which may cause allergic reactions in some people (possibly delayed).
Each 5ml of this medicine contains 15.73 mg sodium (the main component of cooking/table salt). This is equivalent to 0.8% of an adult's recommended daily sodium intake.
We think accessing healthcare should be easy. Whether we’re fulfilling NHS prescriptions or helping people find the right treatments, we aim to offer our customers dependable, economical and convenient access to medicines with a personal and discreet service.
Visit our Infant & Child page for treatments, advice and FAQs.
