Gripe water (and most colic remedies) are designed to relax the smooth musculature in the babies intestinal tract. This allows the gas to pass a little more easily and therefore relieve the cramps. Gripe water can be a very effective symptomatic treatment, at least in the short term when symptoms are at their worst.

But don’t let this relief fool you into ignoring the root cause. This is usually poor or unsuccessful burping technique (see our techniques on both static and dynamic burping) or a pocket of abdominal gas that is causing bloating, reflux and other symptoms. By all means use gripe water (and any remedy that helps) for short term relief but also address the main problem or you will find that you are medicating your baby for months on end!