Gripe Water- A Brief History

First developed in 1851, gripe water has long been a home remedy for the treatment of gastrointestinal discomfort, colic, and teething pain in infants.

American-born William Woodward had spent several years working as a pharmacist’s apprentice in England when he adapted the formula that was commonly used to treat malaria patients to infants. He did this simply because he had noticed the calming effect that the treatment had on babies with colic. Thus gripe water was invented- entirely by chance.

Woodward’s original formula contained sodium bicarbonate, alcohol, dill oil, water, and sugar. Now, most of these ingredients have since come under great scrutiny by both moms and medical professionals alike, but at the time, gripe water was considered to be something of a miracle drug, gaining in popularity with moms worldwide- simply because it worked to ease their little one’s suffering.

Much of gripe water’s popularity was largely based on word of mouth recommendations rather than on advertising. Despite the popularity of the original gripe water, however, it was banned in the United States in 1993, along with other countries because it was regarded as an unapproved drug. Woodward’s original formula is sold again in the United States, but it no longer contains any alcohol and is listed as a dietary supplement, rather than a drug.

Since the introduction of Woodward’s, other brands of gripe water have been created, varying in different formulas, varieties, and flavors. At first glance you might be tempted to believe that the different brands of gripe water are all the same, but a closer look will show you not all gripe waters are created equal.

Colic Calm, first came into the market in 2003- one of the first USA manufactured gripe waters, and the only homeopathic gripe water made in the USA, helping us to this day stand out from all other “gripe waters". Being a homeopathic medicine, as opposed to a dietary supplement means Colic Calm meets the stringent requirements for the manufacture of homeopathic medicines -- the same as for pharmaceutical drugs. We are the only gripe water that is FDA-listed with an NDC number.

One of the biggest advantages offered by homeopathic medicine is the gentle stimulation of the body’s ability to self-heal. Regular gripe waters simply suppress symptoms. These other gripe waters are essentially Tums for babies, since they rely on sugar and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) to neutralize stomach acid, which babies need to break down and absorb nutrients, and fight infection. Colic Calm has revolutionized the gripe water industry with a flagship formula that uses activated charcoal, which binds to gas bubbles and other impurity in your little one's tummy, breaks them down naturally, and passes through their digestive system without any absorption into your precious baby's body.

To this day, Colic Calm continues to stand out, helping over 1 million babies and counting. You can see the Colic Calm difference yourself and how we stand out from other gripe waters here.