Colic

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COLIC is a term used primarily to describe the condition of an infant who eats well but is unusually fussy, is hard to burp but passes gas, and cries excessively, mostly after feedings. The baby seems uncomfortable and constantly moves his arms and legs. His knees are often pulled up to his abdomen, then stretched out straight. His back will arch. Happy, contented babies fall asleep after a feeding. Colicky infants start crying immediately after eating, or sleep fitfully for a short while and then cry for an hour or more. Colic is medically defined as "spells of unexplained crying lasting longer than three hours per day, three days per week, and continuing for more than three weeks in otherwise healthy infants younger than three months old."

Many people have tried to explain the reasons for colic, and even more remedies have been suggested. The problem is that no one or two remedies works for all babies. Parents often blame themselves for the obvious pain their baby is having. If mother is breast-feeding, she is sure her milk is of poor quality. Father is sure the baby is allergic to something. When grandparents start giving advise, family pressures increase and create often unbearable tensions for the new parents. The colicky infant can stir up quite a controversy!

Colic has been around for centuries yet the cause remains a mystery. What is known is that the condition is not related to the baby's sex, birth order, maternal age, or whether the newborn is bottle or breast-fed. Many different theories have been proposed: Spasms in the intestines, mild protein allergy, lactose intolerance, immature gastrointestinal tract, air swallowing, trapped intestinal gas, and almost anything else well-meaning relatives and strangers suggest.

A nervous or anxious mother does not produce a colicky baby. Understandably, the experience of hearing her baby cry inconsolably will cause any mother to feel inadequate, especially when everything she does fails to comfort her newborn and Aunt Marilyn tells her that a "healthy" baby would never cry so loudly. If the mother of a colicky infant is anxious, it is the crying and the self-blame that produce the nervous mom, rather than the other way around.

TREATMENT:

There are no surefire cures for colic yet everyone has an opinion. Give a pacifier, don't give a pacifier. Give the baby more water, try some mild tea, let the baby cry it out, hold the baby more, use peppermint water!

The following are some suggestions that occasionally help soothe-at least temporarily-the colicky baby.

Make an appointment to see the child's pediatrician to make sure that the baby is healthy and has nothing more than colic.
Feeding time should be quiet and unhurried. The baby should be fed slowly in an upright position with frequent burping.
Make sure the infant isn't hungry and is getting enough to eat by reviewing the diet with the pediatrician.
Milk allergy. Formula fed infants occasionally benefit by changing a formula class (for example, to a soy-based formula). Breast-fed infants frequently get relief when the mother makes a change in her diet. Common culprits mom should eliminate include milk and milk products (including cheeses), and gas producers such as broccoli, cabbage, and caffeine (in coffee, tea, or colas).
Remove cigarette smoke from the colicky infant's environment. Newborns exposed to passive cigarette smoke are three times more likely to suffer from colic.
Some physicians will recommend simethicone drops (Mylicon) when excessive gas is suspected.
Movement: gentle rocking motions are found to be soothing to some colicky infants, as parents find out when they take their colicky baby for a ride in the car. An enterprising father developed a gadget called "SleepTight" that attaches to the crib and gives the infant the sensation produced by a car traveling at 35 mph (it even emits an automobile-like noise)! Any motion, from rocking the cradle to walking the baby in a stroller, is often a magical antidote for a colic attack.
The crying infant's mood might change dramatically in hearing new, repetitious sounds, such as the noise of a vacuum cleaner or clothes dryer.
Physical contact: increasing physical contact makes the baby feel warm and secure. A hot-water bottle, filled with warm water and placed on the baby's stomach might help. There are several infant holders that allow more contact and let the parents do chores or take care of other children. Holding a colicky baby too much will not spoil him.
Parents should get all the help they can. Ask a relative or neighbor to take over for a while to care for the baby. Lack of sleep will cause a new mother to ose her strength and confidence, and a tired mother should not feel guilty about leaving her newborn for a while. Having a grandmother take the infant out in a stroller for an hour each day can make a world of difference. This will help her regain the strength necessary to live with a colicky baby until the ordeal ends on its own.

While the bad news is that there is no surefire cure for colic, the good news is that colic always goes away. Furthermore, colicky babies grow up to be just as happy and cheerful as children who did not have colic as infants. It is important to think that colic is something that an infant "does" rather than a reflection of something an infant "has". The best treatment is to "hang in there" and throw a party when the child finally outgrows their colic!

CALL IF…

If your baby has a sudden onset of prolonged crying especially if it seems related to poor feeding.
Vomiting
Fever
Any unusual behavior

Remember that all crying is not colic.

Colic

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