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What
is colic?
Colic is a broad term, which is
defined by its symptoms rather than a particular cause.
Colic is believed to affect about 20% of babies.
A baby is described as having colic if her or she has episodes of
uncontrollable, extended crying over three hours a day and at least three days a
week. Every baby cries, but if your
baby is otherwise healthy and well fed, then he or she may have colic.
In general, babies start with colic around three weeks of age, getting
its worse at around six weeks of age and then usually stopping around three or
four months of age.
The exact cause of colic is
still unknown but there are many theories on why a baby might have colic.
Many believe that colic is caused from an immature digestive system. With an infant’s digestive system still developing up to
the age of three months it is thought by some that colic comes from an immature
digestive system that is having spasms. However,
some experts suggest that the stomach pain is the result of crying rather than
the cause. Another theory is that
colic is caused by an immature nervous system, which causes a baby to tense up
in response to normal external stimulation.
A third theory is that milk, either from the breast or bottle may be the
cause of colic. This may be the
case if a baby cries more after feedings. Each
of these theories along with others is still being researched today.
Since there is no factual evidence on what the exact cause of colic is,
there is no one easy solution to help parents ease or comfort their baby through
an episode of crying.
What are the symptoms of colic?
Each baby will show different
symptoms of having colic. Some may show a number of symptoms while some will only show
one. Below are some of the most
common symptoms associated with colic.
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Loud and continuous crying that can
last from one to three hours at a time, with these crying episodes occurring
about three or four days a week
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Although the crying can happen at
any time, most colicky babies cry more in the late afternoon or evening
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Baby’s face gets red
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Legs are pulled up to the stomach
and then may be fully stretched
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Feet may be cold
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Hands may be clenched
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Some babies refuse to eat or become
fussy soon after eating
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Difficulty falling and staying
asleep
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Baby may lift their head or legs and pass gas
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Baby may seem generally
uncomfortable and appear to be in pain
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What can I do to help my baby?
Since it is not exactly known
what causes colic, there is no one quick fix that works for every baby.
The most important first step is to check with your baby’s pediatrician
to make sure there is no medical cause for your baby’s crying.
Once your baby is given a clean bill of health then all you can do is try
your best to keep your baby calm and comfortable through an episode of crying.
Below are a few methods that may help make your baby feel more
comfortable. While a few of these
methods may work with some babies, they may not work at all for others.
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Keep a diary of when your baby
cries, along with activities like napping, feeding and playing.
Look for patterns, which may offer a small clue to the solutions
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If you’re breast-feeding, try to
eliminate dairy from your diet along with other foods such as onions,
cabbage, cauliflower, spicy foods, caffeine, beans or other gas producing
foods. Before eliminating diary
from your diet be sure to check with your doctor first.
Your doctor may or may not want you to eliminate dairy from your diet
or he/she may want you to take calcium supplements
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If you’re bottle-feeding, do your
best to reduce the amount of air that your baby swallows.
Try using a curved bottle or a bottle with collapsible disposable
liners
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If your baby seems to have a lot of
gas, make sure you burp him or her frequently
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Don’t overfeed your baby.
This may actually make the colic worse.
Stick to your normal feeding routine
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If you’re bottle-feeding talk
with your doctor about changing formulas to a low-allergy type of formula
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Take your baby to a part of your
home that will provide less stimulation.
Bright lights, noise, or a large number of people may further
aggravate the colic
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Wrap your baby up snugly in a
blanket while walking around in a smooth steady motion
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Go for a walk in a stroller or for
a drive in a car seat
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Give your baby a warm bath or place
a warm water bottle on your baby’s stomach.
Be sure the bottle is not hot!
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Try rocking in a rocking chair; or
swinging in a baby swing
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Give your baby a gentle tummy
massage
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Some baby’s like hearing rhythmic
sounds such as a vacuum cleaner, dishwasher, or cloths dryer and will calm
down when they hear these types of sounds
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There are a lot of parents you probably know that have
been through the experience of having a baby with colic.
Talk with other parents and friends and get their suggestions on what
methods they used to calm their baby. There
are a lot of different things that people have tried that are not listed above.
Keep in mind that not every baby will react to these methods the same.
Sometimes it may help, while other times it may seem to make the baby
more uncomfortable. Try one at a
time and hopefully you will find one that comforts your baby while also giving
your ears a rest from the crying.
Can my baby’s doctor help?
The most important thing to do is consult your doctor if
your baby is still crying after all of his or her basic needs have been met.
While there is no test to see if your baby has colic, it is important to
rule out any other health problems your baby might have that could be causing
the crying. Once your doctor has
checked out everything and has given your baby a clean bill of health, your
doctor should be supportive and understanding to what you are experiencing with
the continuous crying. Your doctor
may recommend the use of an over the counter anti-gas bubble medicine like
Mylicon drops for babies or even a prescription anti-cramp medicine such as
Levsin Drops. These medications are
taken orally and may or may not help. The
opinion of your doctor may not be mentioned in this article, which is why you
should keep in mind that there is no proven reason on what causes colic and
there is no proven method on treating colic.
While you should always treat your child the way your doctor recommends,
you may find another method that is better for calming your baby.
You will probably hear all sorts of methods that your friends think are
the best ways for treating colic. While
most parents want to try everything they can, it is best to always ask your
doctor first before you try something new.
As a final note, try to keep in mind that after about
three or four months of age the colic will pass and you will have a happy and
healthy baby since there is no known long term problems associated with colic.
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