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Your Colicky Baby

Your baby cries every afternoon for hours at a time, and the crying has worn you down to the point where you feel like joining in. What could be upsetting your child?

When a healthy baby cries like this, chances are that it’s colic. Colic is not a physical disorder or disease. Doctors define colic as 3 or more hours a day of continued crying. The crying is not due to hunger, a wet diaper or other visible causes, and the child cannot be calmed down. Colic usually goes away by 3 months of age.

A baby’s fussiness may not be colic at all. The first thing to do is look for signs of illness.

Colicky babies have a healthy sucking reflex and a good appetite. Sick babies may appear colicky but won’t have the same strong sucking reflex, and they’ll also drink less milk. Colicky babies like to be cuddled and handled. Sick babies appear “sore,” because they don't like to be handled despite their fussiness. Colicky babies may spit up from time to time, but if your baby is actually vomiting, call your child’s doctor. Vomiting is not a sign of colic. Colicky babies typically have normal stools. If your baby is difficult to console and has diarrhea or blood in the stool, you should call the doctor. Doctors aren’t sure what causes colic. It used to be thought that colic was the result of a milk allergy, but doctors now believe that this is rarely, if ever, the case. After all, breastfed babies get colic too. They also believe that colic is probably not caused by gas. It may be hard to tell which came first, the gas or the colic, but research suggests that more often than not, a colicky baby has developed gas by swallowing too much air during crying spells. Prescribing anti-gas drops has not proven to be an effective way to treat colic, although it does seem to help some babies.

Some doctors think that colic is due to the baby’s own temperament. Some babies just take a little bit longer to get adjusted to the world or a day and night cycle. This is perfectly normal, and the colic will eventually go away.

Many doctors also believe that another possible cause of colic could be undiagnosed gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

There is no single treatment that always gives relief to infants with colic, but there are some things you can do for your colicky baby that may make life easier for both of you. First, make sure your baby is not hungry. If not, don’t continue trying to feed your baby. Instead, try to console him or her. You won’t be “spoiling” the baby with your attention. Rather, you’ll be showing your child that you respond to his or her needs.

You can also:

Walk with your baby or sit in a rocking chair, trying various positions. Try burping your baby more often during feedings. Place your baby across your lap on his or her belly and rub your baby’s back. Put your baby in a swing. The motion may have a soothing effect. Put your baby in an infant seat in the back of the car and go for a ride. The vibration and movement of the car often calm a baby. Caring for a colicky baby can be extremely frustrating, so be sure to take care of yourself, too. Don’t blame yourself or your baby for the constant crying - colic is nobody’s fault. Try to relax, and remember that your baby will eventually outgrow this phase. In the meantime, if you need a break from your baby’s crying, take one. Friends and relatives are often happy to watch your baby when you need some time to yourself.

If you are unsure whether your baby’s crying is colic or a symptom of another illness, call your child’s doctor.

This information was provided by KidsHealth and The Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, operating divisions of The Nemours Foundation. For more articles like this one, visit www.KidsHealth.org. ©1995-2003 The Nemours Foundation.