INFANT COLIC
All newborns cry and get restless at times. During their first three months of life, babies cry more than at any other time. But, when a baby, who is otherwise healthy, has several periods a week of restlessness, acute crying and difficulty calming him, it is a sign of a condition known as «infant colic.»
Colic is defined as crying for more than three hours a day, for more than three days a week for at least three weeks. But doctors can diagnose this condition to a baby before reaching that point. Infant colic does not usually have medical importance and ends up disappearing by itself.
About infant colic
It is estimated that up to 40% of all infants have colic. They usually start between the third and sixth week of life and end when the baby is between three and four months old. If the baby is still crying excessively after this age, the cause of his crying could be another health problem.
Here is a series of important facts about infant colic:
• Infants with infant colic have a normal sucking reflex and good appetite, they look healthy (despite colic) and are growing well. Call the doctor if your baby is not feeding well, is not gaining weight or does not have a strong enough sucking reflex.
• Infants with infant colic may regurgitate from time to time, as can babies who do not. But if your baby is vomiting and / or losing weight, call the doctor. (Vomiting involves expelling stomach contents hard through the mouth, while regurgitating is a gentle flow in which stomach contents leave the mouth.) Vomiting repeatedly is not a sign of infant colic.
Babies with colic usually make normal stools (belly movements). If your baby has diarrhea or blood in the stool, call your doctor.
What causes infant colic?
Doctors are not sure what causes infant colic. Intolerance to cow’s milk has been suggested as a possible cause, but now doctors believe that this cause can only explain a very small number of cases. Breastfed babies also have colic; in these cases, changes in the mother’s diet can help relieve colic.
Some mothers who breastfeed their babies discover that it helps them eliminate caffeine from their diet, while others see improvements when they eliminate dairy, soy, eggs or wheat-containing products.
Some babies with infant colic also have gas, but it is not clear if the gases cause colic or if the babies have gas because they swallow too much air while they cry.
Some theories suggest that colic occurs when food advances too fast through the baby’s digestive system or when it is incompletely digested. Other theories suggest that colic is due to the baby’s temperament, because some babies take a little longer to adapt to the world, or because some of them suffer from an undiagnosed gastroesophageal reflux. Other research suggests that colic may be an early form of migraine. It has also been found that children of mothers who smoke are more prone to infant colic.
How to treat infant colic?
There is no treatment that, applied in isolation, has been shown to cause colic to remit. But there are ways to make life easier, both for you and your baby.
First, if your baby is not hungry, do not try to continue feeding him/her. Instead, try to comfort him/her: You will not be «spoiling» or «pampering» the baby for devoting his/her attention. Also can:
• Rocking in a rocking chair with the baby, walking around carrying the baby, trying different positions.
• Try baby burps more often during his/her feeding.
• Place the baby on your lap, stretched upside down, and gently rub his back.
•Place the baby on a swing or on a baby rocker vibrator. The movement could have a comforting effect on him/her.
• Place the baby in his/her baby safety seat in the back seats of the car and taking his/her a ride in the car. The vibration and movement of the car usually reassure babies.
• Play music for the baby; some babies respond positively to sound, instead movement.
• Take the baby to a room where a clothes dryer, a white noise machine or a vacuum cleaner is operating. Some babies are comforted by a constant background noise and low volume.
• Some babies need a reduction in environmental stimulation. Babies of two months or less may do well to wrap them in a blanket and take them to a room that is dim.
Caring for a baby with colic can be extremely frustrating, so be sure to take care of yourself too. Don’t blame yourself or the baby for the constant crying: colic is no one’s fault. Try to relax, and remember that your baby will eventually overcome this phase.
For more information, visit your doctor; not self-medicate; or write us.