What You Should Know About Colic
Almost every parent has asked themselves these questions at one time or another, “Our baby cries all the time! Is it colic and what is colic? What can we do to stop it?” A colicky baby can quickly become a very big problem for many parents. This article will go over what colic is, what causes it, and how to recognize the signs of colic.
What is Colic?
The true cause of baby colic is still unknown, but we do know what colic is not. Colic is not normal for every child. In fact only 20-50% of all infants ever experience colic. And so families can have several children who as infants never had colic when suddenly the newborn get it almost immediately. Colic is not a disease but a condition that covers a wide range of symptoms in a baby.
“Colic” is what happens when an otherwise healthy and well-fed infant has episodes of bad temper, fussing or loud and continuous crying sessions that last for 1 to 3 hours a day. These signs of colic can occur on 3 or more days in any given week.
Other signs of colic in a baby are a red or flushed face with a hard belly or bloated stomach. Babies with colic also clench and flex their hands and legs. These symptoms or signs of colic become more noticeable in a child from late afternoon to late evening.
Or colic is what happens soon after the baby has finished nursing or being bottle-fed. Otherwise the baby acts and appears normal when not in a “colicky” state.
Colic often starts around 2-4 weeks of age, just about the time, when you as a parent are totally wiped out from fatigue and sleep deprivation while caring for the new baby. The colic often continues to get worst around the 6 to 8 weeks mark but then gradually fades away until it is completely gone by the 12 weeks or 16 weeks mark.
What is Colic Treatments and How Do They work?
Since there has never been complete agreement among the medical community on what colic is, or what can be done to treat it; the remedies and handling of colic vary widely. While no one really has a single answer or solution to the colic, over the centuries, both parents and physicians have noticed that certain things may be able to help relieve the discomfort of colicky babies.
One sign of colic is that some colicky babies seem very sensitive to environmental stimuli. They may have allergies the formula they are feed or to their mother’s own breast milk. So many baby colic remedies try to reduce, eliminate or remove the things that the baby may be sensitive to.
Colic Tip 1 – Keep a journal of your baby’s activities, feeding schedule, colicky episodes, etc. Yes, this seems like a big waste of time, especially since you have so much going on in your busy life right now. But often parents are surprised when they notice an emerging pattern to the colic episodes.
Colic Tip 2 – Try using a tummy massage to relieve gas. Sometimes colic is what happens when a baby’s digestive track is growing too fast for the baby’s system to adjust to all the new foods it’s been eating. A nice, gentle belly rub in a clockwise motion has been known to work wonders.
Colic Tip 3 – Check the breast milk or the formula. Often colic is what occurs when a baby becomes allergic to a commercial formula or to some type of food his or her mother ate while breastfeeding. This is where your “colic” journal comes in handy in tracking down these food allergies.
Once you understand what colic is and what you can do to about it, you should not be afraid of dealing with your colicky young one.
