There are very few things more trying for new parents than dealing with colic. There are few things that make you feel more helpless than when your baby starts crying incessantly for no apparent reason. Worse, there doesn’t seem to be much you can do to help.

Colic is loosely defined as a condition which causes babies to cry for no apparent reason. Often, this crying begins at roughly the same time day after day. It usually starts when baby is about six weeks old, and generally lasts until baby is three or four months old. Colic affects about one in four babies. All babies cry, and they all occasionally cry without apparent reason. Your baby has colic if she:

• Cries for three hours or more at a time, and
• Had crying episodes three times or more per week, and
• This continues for at least three weeks

No one is really sure what causes colic. We do know that 25% of babies have colic. In some cases (about 10%), the colic seems to be related to the baby’s diet.

While there is no sure-fire cure for colic, there are a number of things you can try. With any luck, one or more of them will help soothe your baby. At the very least, you can take comfort in knowing that you’re doing everything you can.

When your baby is colicky, try one of these suggestions:

• Swaddle your baby. This reminds baby of the comfy womb, and is especially helpful with younger babies.
• Change baby’s diet. If you are formula feeding, switch to a low allergy formula. If you breast feed your baby, cut out milk and milk products, broccoli, onions, cabbage, beans, and other foods that make us gaseous. You should also eliminate caffeine.
• Gently rock or sway with baby. Most babies find rhythmic movement to be soothing.
• Stick to a feeding schedule. It’s easy to assume baby is hungry, but if you’re not careful, this can result in overfeeding your baby, which can make her even fussier.

Most importantly, hang in there. It’s tough to have a colicky baby, but your baby will grow out of it.

This entry was posted in Colic.