Babies cry. It’s normal. But when the baby cries without an apparent reason for several hours even when the mother tries to comfort the child, the baby may have colic.
Colic is the prolonged, intense, and frequent crying or fussiness of a healthy infant. It can be very frustrating to the parents as the baby becomes distressed for no apparent reason, while no amount of comfort can console and bring relief to the child. These episodes often occur in the evening, when the parents are significantly tired as well.
Symptoms of Colic
During the first three months of the baby, it is normal for them to be fussy and cry. But in general, colic is defined as crying for at least three hours and more a day, three or more days a week, for three or more weeks. Some of the symptoms also include the following:
- Intense crying that seems like screaming or an expression of pain
- Extreme fussiness even after the crying period
- Crying for no apparent reason, not like the crying to express hunger or a need for a diaper change.
- Predictable timing of the episodes that especially happens at night.
- Bodily tensions, such as stiffened arms, clenched fists, arched back, pulled up or stiffened legs, or tensed abdomen.
- Facial discolouring, such as paler skin around the mouth or the reddening of the face.
Sometimes a relief in the symptoms happens after the infant passes gas or has a bowel movement. This may be a result of the swallowed air during the prolonged crying of the child.
Causes of Colic
It is still unknown as to what causes colic. There may be numerous contributing factors that cause it. While several cases have been explored, it is difficult for researchers to take into account all the important features, such as why it usually begins late in the first month of life, why it happens at certain times of the day, how it varies among infants, and why it resolves on its own in time.
Here are the possible contributing factors that have been explored:
- Not fully developed digestive system
- Imbalanced amount of healthy bacteria in the digestive tract
- Overfeeding, underfeeding, or the infrequent burping
- Food allergies and intolerances
- Family stress or anxiety
- An early form of childhood migraine
Ways to Prevent Colic
- For breastfeeding moms, they should avoid eating certain foods like cabbages, broccoli, onions, caffeine, and milk that can cause bloating in babies.
- Follow a breastfeeding schedule for your baby.
- Give your baby milk that is rich in probiotics that can aid in proper digestion.
- Make sure to let your baby burp after feeding.
- Avoid overstimulation and wrap the baby in a comfy blanket.
- Soothe the baby with rhythmic and steady sounds and movements like sitting on a rocking chair while the baby is on your arms or keeping a vacuum cleaner or the washing machine running within earshot. The steady rhythmic sound helps them calm down.
- Try doing baby yoga. The periodic movements and soft music can help prevent colic in babies and improve their respiratory and digestive systems through muscle and posture exercises. Baby yoga also develops the child’s motor skills, balance, posture, mind and body coordination, and bone growth.
- Regular baby yoga sessions can effectively prevent colic and lessen the sleepless nights due to the baby’s crying. Aside from improving the baby’s health, baby yoga also helps in improving the communication and bond between the child and the mother, making it more than just a physical baby activity.
- Make sure the baby is wearing comfortable diapers that fit for movements and physical activities like baby yoga.
Other calming remedies include:
- Swaddling
- Close contact. Get close by cuddling, wearing or carrying your baby will give them assurance and security as well as physical closeness to you.
- Offering a pacifier. This will calm the baby if he or she is feeling bored.
- Get out of the house. This is another activity that can fight boredom in babies.
When to Call the Doctor
Observe your baby’s crying periods and if you see the signs and symptoms stated above, contact your pediatrician. if you don’t have a pediatrician or for a more convenient consultation, you can also find an online consultation through Online Doctor BC.
The doctor will examine your baby to rule out any other causes of the baby’s excessive crying. Describing the crying, its duration, pattern, intensity, and any variation from the norm, will help the doctor rule out any underlying medical conditions like reflux, milk allergy, or an infection that could be triggering the crying.
Remember that this will also pass, just when you think you can’t take another night of it, the crying will let up, and then it’s gone forever. As tired as you may be, give yourself a well-earned pat on the back as you’ve just survived the first major challenge of parenthood. Rocketdoctor.ca treat patients with any kind of health problems.
