Colic is when a healthy baby cries for a very long time, for no obvious reason. It is most common during the first 6 weeks of life. It usually goes away on its own by age 3 to 4 months.
Managing colic can add stress to already tired or stressed new parents. Colic can start a few weeks after birth. It's generally the worst between 4 and 6 weeks of age.
Episodes of colic usually peak when an infant is about 6 weeks old and decline significantly after 3 to 4 months of age. While the excessive crying will resolve with time, managing colic adds significant stress to caring for your newborn child.
What Causes Colic? Doctors aren't sure what causes colic. It may be due to digestion problems or a sensitivity to something in the baby's formula or that a nursing mom is eating. Or it might be from a baby trying to get used to the sights and sounds of being out in the world.
Take a stress break. Ask a friend or relative to watch the baby while you walk, bathe, and calm yourself so you can better handle crying. A colic support group can help you cope until your baby outgrows crying. (And they all do!)
A last resort: Let your baby cry herself to sleep.
She needs you to minimize outside stimuli while she tries to find her own way into sleep. Wrap her up and place her stomach down in her crib.
Though it can be tempting to place your baby on their stomach or side while sleeping in the crib, remember the only true safe sleeping position is flat on the back with no loose covers, pillows, or toys around. It's also always a good idea to talk to your baby's pediatrician regarding their colic symptoms.
Colic is an attack of crying and what appears to be abdominal pain in young infancy. It is a common condition and is estimated to affect up to 1 in 5 infants during their first few months.
The positive news is that if it's just colic -- which usually surfaces at age 2 weeks to 4 weeks -- your baby isn't in any physical danger, and the remedy is relatively simple: wait it out.
It typically starts within the first 6 weeks and goes away within 4 months, although it may last up to 6 months. It is marked by extended periods of crying for no obvious reason. Babies suffering from colic are typically gassy, fussy, and have trouble getting to sleep.
Colic is defined as "excessive crying." An infant with colic usually cries for more than three hours per day on more than three days per week. Normal crying patterns — All infants cry more during the first three months of life than during any other time.
Colic symptoms
Crying often occurs at around the same time every day (usually in the late afternoon or early evening, but it can vary). Your baby seems to be crying for no reason (not because he has a dirty diaper or is hungry or tired).
What time of day is colic the worst? Typically, colicky babies cry most frequently from 6 pm to midnight (a period of time often referred to as “witching hour”). Parents often describe these cries as louder, more high-pitched, and more urgent than normal wails.
All babies cry, but your baby may have colic if they cry more than 3 hours a day, 3 days a week for at least 1 week but are otherwise healthy. They may cry more often in the afternoon and evening.
The most commonly accepted definition of colic, which originated in 1954,4 describes using the “rule of three”: crying for more than three hours per day, for more than three days per week, and for more than three weeks in an infant that is well-fed and otherwise healthy.
Change your baby's position: Sit them up if they have been lying down, or hold them face-out if they have been facing your chest. Hold your baby near low, rhythmic noises, like the sound of the washing machine or a recording of a heartbeat. The steady hum of a fan or a white noise machine can also be soothing.
Colic often begins suddenly, with loud and mostly nonstop crying. This constant, extreme crying can be very stressful and difficult for parents. Babies with colic are often fussy, gassy, and don't sleep well. But in most cases they grow and gain weight normally.
One reason colicky babies can fuss more at night, he explains, is that serotonin levels peak in the evening. This imbalance, the theory goes, naturally resolves when babies start making melatonin, which relaxes intestinal muscles.
Can breastfed babies have colic? Breastfed babies can have unexplained crying episodes. Colic type symptoms may be associated with an allergy to a food in their mother's diet or with one of the other possible causes for discomfort listed below.
The children with reported colic were significantly more likely (22%) to sleep less than recommended for their age (6 months to 5 years) and significantly more likely (14%) to have more frequent night awakenings than usual for their age (6 months to 5 years).
You do not need to stop nursing. 1 Breastfeeding is not a cause of colic, and babies who take infant formula get colic, too. Switching to formula may not help and may even make the situation worse.