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.
Colic can start a few weeks after birth. It's generally the worst between 4 and 6 weeks of age. Babies usually grow out of colic by the time they are 3 to 4 months old.
In adults, colicky pain is usually a sharp, localized gastrointestinal or urinary pain that can arise abruptly, and tends to come and go in spasmlike waves. This can happen repeatedly over weeks, months, or years.
What Are The Symptoms of Gas? Just as crying is a fact of baby life, so, too, is baby gas. But when your infant has painful gas, especially if it's frequent, it can cause your baby to cry or become fussy—until it's passed; unlike colic, which causes crying and fussiness that lasts for hours across days and weeks.
Colic usually starts when a baby is a few weeks old – and stops when they're around 4 to 6 months of age. If your otherwise healthy baby cries inconsolably for 3 or more hours a day, at least 3 days per week (and it's been happening for 3 weeks or more) – it could be caused by colic.
Even though they may cry a great deal, colic is neither dangerous nor harmful. Experts say that colic has no long-term effects and an infant with colic will gain weight and feed normally. Colic is relatively short-lived.
Colicky babies tend to settle better if their crib is elevated to 30 degrees or if they're kept semi-upright and swaddled / wrapped. Feeding your colicky baby after naps rather than before will reduce the chances of any tummy upsets at sleep time.
Also, babies with colic may burp frequently or pass a significant amount of gas, but this is thought to be due to swallowing air while crying, and is not a cause of colic.
Three Types of Colic
True intestinal colic can be divided into three types: gas colic, obstructive lesions, and functional obstructions. Gas colic is the simplest and most common type.
With a baby that vomits or spits up a lot, it's relatively easy to understand that the baby may have reflux, where as a baby that might just have excessive bouts of crying but is rarely sick and still gains weight would often be deemed to just have 'colic'.
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.
Give Them a Burp
A crying baby can gulp down a lot of air. That can make them gassy and bloated -- and make their crying worse. Burp them with gentle thumps on their back. The classic position -- with the baby's head over your shoulder -- works, but can leave a trail of spit-up down your back.
Colic usually starts when babies are about 3 weeks old. It gets worse when they are between 4 and 6 weeks old. Most of the time, colicky babies get better after they are 6 weeks old, and are completely fine by the time they are 12 weeks old.
Some studies have found that particular foods eaten by the motherincluding cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, chocolate, onions and cow's milkcan cause an attack of colic in her breastfed infant.
Colic may be painful with the pain lasting up to five hours, and even after the pain subsides, some patients may feel residual aches for up to 24 hours. These painful episodes may occur regularly if the patient does not get any treatment.
Maybe you're worried that not burping babies will cause them to spit up more. That's actually been studied! A study of 71 mother-baby duos found that burping babies did not reduce the rates of colic but did increase the rates of regurgitation or spit-up compared to not burping babies.
The signs of gas colic may be transient, as the gas pockets shift. The horse may kick or nip at his flanks, repeatedly lie down and seem withdrawn and preoccupied. If you listen to his gut you may hear many gurgles (technically called borborygmi).
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.
Excessive crying usually occurs at the same time every day: Although colic can happen at any time, day or night, most babies experience it later in the afternoon or at night, and it will usually happen at the same time on most days. Parents often refer to this as the “witching hour.”
What Is Colic? Colic is a relatively common condition that affects up to 1 in 4 newborn babies. 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.