Colic

Before your baby could speak, smiling, crying, cooing are the means of communication for the baby. While it is challenging to decode the baby’s sounds, as you spend more time around the baby, it becomes easy to interpret why the baby is crying.

Have you noticed that your baby is often irritated at a particular period each day? It seems impossible to calm the baby at such times? There are chances that your baby has developed colic. This article focuses on the different ways to comfort the colic that frequently occurs in most babies.

What is colic?

If a healthy infant, starts getting fussy and cries incessantly, particularly during the evening and no number of efforts taken to calm down your baby seem to work, it is typically termed as colic. Colic makes your baby miserable. As babies turn six weeks old colic reaches a peak and starts declining as they get older by three to four months. With time, colic spells become less severe, however as a parent consoling your child is challenging. Colic is not an indicator of any health problem of the baby. As time passes and babies grow, colic goes away by itself.

How can you distinguish colic crying from normal crying?

Colic comes with a typical pattern of its own. The spells of crying happen every day at the same time, most commonly during the evenings. You may watch for the following typical signs to distinguish colic crying from normal crying:

• Crying is high-pitched and accompanied by screaming.

• Consoling or soothing the baby is very difficult.

• The face appears red, and the skin around the mouth turns pale.

• Babies may show actions like cramping of fists and legs, tightening of the arms and hands.

What are the possible reasons for the baby’s colic?

Although the reason behind colic episodes is not apparent to the medical world, there may be a possibility of the following causes:

• Spasms in the digestive system as it is still developing.

• Breastfed infants might have a sensitivity to some food items that the mother has consumed.

• Inability to control or balance his/her nervous system.

• Sensitivity to stimulation or excitement.

• Rarely due to some medical problem or illness.

Tips for managing your baby during a colic spell:

With colic, it is patient till it goes away by itself. It is best to talk to your pediatrician for the best alternative as you try to console your crying baby. However, you may try comforting your baby as follows:

• Change your diet: As a nursing mother, you may make some changes in your food choices. Avoid cabbage, caffeine, onion, or other irritating food items.

• Change the formula milk: Ask your pediatrician if you could give your baby protein hydrolysate formula.

• Feed quantity: Avoid overfeeding the baby.

• Soothe the baby: Take the baby for a walk in a carrier. The movement might soothe your baby.

• Rock the baby: Rock your baby to a rhythmic sound.

• Give a pacifier: A pacifier may work during a colic spell, try introducing it to your baby.

• Tummy-down position: Hold your baby within your legs in the tummy-down position and gently rub the back.

• Swaddle: Swaddle the baby to give a warmth and reassurance.

Colic spells in babies are widespread. Do not shake your baby while you try to soothe him/her. Stay positive and have lots of patience. Please don’t get angry; the episode goes on its own. See a pediatrician if you suspect any health problems.