A Baby Suffering From Colic Will Be Fussy And Cry A Lot

Baby colic is an intense and prolonged fussiness or crying in healthy infants. When colic happens, it becomes very frustrating and challenging for the parents because it happens without reason, and not even the most intense consoling can relieve the baby. 

Colic episodes happen mostly when the infants are about six weeks and significantly decline when they reach three or four months. It also occurs mainly in the evening, when parents are tired, making it even more difficult to deal with. There is not a specific known cause for baby colic, and it could happen because of various reasons, including:

• Imbalanced healthy bacteria in the infant’s digestive tract
• A digestive system that is not fully developed
• Food intolerances or allergies
• An early type of childhood migraine
• Family anxiety or stress
• Underfeeding or overfeeding

Researchers have explored different aspects of the condition but couldn’t fully account for why it happens at certain times of the day, why it occurs at around six weeks, how it differs in different infants, or why it goes away on its own.

How To Confirm Its Colic

Crying and fussing in infants is usually a normal occurrence, especially in the first three months. Also, how intense the infants cry or fuss is different from child to child. Those factors make it hard for parents to understand when the crying or fussing is too much, making it hard for them to identify colic. Generally, parents can identify colic if their infant cries for over three hours daily, three days weekly, and for three or more weeks while this is happening. The crying or fussiness also happens around the same time of the day. Some other features of colic that will help parents differentiate it from normal crying are:

• The cry is high-pitched and mostly sounds like screaming or a pain explosion
• The infant crying for no apparent reason, like a diaper change or hunger
• Excessive fussiness, even after the infant has stopped crying
• Facial discoloration, which could occur like pale skin around the infant's mouth or reddening of their face
• Body tension, for example, stiffened or pulled legs, clenched fists, stiffened arms, tense abdomen, or arched back
• A rumbling, tight, or swollen stomach, mainly caused by the excess air they swallow when they cry

Sometimes those symptoms may lessen once the infant has a bowel movement or passes gas. When parents go to the doctor, they do not have a specific test for baby colic. However, they ask about the infant’s medical history and the symptoms.

They will also conduct a physical exam, focusing on skin tone, energy levels, body temperature, breathing, and weight. They will also conduct other tests to eliminate any other diseases.

Treatment And Handling Colic

There is no defined treatment for baby colic, but once the doctor confirms that nothing is wrong with the baby, there are a few methods that parents can use to try and soothe the infant, including:

• Ensure that the infant is as comfortable as possible by changing their diaper, putting on comfortable clothes, and feeding them.
• Burp the infant more often after they feed.
• Rock the infant.
• Take a walk with them.
• Use a pacifier.
• Give the infant a warm bath.
• Lay the infant on their lap face down, and rub their back gently.
• Play soothing music for the baby.
• Take a ride with the baby in their car.
• Try changing the feeding bottle to see if it reduces the amount of air the infant swallows during feeding.
• Avoid too much stimulation like light and noise.
• Massage the infant’s tummy.
• Calm the infant with skin-to-skin contact.
• Use white noise such as a washing machine, fan, or dishwasher.
• Place them on a vibrating seat or a swing.
• Talk or sing to the infant.
• Give the infant exciting things to look at, like colors, shapes, and sizes.
• Ask the doctor if changing the baby's formula could help and if yes, ask them to suggest the best formulas.
• Try changing what they eat by eliminating things like soy, coffee, wheat, or eggs because some of the foods could be causing discomfort in the child. Before doing that, parents need to consult the doctor and make the changes gradually.

Baby colic causes a lot of stress to parents and caregivers. If the baby does not stop crying, parents should call someone to help, like their partner, a friend, or relative. Sometimes the stress could be overwhelming, and when it becomes difficult to cope, they should consult a counselor.