Infantile Colic – Why Does My Baby Cry So Much?

Does your baby cry too much, more than you ever expected for hours without any apparent reason? Turn red, pull up knees and cries as if he/she is in pain and despite of every effort you make to comfort your baby you have failed? Then probably your baby is having a condition known as Infantile Colic or Baby Colic.

Baby colic is a condition affecting babies during their first month, it peaks around 6 weeks and usually goes away by the age of 3-4 months. It can be defined as periods of intense, unexplained crying in an otherwise healthy baby lasting more than 3 hours a day for more than 3 days a week for at least 3 weeks.  The babies having colic are healthy otherwise, they feed well except during an episode of crying and they grow well without any sign of illness.

The exact cause is still unclear. It may be an abnormal balance of bacteria in the gut that causes it, the colic settles once a proper balance is achieved gradually. Hormones that control the contraction of gut muscles may have some relation in causing colic. Intolerance to lactose a sugar found in milk could be a cause in some cases. Risk increases with smoking in pregnancy or being in a smoky environment. Some studies have concluded that high levels of anxiety and depression during pregnancy is related to the condition. Complications during birth and insufficient physical contact after birth may contribute to infantile colic. It may be a combination of one or more of the above mentioned factors.

If your baby has been crying excessively begin with simple things. Make sure the baby is not hungry, wet, too hot or cold. You must remember that babies with colic are perfectly fine in between bouts of crying. Observe carefully and if you find any of the following symptoms in addition to excessive crying it’s time to get medical help. These ar

        FeverPersistent moaningBulging soft spot on the headShrill cry (sharper than usual)Loose stools with blood or mucusVomitingPoor weight gainBaby is excessively sleepy or too tired to take a feed        Every baby having colic behaves differently and every parent has their own way to comfort their little one. Currently there is no single treatment that cures it but a combination of various techniques can comfort the baby to a varying extent. Get ready to try lots of different techniques and bear in mind that you have not done anything wrong to cause baby colic.

Start with simple techniques

Rule out any causes of discomfort for example a wet nappy, a severe nappy rash, a loose diaper pin, make sure the baby is not hungry, too warm or cold.Try frequent burping during a feed, stomach massage and some gas release techniques.Try a pacifier. Safe swaddling sometimes helps but take care not to make the baby too warm, don’t cover the head and allow hips to be flexed.White noise CDs are available and can be tried.Holding a baby during a crying episode makes some babies comfortable but again some babies need to be left in their bed for a short while until they get relaxed.Providing the baby a comfortable environment during a bout of crying helps as even they sense anxiety so too many people trying to soothe the baby may make the situation worse.If you are breast feeding the baby try eliminating all stimulant foods from your diet which include tea, coffee, cola, chocolate, diet supplements and so on and watch for any improvement in the colic symptoms.Gripe water often helps. Keep in mind the usual time that the bout of crying starts (usually in the evening) and have some rest before that time so be better prepared.Support from a partner or a family member provides you the break to get relaxed for a while and is extremely important.Hypoallergenic milk

Some babies have lactose intolerance that is the gut is unable to digest a sugar (lactose) in milk due to the deficiency of a specific enzyme lactase. Using a milk free of lactose or is low in it helps in such cases and is known as hypoallergenic milk.

Probiotics

These are supplements containing certain good bacteria helpful in maintaining the normal balance of gut bacteria. It is thought that colic may be related to an abnormal bacterial balance in the gut of the baby. Probiotics prove beneficial in such cases

Get support

You may get frustrated, exhausted and tearful the common and normal emotions. Sometimes you may feel low so talk to someone and get good support from your partner, your family or join one of the support groups and discuss and share your feelings with other people going through the same situation.

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