What is Colic in Babies

What is colic in babies? Colic is a common issue found in babies. It can be defined as, a baby who cannot be comforted and fusses all the time. It can be quite aggravating for parents to know what to do, as nothing will calm their little one.  This issue is seen in both bottle and breast fed babies, so there is no correlation with milk. A lot of research has resulted in, a baby will outgrow colic and there is nothing to truly cure it.

What causes colic? Well, researches are not 100% sure, there are some conditions that are seen most often in infants with colic.

Those conditions include

• Allergies – this can be a result of something that is passed to the baby through the mother’s milk, or a milk intolerance.
• Gastrointestinal – babies who are excessively gassy or have reflux often have colic.
• Nerves – some studies show that babies with nervous system issues possess symptoms of colic.
• Infections – ear or urinary tract infections.
• Hernias – umbilical and inguinal hernias.
• Nappy Rash

There is a portion of infants who are colicky, and do not have any underlying medical issues. That is why researchers have not yet defined what the true cause of colic is, and how it can be treated effectively. The way a mother reacts during pregnancy has nothing to do with colic. There are many cases where no anxiety was experienced during pregnancy and the baby still has colic.

Symptoms of Colic include:

• Crying to a point there is no comforting the infant. Always fussy.
• Restless and irritable.
• Unable to get a routine intact for feeding and sleeping.
• Infant wants to eat all the time.
• Fights when you introduce a bottle or breast for feeding.
• Pulls legs in and screams as if they are in pain. This could go on for extended periods of time.

It is suggested that a typical infant will have approximately three hours during the day when they fuss, and this could be more depending on the situations of the day. No baby is alike, but just because they are fussing doesn’t mean they have colic. If you believe your baby has colic it is best to consult your pediatrician. There could be underlying issues that could be treated and help lessen the colic symptoms.

Tips

• Babies who have stomach issues, such as colic, gastrointestinal discomfort, teething pain and reflux sometimes respond to gripe water. This is available at the pharmacy.
• Fall into your babies pattern of colicky outburst, and spend time trying to comfort them during it.
• Keep your baby close. Try using a sling when doing chores.
• Try different comforting measures so you can see what helps when your baby is crying, such as swinging, rocking, or bouncing.
• Try to find a family member or friend who can help during your babies fussy periods. This will take some of the stress off of you.
• Although, he might not find comfort in anything you are doing, colicky babies will settle quicker when held. If you get overwhelmed, lay him down and take a few minutes to regroup, then go back. Babies can sense when you are tense.