It can be difficult to tell if your baby has colic.
Sometimes babies just need a good cry but when do their tears start to signify that something more might be at play?
It can be distressing for parents and their little ones alike and you may be wondering when things will get better.
So what exactly is colic and how do you know your baby actually has it? We’re here to help explain and maybe provide just a small sense of calm.
What is colic?
Colic is when a healthy baby cries a lot for a longer time than is considered average.
All newborns cry and get fussy sometimes, it’s completely natural. Just imagine if we were happy all the time, it just doesn’t happen.
During the first 3 months of life, babies cry more than at any other time. But when a healthy baby cries for 3 or more hours a day, 3 or more days a week, a healthcare provider may say they have colic.
Colic doesn’t mean a baby has any health problems at all and they usually grow out of it.
How to know if my baby has colic?
Colic is a special pattern of crying, with each period of tears often called a spell.
The spells happen at the same time of day. Most often, the crying starts in the early evening.
During a spell your baby:
- has high-pitched crying or screaming
- is very hard to soothe
- can have a red face or pale skin around the mouth
- may pull in the legs, stiffen the arms, arch the back, or clench fists
What causes colic?
Doctors don’t know the exact cause of colic but they do have some theories.
Some believe it may be due to digestion problems or a sensitivity to something in the baby’s formula or that a nursing mom is eating.
Colic most often starts when a baby is about 2–5 weeks old and gets better by the time the baby is 3–4 months old.
What can I do to help?
Unfortunately, there is no exact science or treatment to follow when it comes to soothing colic but there are different things you can try.
These include:
- Holding your baby close during a crying episode. You are not ‘spoiling’ your baby by responding to their needs in this way.
- Sitting your baby upright during feeds.
- Wind or burp your baby after feeds.
- Gently rock your baby.
- A warm bath.
- Avoid over-stimulating your baby with loud noise, bright lights or a crowded room.
- Gently massaging your baby’s tummy before they are likely to cry may help. Do this in a circular motion.
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