Colic Infant colic is a syndrome in which healthy infants usually less than 3 months of age have episodes of excessive inconsolable crying.

The crying usually occurs at the same time each day for approximately 2-3 hours at a time. The etiology of colic is controversial and therefore the treatment and the management of colicky infants is often trial and error. By parental report colic is usually marked by extreme gassiness, irritability and inconsolable bouts of crying.

Hypotheses include

Immature nervous system creating a baby who is very sensitive to stimulation from lights, sounds and external stimuli; Sensitivity to milk protein either coming through in breast milk or from a milk-based formula.

The symptoms generally described and witnessed include abdominal pain with leg drawing, extreme gassiness, distended belly, irritability and inconsolable crying. If your baby exhibits any of these symptoms and you believe they are consistent with colic you should still have him/her examined by your pediatrician to rule out more serious conditions. Once more serious things have been ruled out the treatment attempts to be palliative. Recommendations to try and ease the symptoms include: Movement, movement, movement-walking, strolling, car rides, rocking with a steady rhythm, swinging. Massage-lay the baby tummy down across the knees and gently rub his/her back; Swaddling tightly. White noise e.g. vacuum, shower running; Vibration-placing on a dryer while being safely placed in an infant seat; Cutting down external stimuli-low lights, less noise; leg peddle; adjust diet (if breast fed, - remove dairy, caffeine, onions, cabbage, and garlic from diet; if bottle fed, - soy or protein hydrolysate formula).

Other treatments which have been unsuccessful include anti-gas medications like simethicone and antispasmodic medications. These medications also have potentially dangerous side effects. It’s important to remember that colic is no one’s fault. Use your support system and take a break from the crying each day. Try to remember that it’s temporary and will resolve spontaneously.