All babies cry. However, for a baby who has colic, the crying may not cease for hours at a time. Because colic can cause other difficulties in your baby, such as stomach upset, it's important to soothe your baby. Because most babies who have colic will cease the crying spells after several months, you and your baby can find relief from this condition.
Identification
Colic is a condition that results in uncontrollable crying. When it comes to identifying colic, remember the rule of three: babies with colic will cry for more than three hours at a time for at least three days a week for a period of three weeks, according to ColicCalm.com. While crying itself will not hurt your baby, you may notice your baby's stomach is slightly enlarged from taking in air. This can be a factor if your baby is bottle-fed as the bottle may contribute to more air inhalation. Also, babies with colic tend to experience more gas and may pass gas with their legs pulled up.
Time Frame
Colic symptoms tend to onset when the baby is two to three weeks old and may progress in duration or frequency up until roughly six weeks, according to BabyCenter.com. After this point, colic symptoms tend to continue, but should decrease with time. At about five months of age, your child should be having few to no symptoms of colic.
Considerations
If you are using a bottle to feed your baby, it's important to take a few precautions to prevent adverse colic symptoms including stomach upset. This begins by first purchasing the right size bottle, according to BabyCenter.com. For example, bottles that have either a curved nipple or internal liners may be able to reduce the air intake for baby by keeping bubbles from forming in formula. If your baby seems to be having difficulty sucking the formula, consider purchasing a bottle with a larger hole for the nipple. The same can be true for a bottle that could have formula moving too fast.
Prevention/Solution
If your baby seems to be experiencing significant symptoms of colic following a bottle feeding, ask your physician if you should switch formulas. While formulas are not a direct cause of colic, the wrong one could upset baby's stomach, according to BabyCenter.com.
FamilyDoctor.org recommends always feeding your baby in an upright position and burping often. This will ensure your baby takes in less air and then properly releases it, respectively. Perform other soothing activities, such as a warm bath, a tummy rub or rocking your baby.
Misconceptions
Although babies with colic can be frustrating at times, it's important to remember that your baby is healthy and that colic is no indicator of ill health, according to FamilyDoctor.org. Also, you should not blame yourself for your baby's colic. While colic's cause is currently not certain, it is not caused by the parents or the parents' care of the child.
