According to the Mayo Clinic, colic occurs in about 25 percent of newborn babies. Its cause is unknown, but the condition is characterized by long periods of crying in newborns typically between the ages of three weeks and three months. This crying can be a stressful factor for both the baby and the parents, and many times there is little that can be done to soothe a colicky baby. The Mayo Clinic reports that probiotics have yielded some improvement in colicky babies, but in order to differentiate a legitimate need from colic, you need to know the symptoms.
Predictable Crying
Colicky babies suffer from daily crying episodes that tend to occur at about the same time each day. The Mayo Clinic reports that these episodes are most likely to occur in the late afternoon or evening and can range from a few minutes to a few hours in length. There is rarely any identifiable trigger for the crying, although the end of the colicky episode may be characterized by the passing of gas or a bowel movement. It is because of this association of the digestive tract and colic that some doctors use probiotics to treat the condition.
Changes in Crying
Many parents can identify different types of crying that their baby might use. Colic often causes a change in the pitch and intensity of a baby's crying that is very noticeable to the parents. Oftentimes the crying is higher-pitched, more extreme and inconsolable. You may also notice flushness in your child's face during the episode.
Posture Changes
At the beginning of a colic episode, your child may curl up his legs, clench his fists and tighten his abdominal muscles. Tension throughout the body is likely to last throughout the colic episode.
