Being a parent comes with lots of responsibilities, and seeing that your child is suffering is an unpleasant experience. In some cases, your healthy, well-fed child will start crying for hours, even though they’re warm and wearing a clean diaper. Although all babies cry, babies that suffer from colic can go on all night long. 

So, what is colic in babies? How can you deal with it? Don’t worry because you’ve come to the right place, and we will explain everything you need to know to deal with the issue and make your little one feel better.

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Colic is a condition that starts when babies are about 3 weeks old and ends by the time they’re 3 or 4 months old. According to medical research, from 20% to almost 40% of babies may experience colic. 

Crying can make parents extremely frustrated, as they feel helpless because they don’t understand what is wrong with the child. However, the condition isn’t serious or life-threatening, although it’s definitely annoying. 

Colic simply refers to episodes of crying that are not related to any medical issues. In some cases, the episodes can last for three hours or more, usually happening regularly in the evening. 

Scientists haven’t yet found or understood the reason for colic, but some doctors think that it might be related to the immaturity of the neurological system of your newborn. They’re still processing the new world that they’ve arrived in, and feelings can be overwhelming. 

When a baby leaves the womb, it immediately gets exposed to lots of sounds, smells, and textures. This experience is definitely stressful, and your baby won’t have lots of methods to express its feelings, so the crying episodes begin. 

Other doctors believe that colic is related to food. Your colicky baby may be uncomfortable because the digestive system is still getting used to the milk. So, your baby might start crying if they’re suffering from gas or acid reflux, which causes a lot of discomforts. 

The digestive system is still developing, so there might be an imbalance in the healthy bacteria that helps your baby feel comfortable after feeding. Your child might also be allergic to food. In some cases, your baby might start crying because you forgot to burp it or because it was over or underfed. 

Some researchers suggest that colic is an early form of childhood migraine. In this case, the discomfort might continue even after the baby grows up. 

In other cases, colic might be a simple reflection of the stress the parents are going through. If the parents are always stressed, anxious, or yelling, the newborn baby will pick up those negative feelings and show discomfort by crying for hours. 

As a matter of fact, the reasons for colic may vary between different babies and within the life of the same child. This is why this problem can be a little bit frustrating to deal with because there’s no medical issue that has a specific cure. In some cases, as a parent, you will be able to determine what triggers your baby’s colic, but in many cases, you might not be able to.

What is Colic in Babies and What Causes It?

Because there’s no known cause, there are some methods that can help you soothe your child. These methods might not stop the crying episodes altogether, but they might end faster, or you will see that your baby isn’t as uncomfortable as it used to be. 

Lay your child on the tummy and rub its back. The touch of a mother is soothing, and this position will help the gas pass through if your child has some digestive problems. This position is also crucial to the development of the neck and back muscles. 

Carry your child and walk around. When you hold your baby, they will feel more comfortable and safer, so they might stop crying. If your baby cries a lot at night, you can carry it during the day to reduce the duration of the evening crying episodes. 

Use a baby swing to distract your child. Repetitive motions can soothe colic and help your baby sleep. 

After feeding, keep your baby in an upright position to reduce the symptoms of GERD or gastroesophageal reflux disease, which causes heartburn and pain. You can also add infant cereal to control the GERD symptoms. 

Use a special formula and see if your child feels better. In some cases, an allergy to milk protein might be the reason why your baby is crying. 

Keep your child in a warm blanket. Your baby might be cold and unable to express their feelings. 

Play some soothing music to help calm your baby. You can sing a song or repeat some sounds to see what works best for your little one. 

Massage the baby’s body with some soothing essential oils. Always check with your doctor to make sure that these oils are safe to use. 

Avoid shaking the baby. Some parents can get too frustrated with the baby’s continuous crying, so they might start to shake it a little bit too hard. The shaken baby syndrome can cause serious brain damage and can sometimes lead to death.

How Can You Deal With Colic?

Although colic is not life-threatening, you need to rule out any medical conditions before trying to handle it on your own. Make sure that your doctor gives the baby a thorough examination and does all the necessary tests to rule out any medical problems that might become too serious in the future. Early testing is essential to keep your baby in perfect condition.

Excessive crying should also be alarming. If you try everything and your baby doesn’t stop crying, ask for more tests. There might be something that was missed on the first examination.

When to See a Doctor for Colic?

Colic is quite common in newborn babies and usually gets better on its own when your child is about 4 months old. There’s still no solid proof to explain the real cause of colic, but doctors agree that it might be related to several reasons.

Although this condition is annoying, it’s not life-threatening. There are several methods that you can follow to soothe your newborn and have more control over the colic episodes.

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