Coping with colic

A recent TV car ad shows a sleepy dad in his robe driving a new, shiny car in the middle of the night with an infant sleeping quietly in his car seat in back. The car stops at home - the infant wakes up and cries. The dad smiles, restarts the car and drives off again, lulling the baby back to sleep. Between us, I don’t know too many people so enthralled with their car that they look forward to midnight rides with their infants but if it works to calm a stressful moment most of us would consider it.

There are truisms of infancy that exist for all babies – babies spit up; babies never sleep when you want them to; just when you think you’ve figured out your infant, she changes her routine; and all babies cry – some more than others – usually at night, and usually at predictable times. Most times these cries of discomfort due to colic.

Of all these truisms, the colicky baby is perhaps the most frustrating and the most alarming. Colic usually starts around 2-3 weeks of age and can persist for a few months. It usually peaks around 6-8 weeks of age and goes away by 3-4 months, although a few babies do have colic for a bit longer. The cause of colic is unknown. The crying spells can be as brief as a few minutes to as long as many hours. The babies are miserable and hard to sooth. They also swallow so much air that their bellies can get very large, and they often pull up their legs and pass gas.

As a parent, colicky moments are nerve wracking and it can be hard to reassure yourself that everything is really ok as your baby is screaming and hard to console. Sick babies have symptoms such as fever, lack of appetite, vomiting, lethargy, looking ill, dry diapers, diarrhea. Both colicky and sick babies can be hard to calm but colicky babies do have calm periods where they look completely normal and well.

Here are some simple strategies to try if your baby is colicky:

• Colic is rarely from food intolerance, a condition worth considering if you think this to be the case with your child. For breast fed babies, eliminating dairy, caffeine, and gas-producing veggies from mom’s diet is worth a try. For formula-fed babies, try a non-cow’s milk formula. Symptoms will improve within a couple days if food intolerance is the culprit
• Colicky babies like rhythmic movements and sounds: gentle rocking, an infant swing, car rides and walks in the stroller all may provide some relief.
• Babies like to be held close and snug, so try swaddling your baby in a receiving blanket.
• Rubbing the baby’s back as she lies across your lap can often help relieve the discomfort of any gas that is present.
• Switch between all these things often. No one strategy works all the time.
• Spread the wealth among friends and family to give you a break and don’t be afraid of leaving your crying baby in the crib for a few moments to clear your head if you are feeling frustrated.
• When in doubt, call your doctor for reassurance and don’t blame yourself for this – colic is as much a part of life as feeding, burping, and changing diapers.

Finally, take heart – as with all phases in life, this too shall pass. Keep your eye on the light at the end of the tunnel, take many deep breathes, and before you know it you’ll be coming out the other end – and may get there without too many midnight rides.

© 2005 Pediatrics Now.
All rights reserved. PEDIATRICS NOW is a trademark of Pediatrics Now.

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