
Pregnancy/Baby
Dealing with Colic
By Nancy Omdahl
June/July 2002
Between 15 and 20 percent of babies develop colic - a daily bout
of crying from when the baby is about two weeks old to about three
or four months old. Colic is variable in babies - some parents may
describe their child as very fussy, while other babies cry for several
hours each day. Pediatricians are divided as to whether colic is
caused by gastro-intestinal distress or by overstimulation and the
baby's nervous system still adjusting to the outside world. If your
baby is colicky, you may want to try:
Talking to your pediatrician. Try making
an appointment as late in the afternoon as possible (most colic
begins in late afternoon or evening) so that he or she can see the
baby then.
If you are breastfeeding, avoid milk products,
caffeine, onions, cabbage, beans, broccoli and other gas-producing
foods for a week to see if the colic lessens. Or if formula-fed,
you may try switching formulas.
Avoiding stimulation such as television,
loud music, and too many people.
A sling or front pouch so that baby's legs
are drawn up and pressure is off his or her tummy.
Walking with your baby in different ways.
Some babies may like steady rhythmic movement, such as pacing or
rocking, or more random movements of being held while mom puts things
away from room to room.
Vacuuming while holding baby, or securing
a bassinet to the top of a clothes dryer (never leave baby unattended).
Other tools are baby swings and vibrating bouncy seats and bassinets,
or riding in the car.
Try a change of scenery - go outside with
your baby.
Massages, warm baths, swaddling, singing
or pacifiers may also help.
Or it's possible nothing will help. Get help from understanding
friends and relatives to give yourself a break. Cook dinner in the
morning and refrigerate until dinnertime. Your baby will outgrow
this, usually before he's six months old. Take heart in that apparently
only strong, healthy babies seem to exhibit colic, and that colic
has not been found to be an indicator of any malady later in life.
You have the editor's deepest sympathies.
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