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.