Does my baby have colic?
Does my baby have colic? This is one of the most common questions I get from my clients. Basically, what's happening is that they find themselves overwhelmed and heartbroken to see their baby crying for hours at a time.
NOTHING SEEMS TO HELP.
Colic is characterized as being a frequent, prolonged, and intense crying or fussiness episode occurring in a healthy infant, and usually peaks when the infant is about 6 weeks old and declines around the 3 to 4 months mark. Colic can be very frustrating for parents, especially first-time parents when they do not know why their baby is in distress for no apparent reason and no amount of consoling seems to bring any relief to the baby.
“Is this COLIC? How would I know if my baby has colic or is just crying from being hungry or overtired?”
What several parents do not know is that COLIC is actually a symptom and NOT a disease! People usually use colic as a diagnosis to explain a newborns fussiness or excessive crying. When in reality, there is no known reason why they are crying inconsolably. There can be a single reason or a combination of reasons why a baby has colic.
POSSIBLE REASONS WHY COLIC OCCURS:
1. Food Intolerance and/allergy
Some babies are born with a cow’s milk protein allergy or are lactose intolerant. This allergy causes severe tummy pain which makes the baby have colic and cry inconsolably. Allergy testing can be performed to help rule this out. To know more, talk to your child’s pediatrician.
2. Birth Trauma
Labor can be traumatic not only for the mother but also for the baby. If too much pressure and force is placed on the baby’s head during labor due to the use of forceps, vacuum, or the cervix not being dilated enough then it can be traumatic for the baby. Having a c-section can decrease the trauma for the baby depending on what occurred prior to a c-section being performed.
3. GI Imbalance
When babies are born, their GI system is not fully developed. As a result, digesting food (in their case milk) can become a big ordeal. Their immature GI system can cause food to be passed through the tract too quickly without being properly broken down. This can result in tummy pains, gas, and other GI issues leaving them uncomfortable.
4. Family Stress/Connection
Babies are smart. They can easily pick up on the family distress that surrounds them from birth. They may be mimicking the temperament that is around them.
SIGNS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
A colicky baby has a hard time sleeping in the evening or in the middle of a colic episode. It is important for parents to understand the difference between normal crying and colic. Be sure to look out for these signs:
Intense crying that seems more like screaming and in pain.
Inconsolable screaming and crying that does not go away no matter what.
Crying even after changing the diaper and feeding the baby.
The 3-3-3 Rule is when the baby is crying for three or more hours a day, three or more days a week, for three or more weeks.
Fussiness/crying episodes are usually occurring around the same time in the evening.
They have a stiff body or are clenching their fists and arching their back.
If you think your baby has colic, please call your child’s pediatrician for a detailed evaluation.
xoxo,
Unnati
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