Parenting is rewarding, but at times very difficult. With
frequent feedings, constant diaper changes, little sleep, and
anxiety over the new life you're responsible for, you are
most likely exhausted. And if your baby has colic
symptoms, it can compound the stress you are already
feeling.
"There was nothing we could do to get her to stop [crying].
I was falling apart," recalls Chalese Karas of Marblehead,
Mass., whose 2-year-old had colic symptoms as an infant.
If your baby is showing colic symptoms, you are not alone.
"Up to a third of infants have colic," says Jennifer Shu, MD,
co-author of Heading Home with Your Newborn: From Birth
to Reality and a pediatrician with Children's Medical Group
in Atlanta. And while colic may get worse before it gets
better, symptoms usually last only a few months.
Colic Symptoms: What Is Colic?
If your baby is fussy, you may be wondering if it is colic.
Doctors generally diagnose colic when there is no known
reason for prolonged crying. "It tends to be in the evening,"
says Dr. Shu. But the crying can occur at any time with
babies who are just fussy or those with acid reflux, a
condition some babies have in which stomach acid flows up
into the throat.
With colic, there is a "rule of threes," explains Shu. Colic
"starts around three weeks and lasts until about three
months," she says. "The crying lasts for at least three
hours." To figure out whether your baby has colic, consider
keeping a diary, suggests Shu. "Sometimes it helps to write
down how often the baby is crying," she says. "It can seem
like hours, but if you actually put it down on paper, it may
be more like 30 minutes over the period of a day."
Colic Remedies: Handling the Symptoms
"The problem with colic is that we don't know what causes
it, so it can be hard to treat," says Shu, who recommends
doing whatever makes the child feel better. "At that age,
you want to do whatever you can to comfort your baby. You
are not going to spoil them." She suggests that parents try
the “5 S's” that Harvey Karp, MD, recommends in his book,
The Happiest Baby on the Block (Bantam):
Swaddling
Side positioning
Shhhh (a soothing sound)
Swinging
Sucking
If the child show signs of illness, such as refusing to eat,
vomiting, diarrhea, or lethargy, call a doctor, adds Shu.
Otherwise, a simple change in the baby's environment may
help. After making sure the baby is not too hot or too cold
and that his diaper is clean, she recommends the following:
Move the baby to a swing.
Take the baby for a ride in the car.
Walk the baby in a stroller.
Run the vacuum or creating some other type of
background noise.
And, most importantly, take a break if you find yourself
becoming frazzled by your colic baby. "It can be really
frustrating for parents to be around a baby with colic," says
Shu. "If you feel like you are getting really upset with the
colic baby, put her in a crib or bassinet and get someone
else to watch her for a few minutes. If you need a break,
take one."
frequent feedings, constant diaper changes, little sleep, and
anxiety over the new life you're responsible for, you are
most likely exhausted. And if your baby has colic
symptoms, it can compound the stress you are already
feeling.
"There was nothing we could do to get her to stop [crying].
I was falling apart," recalls Chalese Karas of Marblehead,
Mass., whose 2-year-old had colic symptoms as an infant.
If your baby is showing colic symptoms, you are not alone.
"Up to a third of infants have colic," says Jennifer Shu, MD,
co-author of Heading Home with Your Newborn: From Birth
to Reality and a pediatrician with Children's Medical Group
in Atlanta. And while colic may get worse before it gets
better, symptoms usually last only a few months.
Colic Symptoms: What Is Colic?
If your baby is fussy, you may be wondering if it is colic.
Doctors generally diagnose colic when there is no known
reason for prolonged crying. "It tends to be in the evening,"
says Dr. Shu. But the crying can occur at any time with
babies who are just fussy or those with acid reflux, a
condition some babies have in which stomach acid flows up
into the throat.
With colic, there is a "rule of threes," explains Shu. Colic
"starts around three weeks and lasts until about three
months," she says. "The crying lasts for at least three
hours." To figure out whether your baby has colic, consider
keeping a diary, suggests Shu. "Sometimes it helps to write
down how often the baby is crying," she says. "It can seem
like hours, but if you actually put it down on paper, it may
be more like 30 minutes over the period of a day."
Colic Remedies: Handling the Symptoms
"The problem with colic is that we don't know what causes
it, so it can be hard to treat," says Shu, who recommends
doing whatever makes the child feel better. "At that age,
you want to do whatever you can to comfort your baby. You
are not going to spoil them." She suggests that parents try
the “5 S's” that Harvey Karp, MD, recommends in his book,
The Happiest Baby on the Block (Bantam):
Swaddling
Side positioning
Shhhh (a soothing sound)
Swinging
Sucking
If the child show signs of illness, such as refusing to eat,
vomiting, diarrhea, or lethargy, call a doctor, adds Shu.
Otherwise, a simple change in the baby's environment may
help. After making sure the baby is not too hot or too cold
and that his diaper is clean, she recommends the following:
Move the baby to a swing.
Take the baby for a ride in the car.
Walk the baby in a stroller.
Run the vacuum or creating some other type of
background noise.
And, most importantly, take a break if you find yourself
becoming frazzled by your colic baby. "It can be really
frustrating for parents to be around a baby with colic," says
Shu. "If you feel like you are getting really upset with the
colic baby, put her in a crib or bassinet and get someone
else to watch her for a few minutes. If you need a break,
take one."
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