Colic is a baby's cry until 3 months old with no obvious reason. The phenomenon causes stress to parents, caregiver stuff and the baby itself.
The phenomenon is characterized by unexplainable cry that lasts at least 3 hours a day, in over 3 days a week, and for over 3 weeks. With that, it is important to note that babies without Colic cry a substantial amount of time.
Colic is characterized by having a clear beginning and an end to the cry, but it occurs with no obvious reason. It sounds like something hurts the baby, and it's different from other cries. In addition, it's almost impossible to calm the baby.
It's important to remember that a baby's cry can be a sign for other reasons, like: hunger, hurt, tiredness or sensitivity to food, and one should seek the advice of a nurse or a doctor.
A few myths that need to be broken:
* The cry is not a psychological manipulation.
* Hugging and consoling the baby won't make him too spoiled.
* Changing food or medications were not proven as the problem solvers.
* The phenomenon is equally common in both genders, in breastfeeding and in bottle feeding, in first born and the other babies.
The most important objects in the treatment are to reduce the cry, to handle the cry and the additional helplessness. The most important thing is supporting the parent. It's important for the parent to know it does not mean he's a bad parent, and it's normal and common. In case there's an emotional burden it's important to give the parent a bit "time off", that someone else will watch the baby, so the parent can be eased from the stressful situation. Shaking or any other violent behavior will not help to calm the baby, and might hurt the baby or even get him killed.
Changes that can be made for those who eat breast milk substitutes are:
* Using bottle nipples that prevent penetration of air.
* Feeding the baby as he's sited, with burp encouragement.
* Transition to vegetal formula or other was not significantly proved as helpful, but sometimes with a doctor's advice it's possible to try other formulas for a week, although they are more expensive and not necessarily more efficient.
A change that can be done with a mammal baby is stopping the consumption of different types of food while breastfeeding, like: milk, eggs, nuts and wheat. In every week one can stop the consumption of a different type of food group, and see its affect. This is more effective with families that suffer from allergy/asthma, or when the baby suffers from symptoms like eczema or sensitivity to cow's protein.
Other changes that can help (although not proven):
* Finding a carrying position that you think can reduce the cry.
* Different parents find methods like pacifier, car rides, hot baths and other techniques to relief the cry.
* Vegetal formulas are considered by some of the parents as affective, but one should consult a doctor or a nurse before using those.
* Baby massage.
Any alarming sign should be followed by immediate medical attention, such as particularly long cry, fear of harm, a cry that follows a fall, body temperature that rises over 38 degrees, extended refusal to eat, weakness or unresponsiveness.
There was no proof that Colic affects the child's long term behavior, such as temperament, sleeping, cognitive function or others. And most important – in most cases the phenomenon disappears in the first few months.
This tip was given by the courtesy of Dr. Oded Wolvelsky – Department of Pediatrics in Ein Kerem.