What is Colic? And What Can You Do About it?
Colic was defined by Dr.
Morris Wessel as crying for more than 3 hours a day, 3 times a week, for 3 weeks or more.
The baby appears to be gassy and in pain, pulling his knees up to his chest.
The baby may be inconsolable.
Colic often occurs around the same time each day, particularly in the evening.
It is a condition marked by recurrent episodes of prolonged and uncontrollable crying and irritability in an otherwise healthy infant.
Colic usually subsides by three to four months of age.
There is no known cure for colic.
In fact, no one even knows for sure what colic is.
Often a baby who cries often, and for no apparent reason is said to have colic.
It is simply a way of describing a particular behaviour in infants.
Signs and Symptoms of Colic: * Baby appears to be in pain, pulling legs up to chest * Exhibits red face and clenched fists while screaming or crying * Gassiness (may be due to excessive air being swallowed because of crying) * Crying usually occurs in the evenings or at other predictable times during day; at other times baby appears calm and content * May be inconsolable * Refusal to eat * Difficulty falling or staying asleep Causes of Colic What is the cause of colic? The short answer is this: No one knows the true cause.
Colic is a way to describe unexplained crying in an infant, that certainly seems to be caused by digestive issues, although this has yet to be definitively proven.
New research into the use of probiotics to treat colic looks very promising, however.
What is the Treatment for Colic? Since we are still not totally sure what colic is, there is obviously no magic cure.
Many parents (and even doctors!) looking for a colic treatment have tried: * Gas drops (Simethicone) * Gripe water * Herbal teas * Warm compresses on the tummy * Carrying * Fennel Oil * A low allergen-diet (breastfeeding) * Hypo-allergenic or soy formula * Chiropractic care Colic and Probiotics Major research [ pediatrics.
aappublications.
org/cgi/content/full/119/1/e124 ] released in 2007 points to the use of the probiotic 'L.
Reuteri' as a promising treatment for unexplained infant crying.
The study involved treating 83 infants who met the criteria for colic.
42 of the infants were given Simethicone (gas drops), and 41 were treated with probiotics.
95% of the babies who were treated with Probiotics showed improvement within one week, as opposed to 7% of the babies treated with gas drops.
Morris Wessel as crying for more than 3 hours a day, 3 times a week, for 3 weeks or more.
The baby appears to be gassy and in pain, pulling his knees up to his chest.
The baby may be inconsolable.
Colic often occurs around the same time each day, particularly in the evening.
It is a condition marked by recurrent episodes of prolonged and uncontrollable crying and irritability in an otherwise healthy infant.
Colic usually subsides by three to four months of age.
There is no known cure for colic.
In fact, no one even knows for sure what colic is.
Often a baby who cries often, and for no apparent reason is said to have colic.
It is simply a way of describing a particular behaviour in infants.
Signs and Symptoms of Colic: * Baby appears to be in pain, pulling legs up to chest * Exhibits red face and clenched fists while screaming or crying * Gassiness (may be due to excessive air being swallowed because of crying) * Crying usually occurs in the evenings or at other predictable times during day; at other times baby appears calm and content * May be inconsolable * Refusal to eat * Difficulty falling or staying asleep Causes of Colic What is the cause of colic? The short answer is this: No one knows the true cause.
Colic is a way to describe unexplained crying in an infant, that certainly seems to be caused by digestive issues, although this has yet to be definitively proven.
New research into the use of probiotics to treat colic looks very promising, however.
What is the Treatment for Colic? Since we are still not totally sure what colic is, there is obviously no magic cure.
Many parents (and even doctors!) looking for a colic treatment have tried: * Gas drops (Simethicone) * Gripe water * Herbal teas * Warm compresses on the tummy * Carrying * Fennel Oil * A low allergen-diet (breastfeeding) * Hypo-allergenic or soy formula * Chiropractic care Colic and Probiotics Major research [ pediatrics.
aappublications.
org/cgi/content/full/119/1/e124 ] released in 2007 points to the use of the probiotic 'L.
Reuteri' as a promising treatment for unexplained infant crying.
The study involved treating 83 infants who met the criteria for colic.
42 of the infants were given Simethicone (gas drops), and 41 were treated with probiotics.
95% of the babies who were treated with Probiotics showed improvement within one week, as opposed to 7% of the babies treated with gas drops.
