Sneh Children Hospital

All You Need to Know About Colic in Babies

You bring your newborn baby to your home from the hospital and after spending marvelous weeks with your baby, a few weeks later, you experience your newborn crying and fussing frequently, face turning red, and drawing their legs up without any clear reason. Any effort of yours can’t comfort your baby. 

Your baby repeats the same thing every day at the same time. It becomes very difficult for you to comfort your baby when your baby is in this stage. This situation describes as infantile colic. About 20% of infant experience this situation and it happens in 6 weeks of life. 

What is colic?  
Colic is the term that described your healthy baby crying for a long time and resisting your every effort to soothe those tears. This phase is very common between two weeks to six weeks and ends about 4 months of age.

Keep in mind that, how much you get angry due to colic, your infant should not be shaken as it can cause adverse effects such as brain damage or blindness. If you are feeling so much trouble dealing with your emotions then you should consult a doctor. A doctor can recommend a way to calm you.

Even though your best possible effort, it is difficult to soothe your baby then it is best to get help from the best pediatric doctor in Ahmedabad. A doctor can diagnose any medical causes for the crying including:

      • Ear infection or urinary infection

      • Soy milk or cow milk allergy

      • Nappy rash or any other kind of irritation

      • Gastro-oesophageal reflux 

    How can I say that my baby has colic?
    It is very common that infants are crying for various reasons, but your baby does not stop crying and lasts throughout the day or night even though your baby is healthy. The other symptoms of colic include:

        • Face turns bright red or purple when crying

        • Crying like an infant in severe pain

        • Start crying around the same time

        • Arch their backs

        • Clench their fists

        • Curled legs

      What causes colic?
      Unfortunately, doctors have no definite reason for why this happens. But behind this situation, there are some theories which are:

          • Gas

          • Growing digestive system and nervous system

          • Overstimulation

          • Conveyed anxiety

          • Chemical imbalance

          • Stomach pain or acid reflux

          • Food allergies

        Colic diagnosis:
        However there is no special sign of colic, while you visit the doctor, he will examine the below things:

            • Breathing

            • Skin tone

            • Weight

            • Body temperature

          What is the treatment for colic?
          There is no certain reason for colic, there is no specific treatment for it. But here are some steps to soothe your infant:

              • Ensure that your infant does not have an empty stomach

              • If your baby is on your breastfeeding, then you should ask the doctor which food you should not eat that might cause an allergic reaction or irritation

              • Ride them in your car

              • Sit your baby on a swing

            When to consult a doctor?
            Even though colic is common in infants, you should not ignore it if the above treatments are not working. Because your baby can have something else. The pediatric doctor in Ahmedabad recommends some things to try. It might help you to calm them down. If one does not work then you should try another.

            Dr. Khanjan Shah

            Dr. Khanjan Shah

            Dr. Khanjan Shah, M.D. in Pediatrics with a Fellowship in Pediatric Critical Care, is the author of this article. He ensures that all information provided from Sneh Children Hospital is backed by thorough research conducted by himself and other specialists, guaranteeing authenticity and reliability.