Everything You Need to Know About Colic

Everything You Need to Know About Colic

Staff Writer |Nov 17, 2023

What is Colic?

Colic is a rather common condition found in many infants. The temporary ailment often appears after a couple of months of being born. Although the disease is not lethal or dangerous for a baby, it is not pleasant either.

Although researchers do not believe the condition has any permanent effects on an infant’s health, this does not mean that parents will not want to seek a diagnosis.

Who is at Risk for Colic?

This disease can affect any baby, however, some maternal behaviors during pregnancy can contribute to a heightened chance of diagnosis. These behaviors include:

  • Substance abuse: including illegal drug use and alcohol.
  • Smoking: anything with tobacco.
  • Insufficient weight gain: more common in teen pregnancy.
  • Medical complications: such as blood pressure problems, diabetes or heart conditions.

Please keep in mind that no baby is immune to colic. The disease often develops in the absence of any risk factors.

Colic Signs and Symptoms

Unfortunately, a baby cannot tell you when they are feeling upset. Instead, you must learn how to identify your infant’s signs of distress.

There are several things that are easily recognizable as something being wrong. Consider going to a doctor if your baby exhibits some of the following symptoms.

Crying Fits

Crying is a baby’s key method of communication. It is their way to let you know something is up. As any parent would tell you, crying is an activity infants do a lot of. Whether they saw something that startled them or needed a diaper change.

Although it may not seem like it sometimes, babies cry for a reason. Unfortunately, sometimes their reasons for crying are not obvious. When there seems to be no visible cause for their distress, there is sometimes something deeper going on. If these seemingly random episodes of crying happen regularly around the same time every evening or night, colic might be to blame. Other times colic-induced crying will likely take place are during feedings or sleeping.

Tense Posture

Signs of distress do not always have to be loud. You can tell a lot about a baby through their body language. Abnormally tense posture is sometimes a sign that something is wrong. A tightened tummy, “fetal position,” or tightened fists can also be an indication of colic.

Excessive Flatulence

Farting is a perfectly healthy occurrence in any infant. What is not normal is when your baby cries while it passes gas. If your baby is farting excessively or crying during it, talk to their pediatrician.

Keep in mind that all infants experience colic a little differently. It may be possible that your baby only faces mild symptoms. It is also important to recognize that these symptoms are rather vague. Colic is most often diagnosed after the possibility of other maladies is eliminated.

Babies demonstrating these behaviors may be experiencing a more serious medical condition than colic. Contact a trained medical physician immediately if you ever believe there is something wrong with your child.

What Causes Colic?

Sadly, there is no concrete cause of colic. This does not mean that experts have no idea what is behind this illness. Many researchers believe that flatulence or indigestion plays the role of colic in infants.

These abnormalities could be due to early developmental factors of an infant’s digestive system. For instance, discomfort may occur because their gut is sensitive and immature.

Many of the colic symptoms seem to mimic those of lactose intolerance, urging some doctors to question whether there is an intolerance to the ingredients of breast milk or formula.

Unfortunately, studies have yet to confidently support these claims and there seems to be no difference in colic development between infants who are breastfed and those who are fed with formula.

Colic Treatment

Whether or not you treat colic depends on the severity of the symptoms. If you are dealing with some of the more severe symptoms, there are some solutions you can try.

Eliminating Cow Milk

Depending on how you choose to feed your infant, this can mean one of two things. If you bottle feed, you should look into some hypoallergenic formulas. If you breastfeed, begin a dairy-free diet. This is not guaranteed to help, so if you do not notice any improvements, feel free to go back to your normal lifestyle.

Drops

You should never give your baby anything that is not first approved by a pediatrician. If you believe that your infant needs to have some help in managing their colic symptoms, consider consulting your pediatrician about simethicone or lactose drops. Simethicone drops help reduce the amount of trapped wind while lactose drops help break down enzymes found in milk.

As the condition is not shown to cause any short or long-term deficits, it is often recommended to just wait it out. Colic is only a temporary condition that will go away with a little patience and time.

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Staff Writer | November 17, 2023

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