Cries of colic: Hardly music to a parent's ears
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Your baby cries for hours on end for no apparent reason, tucking those tiny knees close to the stomach as if in severe pain. To make matters worse, the attacks often occur in the evening, when you're most tired and your patience thin.
Nothing seems to stop the crying of a colicky infant, not feeding, changing diapers or cuddling. But doctors at Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics in Kansas City, Missouri, say parents can take heart: Colic is rarely dangerous and doesn't last a long time. Usually it begins after an infant is two weeks old and ends by the fourth month.
The cause of colic remains a mystery, says Dr. Ken Wible, chief of General Pediatrics at Children's Mercy. Some pediatricians think it's because of an underdeveloped digestive tract. Others blame it on food allergies, abdominal gas, not enough sleep or oversensitivity to a busy and noisy home. It could be a combination of these factors.
Once in awhile, colic may be an early sign of a serious medical
problem. You should call or see your doctor if: the colic is
accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea or black or bloody stools; the baby
has a fever higher than 101 degrees; your baby is less than two weeks
or more than four months old; an attack of colic lasts more than four
hours; or your infant is taking a prescription drug.
It's important to check with your baby's doctor to be sure you're
coping with colic and not a more serious medical problem.
Once that's done, the following tips, offered by Dr. Wible and his colleagues at the Pediatric Care Center of Children's Mercy, will help prevent colic and help you care for the colicky baby:
- Hold your baby upright rather than lie him/her down at feeding time to avoid swallowing air.
- If breast feeding, watch your intake of caffeine and stop eating milk products on a one-week trial period. One study showed that when the mother stops eating diary products, the baby's colic disappeared.
- Make mealtime a quiet, calm time.
- Feed more frequently. Burp your baby more often.
- Do not overheat the milk or formula.
- Make sure the bottle's nipple holes aren't too small. Tiny holes cause the baby to swallow air as they suck.
- Use a pacifier.
- Wrap your baby in a cozy blanket and gently rock him or her, or use an automatic swing.
- Try the "colic carry." Carefully place your baby face down, with her/his face on your open hand and legs straddling your inner elbow.
- Support your baby by holding his/her back with your other hand and walk around the house for awhile.
- Vacuum while carrying your infant in a baby carrier worn on your chest. Apparently, the noise of a running vacuum cleaner soothes a colicky baby.
- Play soothing music. This may benefit you as well as the baby.
- Take your baby for a ride outdoors in the stroller or in the car.
- Run the dryer or dishwasher. Put your baby in an infant seat and lean it against the side of the dryer or on the counter close to the dishwasher. (Stay close to avoid hurting the baby with the steam these appliances release.) The vibrations may put the child to sleep.
- Do not give your baby liquid antacids. They have not been shown to help.
- Let your baby cry himself to sleep. (Don't let them cry for more than four hours.)
One last bit of advice, perhaps the most important doctors can give: Stay calm and try to relax. It takes a lot of patience and tolerance to deal with a screaming baby, especially when nothing seems wrong. While none of the suggestions above will cure colic, they may bring you and your baby some relief.
And remember, they'll grow out of this, too!
