Colic

Symptoms of colic

‘Colic’ is the term used for babies who cry a lot. Typically the crying starts at about 2 weeks of age and stops at about 12 weeks. The baby will cry for several hours, normally in the evening. Colic is not an illness as such but it can be very distressing for parents. No one knows what causes colic, there have been many speculations and experiments but still no one knows what causes it or how to treat it. If your baby has colic, the first few months will probably be extra hard work.

What can I do?

There are many things that people suggest trying to sooth your baby: using a sling that keeps your baby upright and snuggled into you; bouncing your baby up and down; white noise such as the vacuum cleaner; going for a ride in the car. There are also many preparations that you can buy over the counter, these are mostly designed to reduce wind, but it may be worth trying them. (I didn’t find them very helpful even with my windy baby.) Cows’ milk protein intolerance can present as a ‘colicky’ baby so it may be worth trying a cows’ milk free diet (go to your GP first.) Hopefully you will find something that works for your baby, and if not, remember, it should just disappear at 3 months.