What Colic IS and ISN'T

[Hollyadmin]

I thought it would be helpful to make a list of all the things we know about colic. I would venture to guess that 90% of people would say colic is caused by gas or stomach pain. Clearly the research no longer supports this theory. So then what is colic?

Colic ISN'T:

• Caused by gas or stomach pain
• Harmful to the baby
• A reaction to foods a breastfeeding mother is consuming (although babies may certainly react to certain foods, particularly dairy)
• Acid reflux (although again, a small number of babies do have painful reflux or GERD); however, this is different than colic
• A medical condition
• Something you can generally 'cure'; particularly not by gas drops or gripe water.
  

Colic IS:

• Normal, affecting anywhere from 20-40% of babies
• Predictable: It begins around 3 weeks of age, peaks at 6 weeks of age, and is generally gone by 4 months
• Often worst in the evenings
• By definition, crying for at least 3 hours a day, 3 days a week, for at least 3 weeks
• Scary, as the baby often appears to be in pain, clenching their fists, turning red, pulling their legs up to their chest, etc.
• Often helped by the use of L. Reuteri Probiotics
• Temporary
• Absolutely draining for the parents and caregivers
• Sometimes the cause of postpartum depression, anxiety and marital stress

Anything I should add to this list?

[jiwel]

Holly,

In your experience, what would you characterize a infant (now a toddler) that wakes up screaming a few times a night with terrible gas pain that subsides if she can push hard enough to pass the gas bubble and that only usually happens at night? 

Also, what would you recommend?  (We have tried gas drops and gripe water - neither have worked)

[Hollyadmin]

Hmmm...well, I'm definitely not a doctor, so don't take my thoughts as fact

My first thought, is if it's gas, why only at night? Is it possible that it's night terrors? Is she unsettled/fussy during the day too?

Have you ever tried probiotics? The research done was with colicky infants, but since they're natural, I would give them a try to see if they help at all. They're more for helping digestion, but I would imagine it could help with gas too...

[danakn1]

I would say colic ISN'T something that is always magically over at 3 months - it took Lily 6 and I would still say she is strong willed!

[sheeshoo2]

Agreed!  Everyone thinks 3 months is the magical time where they suddenly "snap out of it" but Cole has yet to do this and he is 7 months old ;-)

[Hollyadmin]

Thanks ladies!  I totally know what you mean about the colic never really ending, but I guess what I was wondering is if there was a point at which the red-faced, inconsolable crying/screaming stopped? (I hope it has?!  )

[Mbrown602]

Wow, it's been almost 15 years since I had my first baby but I remember her to cry all the time. It seems to me that it lasted more than 4 months -- more like anywhere from 6 to 8 months???

Now that she's nearly 15, I have a much different relationship with her. She's my shopping partner now at the mall  and my fashion and makeup advisor, lol! When I look back at her infant days, I remember how I thought that I could never love this kid because she cried so much and caused so much frustration. Now that I have a 6 week old at home, I try to think of this to keep me going.