What is Colic in Babies and how to Cure it?

Colicky babies are a big challenge, especially for new parents, to manage a baby crying and screaming in pain. Sometimes you stand here biting your nails and scratching your head, wondering what to do for Colic. So, if you are a parent and just scrolling through the internet looking for answers for what is Colic in babies, how to know if a baby has Colic and how to soothe colic babies? And much more

Just go through this complete guide, and you will indeed find most of your queries answered.

Here is a highlight of questions that we are going to address below:

• What is colic?
• What brings colic in infants?
• When does colic start?
• How do I know if my baby has colic?
• How to relieve colic in babies?
• When does colic go away?
• What food causes colic in breastfed babies?
• What to give a baby with colic?

What is Colic?

Colic is a series of constant crying, fussiness, and agitation in a healthy newborn. It is a condition in which the baby continuously cries for more extended periods. Usually, in this condition, colicky baby cries more than:

• Three days per week
• Three hours a day straight without any apparent reason.

Whatever you try, your baby doesn’t seem to get relieved, and you can wonder when Colic ends? And your baby will get relief. This whole period brings more frustrating and nerve-wracking for new parents who are already super exhausted from sleepless nights, and crying baby.

What is colic in babies and When Does Colic Start?

Colic usually starts a few weeks after childbirth, and the first 6 weeks are considered the most challenging for the baby and the parents caed infantile colic. According to child’s healthcare provider, gassiness may begin with sudden, loud, and uncontrollable crying and usually happens in the evening when parents are already down with all-day hustle and want to have a sound sleep.

How long does Colic last in babies?

Colic may start losing its grip gradually in 3 to 4 months of constant distress on its own. Studies show that only 15% of babies don’t seem to recover from Colic after three months of age entirely.

So if you are wondering, when does Colic end? The answer is not always the same for all babies. Many babies might take 6 months to recover completely after colic diagnosed. However, you can use colic drops for babies to comfort them.

Colic symptoms in breastfed babies : How To Know If My Baby has Colic?

Babies cry for several reasons. Crying and fussiness are common in every newborn, and there is nothing to worry about. However, suppose the baby is constantly crying for more than 3 hours a day. In that case, you can conclude that your baby is suffering from Colic, and you have to be mentally prepared for symptoms of colic in babies every passing day.

Here are some symptoms of Colic that can be noticed in breastfeeding babies:

• Excessive crying and screaming without apparent reason, such as hunger or diaper change.
• Baby’s crying episodes start at the same time every day. It happens mainly in the evening. However, babies cry can get fussy at any time of the day.
• Body parts seem to get pulled up or stiffened with pain, such as clenched fists, stiffened legs and arms, tightened abdomen, and curling up their back.
• Face color turns reddish or pale around the mouth.
• The baby seems fussy and irritated even after crying has stopped.

Sometimes, the colic symptoms in babies seem to get alleviated after bowel movements (pooping) or when the baby passes gas. Because when healthy baby cries for prolonged periods, they may swallowing air that turns into gas. Gas tends to make the tummy look swollen or tighten up the stomach that leads to an answer of when does colic start?

Organic causes of excessive crying

What causes colic in babies? The exact cause of Colic is yet to be known.Researchers are still looking for answers to the following questions: how the ratio of Colic varies among babies, why it mostly starts at the end of the day, how it settles down on its own, and so many other questions.

Food that causes Colic in babies

So, if you are wondering, What food causes Colic in breastfed infants and what to give a baby with colic? Maternal diets directly link to a baby’s irritability and can cause food allergies and intolerance in infants, such as Colic and reflux in babies.

If a mother’s diet involves the constant intake of chocolate, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, onions, and cow’s milk can, they can affect the baby’s digestive system and produce gas in their stomachs, causing colic fits. Therefore, try to avoid excessive intake of such other potentially irritating foods that brings gassiness in babies.

Some of the contributing factors to how to know if my baby has Colic?

• Pain or fussiness by improper digestion or gas accumulated in the stomach
• Underfeeding, Intermittent burping, or overfeeding
• Milk allergy: Hypersensitivity to breast milk or formula that you might be using
• Trouble in getting adapted to the world and loud noise, lights and people seem to make them scared or uncomfortable
• Reflux in babies
• Premature form of childhood migraine or headache
• A digestive system that is partially developed
• Overstimulation
• Inherited emotional response to situations such as excitement, fear, or distress

Baby Colic Remedies: How to relieve excessive crying in infants?

There are many tips to calm colicky babies down and comfort them. Here are some of the old home remedies for Colic to cure the colic signs in breastfed babies and suggestions noted by a child’s healthcare specialists that will give you a clear idea of managing your baby’s cry without being clueless.

Colic treated: Old home remedies for Colic

How do you relieve colic in babies? Here are some old home remedies for colic:

• Give your baby interesting things to make them curious and excited such as colors, textures, and shapes
• Rock your baby in a sleeping cot or your lap
• Give him\her a warm bath
• Place them in an infant swing or vibrating seat.
• Swaddle your baby.
• Use best bottles for colic and reflux
• Rub your baby’s back gently by placing them on your lap or cushion on his or her belly facing downwards and baby face forward.
• Burp your baby frequently to avoid gas accumulation and lessen the amount of swallowed air.
• An adult family member can give a gentle massage to healthy infants.
• Wrap them up in a soft, cozy blanket
• Playing different soundtracks or use white noise machine to help to calm down a fussy baby
• Try to use a curved bottle to feed baby formula. That way, you will hold the baby in an upright position.
• Put a lukewarm water bottle on the baby’s belly
• Give your breastfed baby a best pacifier to keep them engaged.
• Try to understand your baby’s crying pattern. You will distinguish when the baby is crying for food or Colic.

Colic Drops for Babies: A Temporary Pain Reliever

Colic drops help babies release extra gas and serve as a temporary relief from pain or distress. Gripe water are primarily used to remove the pressure that has tightened up your baby’s stomach. Old home remedies for gassiness problems and these drops can help your baby cope with the pain to a great extent.

How to use colic drops for babies?

If you are using colic drops for babies without consulting with any doctor, read all of the instructions given on the package before giving them to the baby. However, if a doctor prescribes it, you can use it according to recommended dosages.

The ideal time to provide colic drops to an infant is at bedtime and right after meals or as advised by the doctor. Tips for using pain-relieving drops:

• Shake the container before the use
• Use a dropper or a measuring device to measure the dose
• Avoid using any random spoon as you may not get the right dose
• Slowly release the liquid from the dropper at the side inside the cheek to prevent choking
• You can also add 1 ounce of cold water, juice, or formula in colic drops

Moreover, What to give a baby with Colic? Always keep gripe water and colic drops for babies available at your home because you never know when your young child will start getting crying fits, and they tend to release gas and provide temporary relief from pain.

To know How to soothe a colic baby? To comfort your baby, you need to calm your mind first. Remember that Colic doesn’t cause any short-term or long-term medical problems. It is a typical phase in infants, and you need to manage it with great patience.

Keep observing and understanding your child’s behaviors that will help you comfort your baby in many ways. Don’t blame yourself for your child’s condition because constant guilt and stress will affect your mental health badly.

Holistic Nutrition

Avoid food that causes Colic. Make sure to include nutritional elements in your diets, such as grains, porridge, vegetables, fruits, and low-fat dietary sources. These are the basic colic remedies for breastfed babies.

As infantile colic is stressful, it can cause several complications in parents juggling how to know if the baby has Colic and how long does Colic last in most babies?. Worst levels of stress have been seen in new parents. Research has shown a grand alliance between high levels of stress and the following problems.

• Early termination of breastfeeding
• Shaken baby syndrome
• Abnormal increase in postpartum depression
• Feelings of extreme rage, helplessness, crying, self-doubts, and guilt

Conclusion

Managing a colicky child is not going to be easy. Often, you will feel clueless about when Colic goes away, how to know if your baby has Colic or if this is normal crying and what to do for Colic, to calm your baby down, and to hear the baby’s giggles and watch him play again. But awareness and advice from baby’s doctor can make these events less stressful and help you tackle them with a sound and prepared mind.

Keep in mind that you don’t shake your baby often without knowing what to do for Colic as it can cause damage to their sensitive brain. Educate yourself about Colic and consult your child’s specialist to stay updated and handle colicky infants more carefully.

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