What makes babies get colic

Clenching their fists when crying or curling up their legs. Turning bright red when crying. What causes colic? How is colic diagnosed? Can colic be prevented or avoided? Colic treatment Colic may be triggered by certain things. Everything you consume gets passed to your baby and can affect them. Avoid caffeine and chocolate, which act as stimulants. Avoid dairy products and nuts, in case your baby is allergic to them.

Babies can be sensitive to certain proteins in formula. Try feeding your baby smaller meals but more often. Avoid feeding your baby too much or too quickly. One bottle feeding should last about 20 minutes. If your baby eats faster, try using a nipple with a smaller hole.

This will slow down their feeding. Try warming the formula to body temperature. Try feeding your baby in an upright position. Holding your baby Babies who have colic can sometimes respond well to different ways of being held or rocked. Hold your baby across your arm or lap while you massage their back. Hold your baby upright, if they have gas. Hold your baby in the evening. Hold your baby while walking.

Rock your baby in your arms or by using an infant swing. Your baby does not usually need to see a doctor if they have colic. Speak to your health visitor for advice and support. But there's very little evidence these things work. Speak to your health visitor for further advice. You know better than anyone else what your child is usually like. Up to 1 in 4 newborn babies may have it. Colic often begins suddenly, with loud and mostly nonstop crying.

This constant, extreme crying can be very stressful and difficult for parents. Babies with colic are often fussy, gassy, and don't sleep well. But in most cases they grow and gain weight normally. Colic will go away on its own. This often happens by age 3 months, and in most cases by age 6 months. There are a few theories about why it happens. Colic may occur when babies:. A healthy baby may have colic if he or she cries or is fussy for several hours a day, for no obvious reason.

Colicky babies often cry from 6 p. Colicky crying is louder, more high-pitched, and more urgent sounding than regular crying. Colicky babies can be very hard to calm down. The symptoms of colic can be like other health conditions. Make sure your child sees his or her healthcare provider for a diagnosis.

He or she will give your child a physical exam. You may be asked questions such as:. Blood tests and X-rays or other imaging tests may be done.

These can help find out if your baby has other health problems. There are many tips for helping to soothe and deal with a colicky baby. Know that this is a common problem for new babies. Talk with your child's healthcare provider to find out more about colic and what you can do.

If your baby is bottle-fed, it may help to use a curved bottle. This lets you hold your baby in an upright position. To reduce the amount of air your baby swallows during feeding, burp your baby often. Using a bottle with a collapsible bag or liner may also help. Learning how to understand your baby's cry can help in dealing with colic.

It takes some time for parents and babies to get used to each other. If you breastfeed your baby, the provider may suggest that you avoid foods that are likely to cause an allergic reaction.

This means that you should not have milk, eggs, nuts, or wheat for a period of time. Dealing with a colicky baby is stressful. It may help to let someone care for your baby from time to time. Colic usually peaks around 6 to 8 weeks and then slowly dissipates, disappearing completely around 3 to 4 months of age. Lester says the colic symptom checklist includes the sudden onset of a high-pitched, screechy "pain cry" and inconsolability.

What's the difference between normal crying and colic? With normal crying, the wails are usually related to a need feeding, holding, changing, etc , and come in no particular pattern throughout the day and night. Fussy babies tend to calm down with cuddling, being held, or being rocked. With colic, you don't know what your baby wants. Colic isn't a sign that your baby is sick, although things such as reflux, food allergies , and exposure to cigarette smoke can cause further aggravation and tears.

Nor is it a sign that your baby has belly pain , although the way she grimaces, clenches her body, arches her back, pulls her legs up, and screams till she's purple can make it seem so. What causes colic—and why some babies experience it and others don't—remains a mystery. Here are some theories:. Overstimulation: Some doctors view colic as a natural developmental stage as babies adjust to all the different sensations and experiences that come with life outside the womb.

Karp calls this "the fourth trimester. Digestive Issues: Some babies suffer from enlarged stomachs or increased gas during their crying spells, leaving some experts to believe gas pain causes the screaming. Excessive gas can be caused by lactose intolerance, an allergy to milk, or gas-producing foods passed through the breast milk , such as caffeine, nuts, or some vegetables.

Infant acid reflux may also cause digestive issues. Conveyed Anxiety: It's not unusual for a new mom to be stressed out and anxious by the end of the day. Some experts believe the anxiety of a mother rubs off on her baby and causes the baby to be "stressed out" too.

Chemical Imbalance: Yet another theory is that colic stems from an imbalance of the brain chemicals melatonin and serotonin. Colicky babies might have more serotonin, which makes the intestinal muscles contract, says Marc Weissbluth, M.