Y'all bring your newborn dwelling house, and for weeks yous marvel at your babe who does little more than slumber, eat, pee and cry.

Then one day a few weeks afterward, he erupts in prolonged, ear-shattering wails, complete with clenched fists, flailing legs and an unhappy carmine face up.

No matter what you try, you lot tin't condolement your crying babe — and that'due south not all: He repeats these heartbreaking, stressful episodes every night at the aforementioned time for what seems similar forever. Welcome to the world of colic.

What is colic?

The reality is, all babies cry. It's the best (and just) way for them to communicate their needs at this tender age. And as parents, we're biologically programmed to reply and then those needs get met.

But in babies with colic, the crying starts of a sudden for no credible reason … and has no apparent cure.

Colic is not a disease or diagnosis but a combination of baffling behaviors. It'southward really just a catch-all term for excessive crying in otherwise healthy babies — the problem being, in that location'due south no solution to it besides the passing of time. And information technology'south common, occurring in roughly 1 in 5 infants.

These fussy periods can go on for hours at a time, sometimes late into the night. Worst of all, endeavor as you lot might — and attempt you volition — it'south extremely difficult to at-home a colicky baby, which only compounds your ain frustration, worry and burnout.

Doctors usually diagnose baby colic based on the "rules of 3." Your baby's crying:

  • Totals at to the lowest degree 3 hours a day
  • Occurs at to the lowest degree three days a week
  • Persists for at to the lowest degree three weeks in a row

How to soothe colic in babies

In improver to frustration and exhaustion, you may have feelings of inadequacy and guilt every bit you try in vain to soothe your fussy baby. So while staying at-home is easier said than done, these strategies may aid ease the strain until colic passes.

Merely give each a off-white shot before you switch to some other (and don't pull out too many tricks at one time, or you'll overload baby's circuits — and step upwardly the crying you're trying to terminate). Talk to your doc for tips and possible causes of your baby's colic too.

If you doubtable overstimulation:

  • Reply. Crying is a baby's only fashion of communicating his needs. But information technology'due south also his only style of wielding any control at all over a vast and bewildering new surround: He cries, yous come running to his side — powerful stuff when you're otherwise completely powerless. In fact, studies testify that responding promptly to your infant's cries will reduce his crying in the long run.
  • Excise excitement. Limit visitors and avoid exposing your baby to new experiences in stimulating environments, peculiarly in the tardily afternoon and early evening. Lookout man how your infant responds to certain stimuli — and steer clear of any that seem to offend.
  • Create calm. Trying to make your baby's environment peaceful might aid him relax. Dim the lights, speak or sing in soothing tones (or don't speak at all) and keep other noise and distractions to a minimum.

If you doubtable gastrointestinal issues:

  • Utilize pressure to babe's tummy. Some colicky babies observe relief when pressure level is placed on the abdomen — and the power of touch alone can be very soothing for both parent and kid. So place your babe face-down on your lap or upright with his stomach against your shoulder, or attempt the "colic conduct," where your little i lies face-downwards with his belly resting on your arm. Then gently rub or pat his back every bit yous concur him.
  • Try burping your babe.If your baby's inconsolable fussiness is due to gas, sometimes burping him will help save the pain. Brand certain yous're burping your baby effectively.
  • Inquire most antigas drops.Studies show that reducing gas may reduce the discomfort (and crying). So ask your pediatrician about trying gas drops made with simethicone, which works by breaking up gas bubbles and can salve your baby's symptoms. Though research hasn't nonetheless shown that this treatment definitively helps with colic, your doctor may retrieve it's worth a endeavor.
  • Consider probiotics. Probiotic drops may potentially curb the crying in some colicky babies, probably because they ease tummy troubles (probiotic bacteria grow naturally in the digestive tract and help promote intestinal health). Again, research is very express, but bank check with your pediatrician to see if you should give it a go.
  • Watch what you consume. If you lot're breastfeeding, talk to your doctor most whether you should attempt temporarily eliminating any foods from your diet that tin can cause breadbasket troubles for your baby, such as gas-causing cruciferous veggies (cabbage, cauliflower and others), acidic citrus fruits or allergenic foods (dairy, soy, wheat, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish).
  • Inquire virtually switching formulas. For some formula-fed infants, swapping a standard diversity for i designed for sensitive tummies or one that doesn't incorporate cow's milk can make a divergence. Studies have found that giving colicky babies hypoallergenic whey-hydrolyzed formula decreases colic symptoms in some babies. But be sure to get your dr.'s approval before making the switch. Too, steer clear of casein-hydrolyzed formula or partially hydrolyzed formulas equally therapies for colic — there simply isn't enough evidence that they work.

Other calming remedies for colicky babies:

  • Get close.Not just does cuddling, wearing or carrying your babe requite him the pleasure of security and physical closeness to you (and after 9 months of abiding closeness, that may be just what baby's crying for), but it may help you lot tune in better to his needs. Worried that holding your infant likewise much will make him spoiled or clingy? Prepare those fears aside. Yous tin can't spoil a newborn — so if holding him seems to soothe him, caress away.
  • Swaddle.Toss a blanket in the dryer and while it's however warm, wrap information technology snugly around your little ane. The combination of warmth and the feeling of security may assistance dry out baby's tears.
  • Attempt white noise. The hum of the vacuum cleaner or dryer can exist comforting to babies (it reminds them of the womb). A white dissonance machine can as well assistance.
  • Play soothing music.A crying baby might also respond to the quiet singing of a lullaby or softly playing classical music. Other infants enjoy the sounds of nature or the whir of a fan. Repeating "shh" or "ahh" to your lilliputian one can as well aid. Experiment to find something your babe seems to like.
  • Become in motion.Attempt swinging or rocking. Newborns find gentle motion comforting, since it feels similar what they experienced in the womb.
  • Offer a pacifier. Some colicky babies seem to desire to consume all the time — and that might be because sucking is soothing, not because they're hungry. So if your child seems ravenous frequently and adequate feedings don't seem to satisfy him, a pacifier might help. Cheque in with your doc if you're non sure whether infant is getting enough to eat at mealtimes, though.
  • Get out of the house.Sometimes just a alter to an outdoor location volition magically change a babe'south mood. Movement can help too. Take your baby for a walk in the stroller or carrier, or strap him into the motorcar seat for a bulldoze (only turn around and head home if the crying continues in the car — otherwise it could distract you from the road).

Remember, you should never requite your baby whatsoever medication, herbal or otherwise, without talking to your pediatrician kickoff. And ever talk to your doctor before making major changes in your nutrition or your baby's.

Colic symptoms

How do you lot know for sure if your baby'due south colicky? Here are some signs of colic to look out for:

  • Information technology bears repeating, merely colic generally follows a "rules of iii" design: The crying lasts a full of at least 3 hours a solar day, at to the lowest degree three days a week and for at to the lowest degree three consecutive weeks.
  • Crying often occurs at around the same time every day (commonly in the late afternoon or early evening, only it can vary).
  • Your baby seems to be crying for no reason (not because he has a muddy diaper or is hungry or tired).
  • Infant may pull up his legs, clamp his fists and generally move his legs and artillery more.
  • Your infant will often volition close his eyes or open up them very wide, furrow his brow and even hold his jiff briefly.
  • Bowel action may increase, and he may pass gas or spit up.
  • Eating and sleeping are disrupted by the crying — baby frantically seeks a nipple merely to turn down it in one case sucking has begun, or dozes for a few moments only to wake up screaming.

What's the difference betwixt colic and normal crying?

In that location isn't a clear definition of exactly what colic is or how (and if) it differs from other types of crying.

But doctors typically agree that colic crying is louder, more intense and college-pitched than normal crying — sometimes almost like screaming.

Colicky babies also seem inconsolable, and tend to weep more throughout the day than babies without colic. (It may very well feel similar around the clock, much to tired and fraught parents' dismay, but in reality information technology could corporeality to a few hours total.)

Nigh oftentimes, colicky periods recur daily, though some babies take an occasional nighttime off.

How to Calm a Crying Newborn

When does colic offset and end?

The good news is that babe colic doesn't concluding forever. Most bouts kickoff when baby is nigh 2 to three weeks old (later in premature infants), peak at effectually 6 weeks then typically begin to taper off by 10 to 12 weeks.

By three months (though usually a lilliputian later in preterm babies), almost colicky infants seem to be miraculously cured. The colic may terminate suddenly — or cease gradually, with some practiced days and some bad days until most of them are good and it'due south clear the stage has passed.

In the meantime, a footling knowledge and a lot of patience will help you survive until the tempest subsides.

What causes colic in babies?

While the exact cause of colic is a mystery, experts do know that it'south not the result of genetics or anything that happened during pregnancy or childbirth. Nor is it whatsoever reflection on parenting skills. And it's also not anyone's fault.

That said, here are some theories on possible causes of colicky crying:

  • Overstimulated senses.One explanation: Newborns have a built-in machinery for tuning out sights and sounds around them, which allows them to sleep and eat without being disturbed by their environment. Nigh the end of the start calendar month, however, this mechanism disappears — leaving babies more sensitive to the stimuli in their surroundings. With then many new sensations coming at them, some infants get overwhelmed, frequently at the end of the twenty-four hour period. To release that stress, they cry (and cry and cry). Colic ends, the theory goes, when babe learns how to filter out some ecology stimuli and, in doing and then, avoids a sensory overload.
  • An young digestive system. Digesting food is a large task for a babe's brand new gastrointestinal organization. As a result, nutrient may laissez passer through too quickly and non intermission down completely, resulting in pain from gas in the intestines.
  • Infant acrid reflux. Research has establish that infant GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) can trigger episodes in colicky babies, though information technology doesn't cause colic. Infant GERD is often the result of an underdeveloped lower esophageal sphincter, the muscle that keeps stomach acid from flowing back up into the pharynx and rima oris, which can irritate the esophagus. Symptoms include frequent spitting up, poor eating and irritability during and later on feedings. The good news is, virtually babies outgrow GERD by age 1 (and colic usually goes away long before and so).
  • Food allergies or sensitivity. Some experts believe that colic is the result of an allergy to cow's milk proteins (or lactose intolerance) in formula-fed babies. Less often, colic may exist a reaction to specific foods in Mom's diet in breastfed babies. Either fashion, these allergies or sensitivity can cause breadbasket pain that may set off colicky behavior.
  • Tobacco exposure. Several studies prove that moms who smoke during or after pregnancy are more likely to have babies with colic, and secondhand smoke may too be a culprit. Though the link exists, information technology's unclear how cigarette fume might exist related to colic. The bottom line for many more meaning health reasons: Don't fume or let anyone else smoke around your baby.

Gripe water and colic

In the category of "trivial show, lots of anecdotes" is gripe water, touted as an herbal remedy for everything from baby gas to colic.

Some parents swear by gripe water as a manner to calm a colicky infant, simply no reliable studies have shown its effectiveness in relieving colic symptoms. And because it's non regulated past the Food and Drug Assistants (FDA), gripe water can likewise be a wild card in terms of what'southward actually in information technology and in what quantities. Ever check with your pediatrician before giving your baby gripe h2o or whatsoever other handling marketed as baby colic drops.

Tips for parents on coping with colic

Though it can safely be said that even hours and hours of daily crying doesn't seem to hurt a baby, it certainly does leave its marker on parents. Listening to a baby's screams tin can be heartbreaking, upsetting and anxiety-provoking and can take a physical and emotional price.

To cope with colicky crying that just won't quit, try the post-obit:

  • Suspension it upwards. A fresh set of arms sometimes induces calm in a crying babe. If there are two parents at dwelling during baby's witching hours, brand sure colic duty is divided upwards as between the two of you (an hour on, an hour off, a dark on, a nighttime off, or any system works best).
  • Have a suspension. It'south important to respond to crying, which is an infant's only manner to communicate. But every once in a while, taking a 10- to 15- minute break during a specially trying crying marathon won't injure — and it might aid both of you go through this challenging stage of babyhood.
  • Tune out a little. Utilize earplugs, noise-canceling headphones or mind to music to lessen the effect of your baby's wails. Don't tune out your infant so much that you can't hear him at all or for long periods of fourth dimension, but at least the bouts of wailing won't be equally loud for a little while.
  • Talk about it. Practise a picayune crying yourself — on a willing shoulder: your spouse's, the pediatrician's, a family fellow member's, a friend'due south. Just knowing you're not solitary in the world of inconsolable babies can make a globe of difference.
  • Get help. If you're at the end of your rope, don't hesitate enquire for aid — whether from your partner, mother, friend or babysitter. And if you find that you're consistently feeling overwhelmed or are having problem coping, talk to your doctor or a mental wellness professional person. You lot'll non only feel better — parental counseling has actualy been shown to reduce infant crying.

When to phone call the doctor about colic in babies

While the odds are that your babe's daily screaming sessions are due to colic, if it seems similar your baby is crying excessively, get-go by seeing the pediatrician.

The doctor can examine your baby to dominion out any other potential causes of excessive crying. And if they think you're definitely dealing with colic? It's good to get some reassurance and maybe a few extra soothing strategies.

Describing the crying (its duration, intensity, pattern, any variation from the norm and whatsoever accompanying symptoms) will as well help the doctor rule out any underlying medical condition (like reflux, an infection or a milk allergy) that could be triggering the crying.

Go on in mind, too, that this shall pass: Just when you think you lot can't take another night of it, the crying will let upwards — and then it's gone forever.

As wiped-out equally yous may be, give yourself a well-earned pat on the dorsum. You've just survived your first major challenge of parenthood.