An ultimate guide to colic in babies- symptoms, causes and remedies

Crying, wailing and tearful baby is not a very pleasant sight to look at. I still remember those initial days of my motherhood for the first time when my daughter used to suddenly start crying and would not stop in spite of us trying all sorts of things to entertain her. Upon visiting the doctor, we got to know that she is suffering from colic pain. It was a relatively newer term for us as we weren’t aware of any such problem suffered by babies. After a lot of research and discussion with the paediatrician, we came to know that colic in babies is quite a common condition and usually occur when they are quite young. Having blessed with motherhood the second time around I realize that colic is one problem that is often discussed amongst parents but seldom understood by all. As a parent, I can vouch that it gets very distressing to see your child cry inconsolably for long hours. Most of the times symptoms of colic are quite clear and different from normal fussiness of the baby. To help parents tied through this phase of colic and excessive crying we are sharing here a detailed guide on what is colic, its symptoms, causes and treatments.

What is Colic?

Colic in babies is a condition where there are repeated bouts of excessive crying in a baby who is otherwise healthy and doesn’t suffer from any other problem at all.  These pains and suffering of babies begin towards the evening time and can continue for over 3 hrs. or so. This problem of colic in babies is a temporary phase and as the baby grows it usually goes away by the age of 5-6 months. This condition almost vanishes gradually leaving a sigh of relief for the parents.

Symptoms of colic in babies

One of the primary symptoms of colic in babies is they cry inconsolably for long period of time. The baby keeps crying endlessly and it gets difficult to figure out the reason why such a thing is happening to the child. The bout of endless cries starts usually during the evening time and can get worse towards the night. There is a rule of three that defines the colic in babies. They usually cry for more than three hours, three plus days a week or for three-plus weeks.

Other symptoms of colic in babies is having distended bellies, passing gas, arching their backs to the extremes, bringing their legs up to their chests during crying fits.

Causes of colic in babies

As per my personal experience and a few other mothers whom I happened to speak about this problem of colic in babies. There is no one exact cause of colic in babies. It could largely be due to the immature nervous and digestive system of babies which makes them highly sensitive towards the outside environment. Some of the other causes of colic in babies could be allergic to few food items consumed by the mother that gets passed through breast milk, over or underfeeding, improper digestion and infrequent burping.

Visiting doctor for colic in babies

Colic usually isn’t harmful to babies however persistent crying could also signal some kind of physical distress in babies. It’s better to get your paediatrician to perform a thorough check on the child to rule out any other cause of constant crying. In case it turns out to be colic then the doctor can prescribe medicine if required and share tips to manage the baby and colic pain.

Remedies

I still remember the time when my daughter was an infant and did suffer from the colic problem for a substantial amount of time. In order to put her to rest we used to try a combination of things, from placing her in different positions, pressing her tummy to relieve gas, rubbing her back and even tried some of the home remedies. At times something worked and most of the times it didn’t. Most of the babies may outgrow the colic pain however, in the meanwhile here are few remedies that parents could try to soothe the baby.

1. Usually, babies feel better when they are rocked or are in motion. Trying walking with your baby in arms or you could take him for a car ride. Using a specially designed baby swing and vibrating rocker could also help in soothing the colicky baby. Ensure that the baby is safely tucked using the safety belts.
2. Since colic in a baby is also associated with gas, you could give gently massage on tummy to help relieve the gas.
3. Place the baby tummy down on your lap and gently stroke on the back to make the baby feel better.
4. Using a pacifier can also help the baby feel calm.
5. In case you are a breastfeeding mother consider changing your diet and exclude food items that cause a gas problem. You could also avoid consumption of onions, cabbage, beans, milk products and caffeine.
6. In case your child is bottle fed, choose feeding bottles that are BPA free and doesn’t cause gas problems.

Aside from the above-mentioned remedies, you could also try home remedies that hugely help in relieving the colic in babies. One of the traditional home remedies used since time immemorial by mothers is applying Asafoetida (Hing) on the navel and on feet as well. In fact, even I have tried this and have found it to be absolutely magical. Recently when we were blessed with a son, we wanted to be prepared in advance to deal with any sort of colic pain. And that is when we also came across a wonderful ayurvedic formulation by Mother Sparsh to relieve babies of colic.The Tummy Roll-on is 100% ayurvedic and made using a combination of different natural oils like Hing (Asafetida) and Saunf (fennel). In fact, Hing has been used by mothers since time immemorial to relive the colic pain in babies. And Saunf has been widely used in our household to help improve the digestion. Saunf has anti-colic properties and is quite effective in reducing stomach bloating, gas and helps the baby in taking burp easily. It’s amazing how all these properties of nature and Ayurveda are available in this one bottle of roll-on to help your cranky baby. It also has other oils like saunth (Dry ginger), Sova, and Pudina (mint leaves). Some of the key features of tummy roll on are; eases out stomach discomfort, relieves gas pain quickly, chemical free and is baby’s skin friendly as well. You could check out more about this product on Mother Sparsh website. Also, you can buy it from here

Colic is quite common and can be very distressing for parents. However, whenever faced with this situation it’s better to calm yourself down. Your anxiety levels can easily get picked up by the baby and can further spoil the situation. Try to snuggle your baby and understand that you are the best person to soothe him and if you can’t do it then no one can.

Try and note down what works or doesn’t to soothe your baby. This will help you find out the best solution for restoring peace at your house and comfort the little one. Also, ensure and discuss any other symptom with your baby’s paediatrician. Always consult the doctor before trying any alternative remedies for your child.

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