Colic: Looking Out For Baby’s Health.

Having a baby can be a wonderful experience but it does have the potential to change any new parent into a nervous wreck for a while. For example, any new mum or dad may experience a little paranoia during the first few week’s of baby’s life and purposely look for signs of illness that aren’t necessarily there. However, it can be extremely worrying if your baby keeps crying over a period of a few days. This could actually be an indicator of colic.

Colic is a fairly common problem for babies because around 20% of newborns have it at some stage. It is literally when your baby keeps crying uncontrollably over a period of a few days. The bad news is that there’s no known cause so any baby can have it, but the good news is that it is completely harmless, even if it drives you to the edge of madness! It can be really distressing so I’ve put together a little fact sheet below to give you a little more information and put your mind at rest.

Causes

As stated above, there is no known cause of colic so it could be any number of things. Uncomfortable wind is one theory and a high temperature is another. If your baby is feeling a little off colour then it might make him or her more sensitive to the environment so even slight changes can bring on colic. It is important to remember though that it isn’t a serious condition. You just have to be able to identify it and try the cures outlined below

Symptoms

You can identify colic quite easily because there are a number of symptoms to look out for:

· Excessive crying over several days, which will usually be worse in the evening and at night.
· Baby might appear to be uncomfortable, and even bring his or her legs up to the stomach. Baby won’t be in pain at all but it might look as if he or she is because of these movements.
· Baby might also have a red face, which would be down to the crying.
· Passing wind a lot is also a symptom.

If your baby does have colic then he or she should still be eating normally and putting on weight steadily as well. The main problem is the stress that all of the above will put on you because it is easy to think that something more serious is wrong. The constant crying will of course take its toll on you as well, especially when you’re emotionally fragile as it is.

Cures

There is any number of things you can do to try and ease colic for both you and your child, including the following:

· Give your baby a dummy or a comfort blanket to ease any anxiety he or she might feel.
· Go for a walk. The fresh air is thought to help and there are loads of distractions outside!
· Use household appliances to create continuous noise, like a radio, washing machine or vacuum.
· Bathe baby in warm water, which would be soothing.
· Keep baby moving. You could use a baby swing, a rocking chair or a front sling for this.

The important thing is you ride out the storm. Colic develops during the first few weeks after birth and can last for up to three months. It is a distressing time but the above cures will make it easier. If you are struggling to cope though try taking a break for a couple of hours or take baby to your doctor if it does persist. After all, you have to think of your health too.