Baby Colic

Baby colic, also known

as infantile colic, 
•  defined as episodes of crying for more than three hours a day,
for more than three days a week, for three weeks in an
otherwise healthy child.
• Often crying occurs in the evening. It typically does not result
in long term problems.
• The cause of colic is unknown.
• Colic affects 10–40% of children. It is most common at six
weeks of age and typically goes away by six months of age.

•  It rarely lasts up to one year of age. It occurs at the same rate
in boys and in girls. The first detailed medical description of
the problem occurred in 1954.
 Signs and symptoms
• Colic is defined as episodes of crying for more than three
hours a day, for more than three days a week for a three-week
duration in an otherwise healthy child between the ages of two
weeks and four months.
• By contrast, infants normally cry an average of just over two
hours a day, with the duration peaking at six weeks.
• With colic, periods of crying most commonly happen in the
evening and for no obvious reason.
•  Associated symptoms may include legs pulled up to the
stomach, a flushed face, clenched hands, and a wrinkled brow.
• The cry is often high pitched (piercing).
 Causes
• The cause of colic is generally unknown.

• Fewer than 5% of infants who cry excessively turn out to have

an underlying organic disease, such as constipation, 
gastroesophageal reflux disease, lactose intolerance, 
anal fissures, subdural hematomas, or infantile migraine.

• Babies fed cow's milk have been shown to develop antibody

responses to the bovine protein, causing colic.
 Treatment
• Management of colic is generally conservative and involves
the reassurance of parents.
• Calming measures may be used and include: swaddling with
the legs flexed, holding the baby on its side or stomach,
swinging the baby side to side or back and forth while
supporting the head, making a shushing sound, and breast
feeding or the use of a pacifier.
•  Eye contact, talking, and holding the infant are also
reasonable measures,[8] although it is not entirely clear if these
actions have any effect beyond placebo.