Infantile colic is when a baby cries recurrently for prolonged periods for no apparent reasons and after thorough investigation.
The strict definition is when a healthy baby less than three months for no apparent reason, cries recurrently and excessively for more than three hours per day and this occurs more than three days a week
Colic usually occurs in an otherwise healthy baby between 3 weeks and 3 months. The colic cry is usually louder and higher in pitch than regular cry. It is usually in the evenings or at night, and often described as more intense or disturbing than regular cry. Parents are often not able to comfort or soothe their baby during a bout of colic. Babies may show signs of increased muscle tone when they have colic, such as drawing their legs up, clenching their fists; they may stiffening up or arch their backs.
There is really not a lot that you can do to prevent colic if your baby will have it. Make sure that the cause of your baby’s cry is not food/feeding related. Don’t smoke during or after pregnancy.
Changing your baby’s feeding position and reflux precautions may help. Other Common tips recommended by up to date to decrease colic includes:
If conservative measures fail, you should talk to your doctor before trying various complementary medicines such as gripe water and infant gas drops. These medicines do not always work and should be used cautiously in babies.
Colic usually goes away after your baby is 3-4 months. Excessive unexplained crying in a baby after 4 months should prompt the search for other underlying reasons and a visit to your pediatrician.
It is important to talk to your doctor if your baby’s cry doesn’t resolve spontaneously, because excessive crying is also the baby’s response to several other illnesses like Gastroesophageal reflux, infection, trauma and hernia.