Does Your Baby Have Colic?
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Coping and support
Caring for an infant who has colic can be exhausting and stressful, even for experienced parents. Remember to take care of yourself, too. These suggestions may help:
Take a break. When you’ve done what you can, ask your spouse or another loved one to take over for a while. Take advantage of baby-sitting offers from friends or neighbors. Even an hour on your own can help renew your coping strength.
Express your feelings. It’s normal for parents in this situation to feel helpless, depressed or angry. Confide in your spouse, partner or other good listener.
Try to stay positive. Don’t measure your success as a parent by how much your baby cries. The fact that you’re trying to figure out what might help means you’re a good parent.
Make healthy lifestyle choices. Eat healthy foods. Make time for exercise, such as a brisk daily walk. If you can, sleep when the baby sleeps — even during the day. Avoid alcohol and other drugs.
Remember that it’s temporary. Colic episodes often improve by age 3 months.
It’s also important to recognize your limits. If your baby’s crying is causing you to lose control, put the baby in a safe place — such as a crib — and go to another room to collect yourself. If necessary, contact your doctor, a local crisis intervention service or a mental health help line for additional support.
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Comment by nicole on Apr 26 2011 01:13:11:
im 21 years old and i have 2 kids. my first son did not have colics but now for my second son wen he was born he cried alot and i would give him milk and nothing at first i thought it was gas but i used about every medicine there was for the gas and nothing so i took him to his dr and he changed his milk 5 times in less than a month i thought it was too much and i live in puerto rico and we use alot of home made medicine so i went to the supermarket and bought goat milk i tried it and his colics are all one now he stopped his crying episodes oh yea i also changed his bottle i used to use dr browns bottles and changed them to avent bottles and that was another relief…
Comment by Dr. Paul Blake, N.D. on Apr 27 2011 11:40:32:
One simple scientifically proven remedy for colic and one of the possible causes has been known for years. This particular cause is the intestinal flora in the babies gut is out of balance causing poor digestion and gas pain. The remedy is simple probiotics (see study below) that you can find at any health food store, I have seen it work almost immediately. Buy only refrigerated for freshness as they tend to be of the better quality.
Poor Intestinal Flora Symptoms: irritability, bloating, abdominal pain, foul smelling bowel movements, constipation/diarrhea, food sensitivities, rectal itching, spitting-up, poor immunity
Colic Symptoms: crying suddenly after a feeding, crying is loud and continuous for one to four hours, baby’s face often is flushed or red, hands clenched, belly is distended or prominent, the feet are often cold, baby may arch their backs, draw up their legs to their tummy, extend their legs rigidly, pass wind.
A 2010 scientific study published in the Journal of Pediatrics reports the effectiveness of a probiotic treatment for colic. The authors report states that the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri significantly reduced crying time among infants with colic, compared to placebo. The subjects included 50 exclusively breast-fed infants, that were administered either L. reuteri or a placebo.
Savino F, Cordisco L, Tarasco V, et al. Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 in infantile colic: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Pediatrics. 2010;126(3):e526-e533.
Doc Blake