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Crying among babies is common. It is a sign that your baby is not comfortable or not feeling well. It could be that the baby is ill, hungry, or wet. When your baby seems to cry more than usual and for no clear reason, your baby may have colic. ‚
Colic most often lasts for more than 3 hours in a day and happens more than 3 days in a week. It often starts when a baby is 3 to 4 weeks old. Colic often goes away by the time a baby is 4 months old. There is no definite treatment for colic. There are ways you can soothe and calm your baby. ‚
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What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do to care for your child.
- Give your baby a gentle massage. Gently rub a finger or two on your babys tummy or back.
- Try to stay calm. A crying baby can be very stressful. Ask for help from your partner, family member, or trusted friend. Never shake your baby!
- Some babies are soothed by a low constant noise. It is also known as white noise. This is the sound of the vacuum, dryer, hairdryer or dishwasher. Try using one of these tools in the same room as your baby. They also make special machines that play white noise.
- Wrap your baby in a warm blanket or towel. This may help calm your baby.
- Calm your baby with gentle movements like sitting in a rocking chair. Swaying back and forth may also help.
- Make sure that your baby is dressed correctly for the weather.
- Give your baby a warm bath.
- Go for a stroller walk or car ride.
- Hold your baby across your legs on their belly.
What follow-up care is needed?
Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your childs progress. Be sure to keep these visits. ‚
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to lower the amount of gas your baby has. ‚
What changes to diet are needed?
- For a breastfeeding mother, avoid eating foods that may produce gas like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and onions.
- If you are bottle-feeding, talk to your doctor about changing formulas.
- After each feeding, make sure that your baby burps. This will help get rid of gas in your babys tummy.
What problems could happen?
Stress to both mother and the baby. ‚
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
All babies have times where they are fussy. You cannot prevent this. The best thing to do is to learn how to soothe your baby. ‚
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of infection. These include a fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, change in the sound of your babys cry, crying too much, muscles become stiff, bulging or fullness of the soft spot on your baby's head, if you feel your child is too sleepy.
- Crying for more than 2 hours without stopping
- Baby will not eat or drink, is spitting up, or has bloody bowel movements
- Your child is not feeling better in 2 to 3 days or is feeling worse
Helpful tips
If you are getting emotional or angry because your baby will not stop crying, put your baby in the crib and go to some other room. Breathe deeply and calm yourself before trying to soothe your baby again. ‚
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you about your child. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my childs condition.
- I can tell you ways I will try to sooth my baby when upset or crying.
- I can tell you what I will do if I am emotional or angry because of my baby's crying.
Where can I learn more?
FamilyDoctor.org ‚
http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/diseases-conditions/colic.printerview.all.html ‚
KidsHealth ‚
http://kidshealth.org/parent/growth/growing/colic.html ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚