All parents pass through a tedious period when their baby experiences baby colic. Baby or infant colic is a condition where you may find a perfectly healthy baby crying for no reason at all. Sometimes screaming also accompanies this crying and this situation is common amongst babies who are a few months old. At the age of eight months, the child may stop experiencing baby colic.
Colic is more common in the bottle fed baby, however, this does not imply that it is not seen in breast fed babies. There are cases of breast fed babies also experiencing baby colic and bouts generally occur during a specific part of the day, mostly early evening.
The cause has not been proven yet. It is found that the amount of colic in babies tend to differ from one to the other. Babies are generally considered to be suffering from baby colic even if, after all its causes have been ruled out, the baby keeps crying for hours daily, more than 3 days a week, throughout the month.
Colic was first assumed to be abdominal pain that developed with trapped gas in the digestive tract. However, it is no longer considered to be the only cause. Some doctors conclude that the baby’s delicate nature, its developing nervous system, and the new and harsh environment it lives in all generally lead to baby colic. A condition called mild gastro esophageal reflux has also been linked to it. Sometimes, babies suffering from lactose intolerance may also suffer and circadian rhythms’ effects, smoking of the mother and smoke in the air, along with existence of too much stress in the pregnant mother during the third trimester of pregnancy have all been found to be associated with baby colic.
There has never been any fixed medical treatment. The treatment of baby colic differs between medical practitioners and physicians of different countries. In fact, there are some physicians who advise the baby to be left alone, and let the baby colic run its course, as there is no actual cure for baby colic. Some doctors today advise simethicone to treat baby colic; this is effective in some cases, and not in others.
Allergies in the baby and mother have now been proven to be the major cause, so it is often advised to control the diet of the breastfeeding mother. This move has in fact produced amazing results. However, it does not necessarily cure it. Soothing measures like pacifiers and rocking have found to be rather effective in calming the baby during bad bouts. Parents generally try all types of methods to cure baby colic. If you have tried several ways, but still not able to solve the issue fully, don't feel disappointed. Baby colic will last only a few months.
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