Baby screaming

How do I soothe my colicky baby?

My heart goes out to any parent whose baby has colic. My daughter did too, and it was the worst part of her infancy by far. After virtually every feed, especially in the afternoon, she would scream the house down, and there was nothing we could do to help her. It was frustrating, terrifying and heart-breaking all in once.

Colic is the term used to described what appears to be severe abdominal pain, probably caused by excessive wind or indigestion, though experts aren’t completely sure. They are mainly guided by the symptoms shown by the child having the colic attack – usually clenched fists, tensed tummy muscles and an arched back. The baby’s face may also be red and flushed indicating intense pain.

Apart from the crying, a colicky baby may have disrupted sleep and feeding can be irregular and interrupted.

Colic is nobody's fault

During intense crying it is hard to know what to do to alleviate the symptoms and offer comfort. We tried holding our daughter, rocking her, patting her back, rubbing her tummy and even lying her down and gently moving her legs in a cycling motion, because we had read on the internet that this might work. It didn’t.

After one particularly distressing episode, we packed her into the car and went straight to the doctor. Of course, by the time we got there the worst had passed and she was fast asleep, her little face no longer contorted with pain. Our GP cuddled her and told us she was “just a very colicky baby”.

Tell us something we didn’t know.

One thing she stressed was that it wasn’t our fault, nor was it because my baby was being bottle-fed. Breast-fed babies are just as likely to have colic, and there is no difference in the incidence of colic between girls and boys. And, the GP said, colic usually passes by the time the child is six months old and often sooner so this wasn’t going to last forever, nor would our child remember it as she grew up.

In other words, it was one of those things and it would pass.

Techniques that may help colic

There are a number of techniques that might help reduce colic. These include sitting the child upright during feeding, burping after feeding and holding your child over your shoulder. Some parents also find putting their child in a warm bath may help, as might a tummy massage.

Some babies might benefit from a change in diet. In our case, we changed the brand of formula milk. Breast-feeding Mums could try a dairy-free diet for a few days to see if their baby responds. However you should never change your baby’s diet without consulting a health professional first.

Our pharmacist told us about lactase drops that you put into your baby’s milk that break down milk sugar lactose, which can be a cause of colic. He also recommended special feeding bottles that reduce the amount of air a baby takes in when feeding. However before you buy anything, always consult a doctor or pharmacist first.

In the end, we’re not sure what cured our little girl’s colic. It may have been the drops and bottle used together, or individually, or the change in formula milk. It might have been that she simply grew out of it. Or it might have been a combination of all of these factors.

If you’re worried about your child’s excessive crying, speak to your health visitor of GP. Similarly if your child displays any other symptoms that really worry you, you should seek help immediately.

Further reading:

NHS - Colic

Baby Centre

Medical News Today

Written by Dorothy Lepkowska-Hudson for the Pre-school Learning Alliance

This article is for information purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical help. If you or your child is unwell you should consult a medical professional.


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