If Your Baby Keeps On Crying, It Might Be Because of Colic

Colic may be the reason why our babies may be crying for no apparent reason.

It’s really frustrating sometimes when we can’t understand why our babies are crying. As mothers, we know that each of them has a specific cry when they want something. There’s a specific cry for food, full diaper, sleep, and even boredom! But colic in babies is of a different nature altogether because the crying occurs for no apparent reason which can be frustrating for new moms.

What is Colic?

Unfortunately, even experts are stumped as to what colic is! However, John Hopkins School of Medicine discovered that it usually lasts longer than 3 hours, happens about 3 times a week, and occurs for more than 3 weeks. Symptoms of colic seen in babies are the following:

• Unwarranted crying as if in pain or screaming
• Crying for no apparent reason
• Skin flushing or skin changing color
• Body tension – arms and legs are curled up, fingers are clenched, etc.
• Extremely fussy even after crying
• Usually happens at night; it has a predictable pattern

What’s the cause?

Nobody really knows what causes colic! Because our babies are growing in all sorts of ways, there are possibly a lot of reasons why they’re feeling some sort of discomfort. It could be something with their bodily systems being underdeveloped, sensitivity to certain things, and a whole variety of other causes. Depending on the history, your baby’s pediatrician might order a full-body scan or a variety of tests including genetic ones for specific diseases like Crohn’s.

How to Deal with our Babies’ Colic

Since we can’t address the root cause right away, we can deal with the crying first. Colic causes babies to build up a lot of gas, which makes their bellies rock hard. Carrying them and having bare skin contact helps them deal with the pain emotionally and physically. Increasing body temperature causes the gas to leave and emotionally, they know they’re not alone. Colic eventually resolves itself over time.

Unfortunately, colic can be so frustrating that some parents may shake their babies a little too hard. This is called Shaken Baby Syndrome which can cause brain damage.

Colic can be frustrating for new parents

Unfortunately, a baby’s being colicky can be one of the leading causes of Postpartum Depression. It’s extremely frustrating—not knowing why the baby keeps crying and how to make it stop. But when the thoughts start, it’s okay to step back and let your partner handle it. Talk about it with them while emotions aren’t high or keep it in a notebook. This way, there’s a protocol to follow instead of stressing out over recalling what one said.

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