How to Treat Infant Colic

A colicky baby can make parents anxious.

When your newborn suffers, you also suffer. Infant colic affects about 75 percent of all newborns. By the time the infant is 3 weeks old, she may begin to show signs of developing colic. Recognize colic by observing the symptoms: incessant crying, obvious abdominal discomfort and distress that begins late in the day and continues into the night. If your infant is colicky, try some old and new techniques to offer pain relief.

Difficulty:

Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Chamomile
• Peppermint
• Fennel
• Ginger

1. Choose breast-feeding over bottle-feeding late in the day. Although this is not for every mother, studies indicate that breast-fed infants experience less colic than their bottle-fed peers and suffer less intense bouts with the disorder. However, breast-fed babies still can get colic.

2. Look for clues. Although it’s tough to determine the exact cause of colic in your infant, there are things that increase the risk of your baby developing the disorder. If your baby becomes colicky within 45 minutes of a feeding, the problem may be a formula made with cow’s milk, something in your diet or the infant not burping sufficiently after eating.

3. Feed your baby more often but in smaller portions. Some pediatricians think too much liquid in an infant’s stomach increases the discomfort from colic. Hold your infant in a semi-sitting position when he’s eating.

4. Burp your baby after she eats, no matter how long it takes. Air in the stomach that enters the colon may cause the abdominal muscles to spasm. After a feeding, hold your baby over your shoulder and gently massage her back to bring up excess air.

5. Place your baby on your lap when you are sitting, with his abdomen resting across your knees. Gently move your legs up and down, creating a soothing motion to alleviate his pain.

6. Help your baby relax with leg exercises. Lay the infant on her back and grab each of her legs around the calf and ankle. Gently push her knees upward toward her tummy and then stretch them out. Continue to do this, and you may be able to help her abdominal muscles relax. For a change, alternately push one knee upward while extending the other. Within 10 or 15 minutes, the infant should experience a little relief.

7. Use natural home remedies to treat colic after getting approval from your baby’s doctor. Weakened chamomile or peppermint tea may offer some relief, as well as diluted fennel or ginger tea. Offer a few drops in the nipple of a bottle.

Tips & Warnings

• Be patient. As hard as that is when your baby is crying at midnight, remember that this is a common childhood disorder and you are not to blame. Within a month or two, your baby will outgrow the condition as his digestive tract matures.

• Consult your doctor if you are unsure whether your baby has colic. Although most pediatricians will not prescribe any medication, they may run tests to rule out other conditions.

Resources

• Causes of gas in babies