What should I do if my baby has colic?
Discomfort experienced by many infants in the first months of life, is presented with a sudden crying, lasting some 90 minutes, presents no apparent reason.
Not many things are more jarring than the sound of a screaming baby. For parents of infants with colic, this sound can seem endless. Colic is characterized by sudden crying in an infant, with no apparent cause. In order to qualify as colic, crying must occur for three hours a day, three days a week for three weeks, Alanna Levine, MD, a pediatrician and parenting expert in New York City said in an interview.
Approximately one-fifth of babies have colic, which typically starts when a baby is two to four weeks old, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. “Usually by the time the baby is four months old, they’re coming out of it,” Levine said.
Most people believe that colic occurs in babies who are super-sensitive to external stimulation and have difficulty calming down. While colic is not necessarily dangerous for the baby, it can upheave family life. Crying typically occurs in the evening, which coincides with the time of day that parents are most exhausted or just getting home from work. Clinical Advisor spoke with two pediatric clinicians for tips on how best to treat colicky babies and their parents.
Rule out medical causes
If a parent brings their child in for suspected colic, the primary care clinician should first conduct a physical examination to make sure that there is not another medical problem causing the… continue reading
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