Colic

 Colic is excessive crying in an otherwise healthy baby and is defined as being present when babies cry for at least three hours a day, for three days a week, for at least three weeks.

Colic usually starts when a baby is a few weeks old and stops at four or five months of age. Real cause is unknown, although theories include lactose sensitivity, wind or painful bowel cramps or the baby detecting anxiousness or stress of the parents.

Colic 

Signs baby might have COLIC:
  • The baby will often start crying suddenly; and nothing the parent does seems to help
  • The crying begins at the same time each day, often in the afternoon or evening
  • The baby might draw their legs up when they cry, and their tummy might look swollen
  • The baby might clench their hands
  • The baby’s face flushes
  • The crying can last for minutes or hours
  • The crying often calms down when the baby is exhausted or when they have passed wind or a stool


Advice to offer the parent includes:
  • Hold the baby in an upright, to help any wind to pass.
  • If breastfeeding, allow baby to finish one breast before offering the second
  • When breastfeeding, avoid products that may upset the baby, such as caffeine, alcohol, spicy foods, chocolate or dairy products.
  • If bottle-feeding, ensure that the hole in the teat is the correct size, e.g. if it is too large, the baby may feed too quickly and gulp in a lot of air.
  • Parents should relax and be less anxious around the baby this may also help
  • Baby massage may help, using oils that are safe for the baby.
  • Avoiding over stimulation, by not excessive swaddling, lifting and patting a baby too hard who is less than three-months-old


Advise on strategies that may help to soothe a crying infant, such as:
  • Holding the baby through the crying episode.
  • Gentle motion (such as pushing the pram or rocking the crib).
  • ‘White noise’ (for example from a vacuum cleaner or hairdryer).
  • Bathing the infant in a warm bath.
  • Ensuring an optimal winding technique is used during and after feeds, if needed.


Red Flags
  • Call 999 or A&E if cry is weak or high pitched
  • The infant is not thriving, or symptoms are not starting to improve or are worsening after 4 months of age.
  • Post-natal depression, colic is often associated with anxiety of the parents
  • Parents/carers feel they are not able to cope with the infant’s symptoms despite advice in primary care.
  • There is a suspected underlying cause for symptoms which cannot be managed in primary care.