Newborn Baby Colic - What To Do In Such A Case

Colic in newborns is a common condition that perhaps alarms many new parents as they do not have knowledge about how to deal with it and that it is a natural occurrence.

While handling a baby has its own set of responsibilities, looking after a colicky infant is that much more demanding as the baby's frequent and incessant crying (sometimes as long as 3-5 hours, thrice weekly up to a few months of age) with reddened cheeks and flailing limbs may terrify parents into thinking it a disorder. This is not true; newborn colic is a common condition that many babies suffer from, but in order to give it relief, there are some measures caregivers can take to ensure baby and parents both get the rest they need.

There are many medical theories around what causes colic, the popular ones being the baby having an immature digestive system that cannot handle the processing of food outside the mother's womb, the intake of gas-producing food products by the lactating mother that transfers the problem to the infant, a baby ingesting air during breastfeeding, overfeeding, drinking too fast that causes stomach pain and not being burped at intervals.

Colic can be simple and treated with home remedies or severe and require doctor's intervention through homeopathic or herbal cures that are side-effective free and suitable for infants. However, the important thing for parents to understand is that newborn colic is not something to get scared about and it will eventually disappear after a few months (usually by the time the baby is 4months old or latest, by 8months of age).

Parents of newborn infants who cry incessantly and frequently should first take care to rule out other reasons for the baby crying so much and screaming and look for specific colic symptoms (red cheeks from too much crying, trashing arms and legs, legs curling to the abdomen etc.) to take the next step for giving baby relief.

There are a host of simple and effective home remedies for caring for a newborn with colic pains, such as holding the baby upright and crooning to it while rubbing its back, rocking it in the parent's arms (parents can take turns to do this), giving it a pacifier or burping it to release some of the gas.

Slowly and gently massaging the baby's tummy with circular motions after ensuring adequate burping is carried out between breast-feeding sessions will ensure no gas-build-up occurs in the baby's tummy and the baby sleeps well.

Playing soothing music and administering Simethicone drops, an accepted treatment for colicky crying and checking for any lactose intolerance or allergen triggers in the lactating mother's diet are other steps parents of newborns can take to prevent colic from playing havoc with a child's comfort.