Colic & Coping with Crying

Annabel Karmel
‘Despite over 40 years of research, it still remains unclear what causes colic. Some people think it is just the extreme of normal crying at a time when both parent and baby are tired, but the most widely held view is that colic is a spasm in the gut.’ Annabel Karmel explores what causes Colic and gives some helpful advice on how best to cope with your Colicky baby.

Colic

Despite over 40 years of research, it still remains unclear what causes colic. Some people think it is just the extreme of normal crying at a time when both parent and baby are tired, but the most widely held view is that colic is a spasm in the gut. The gut becomes hard, the baby screams either with knees bent and a red face or becomes pale and arches her back. It tends to occur most commonly between 4pm and midnight. The period of crying can be the same every day, lasting three to four hours and in some cases up to five. It is often confused with hunger – the mother offers food, little is taken and then the crying begins again. It suddenly stops when the spasm passes.Is it really colic?

Colic generally starts at two months and has usually settled by six months. Typical symptoms are:

• Long periods of crying, which are usually worse in the evening and your usual efforts at comforting fail.

• Your baby doesn’t just cry but screams and draws her knees up to her belly in pain.

• Your baby’s abdomen feels rigid and hard.

• Your baby goes red in the face and may clench her fists.

• Her tummy may be distended and feel taut and she may pass wind.

• A similar pattern is repeated daily at about the same time.

The colic may be due to trapped wind, which causes pain in your baby’s tummy. Sometimes a cow’s milk allergy or intolerance to lactose (the natural sugar found in milk) can cause discomfort and can be mistaken for colic. If you are breastfeeding you may need to cut dairy products or other foods out of your own diet.

Whatever the cause, having a colicky baby in the house can make life miserable for everyone concerned. But don’t despair, try some of these suggestions to soothe your baby and bring some comfort to you.

n Sometimes your baby can be soothed by laying her on her tummy on your lap or up on your shoulder and swaying her from side to side while you rub her back.

• Try rocking her in your arms, carrying her in a sling, taking her out in her pram or popping her in a car seat and taking her for a drive.

• Some people believe that feeding your baby in a more upright position may help to prevent the build-up of wind that might be the cause of colic.

• Massage and/or a warm bath taken just before her crying period may help.

• If you are bottle-feeding you may want to try using a teat that slows down the milk flow to prevent your baby from gulping in air. You could also try using a different style of bottle.

• Perhaps seek advice about whether an alternative to cow’s milk formula may be appropriate for your baby.

• Try infusing a few fennel and mint leaves in boiling water for a few minutes. Strain, leave until lukewarm and give in a bottle. Make this up fresh each time.

• Try colic drops like Infacol or gripe water. You can also buy drops that break down the lactose in formula milk, making it easier to digest.

• Give the baby a dummy or finger to suck on.

• Cranial osteopathy may alleviate colic (see Box).Reflux

Reflux is not colic, it is a condition that needs, in its most severe state, to be treated with conventional medicine. The picture may be similar to colic, with lots of crying and difficulties in feeding, but over time the situation worsens.Paediatric/Cranial Osteopathy

The aim of paediatric osteopathy is to correct imbalances in a baby’s body structure that may have occurred within the womb or during the birth, and may be responsible for an unsettled or unhappy baby. E.g. it can help to realign the malleable bones of the skull, which mould themselves to fit through the mother’s birth canal during delivery. A paediatric osteopath uses his hands to locate and release areas of abnormal tension and compression. It is particularly effective on young babies because of the pace of development and the flexibility of their bodies, and can help with many problems including colic and sleep disorders. Make sure you choose a qualified osteopath who has a diploma in paediatric osteopathy. (DPO).Coping With Crying

A baby’s constant crying can wear anyone down, but a tired mum recovering from a long labour or Caesarean with engorged breasts, a flabby tummy and lack of sleep, can feel truly drained. If you feel at the end of your tether and angry with your baby, try to remember that this won’t last forever and your baby will grow out of it. You may feel that your baby’s constant crying will push you over the edge and worry that you might harm your own baby. These are all normal feelings so try not to feel guilty. Put your baby safely in her cot or pram and calm yourself. Many women find a crying baby very frustrating and hard work. It’s not about you and it doesn’t mean you are a bad mother. It is simply something that your baby goes trough.

Try to organise support for yourself during these daily bouts. Go to your mother’s/mother in law’s house, ask a friend round, see if your partner can come home early during this time to help you out.

• If your partner is at home, it may help to look after your baby on a rota basis: say, 30 minutes on and 30 minutes off.

• If possible, put your baby in another room for a while and put on some music or listen to the television.

• Get help, talk to someone, a friend, your midwife or a GP, as they may be able to help.

• Reschedule family routine so that the minimum has to be achieved during this time.

• Try to find a mother and baby group where you can discover how other mums cope.

• Sometimes you just have to accept that your nights are going to be disturbed and the only way to catch up on much needed sleep is to take naps during the day when your baby is sleeping.

• You may feel that you have lost your sense of identity and all you do is care for your baby and your home. How you feel has a lot to do with the way you look so take time out to look after yourself. Let your baby sit and watch you while you put on a video and do your post-natal exercises or yoga. Many health clubs have crèche facilities so take advantage of these or treat yourself to a trip to the hairdresser.

• It’s also important to make sure that you continue to eat a good diet, as you will need all your strength at this time. Eat plenty of iron-rich foods.

Taken from The Complete First Year Planner by Annabel Karmel. Priced at £16.99 in all good Book Shops.

For more advice on babycare and feeding babies and children go to www.annabelkarmel.com