Treating Colic

To become a parent is an amazing, life-changing experience but sleepless nights with a crying baby can not only be exhausting but isolating too. You mentally run through a checklist of ‘could it bes‘ and rule out hunger, boredom and a hundred other things, then anxiety kicks in when you see just how distressed your little one really is.

Could it be colic?

Colic is the medical term for excessive, frequent crying in a baby who appears to be otherwise healthy and well fed. It affects up to one in five babies, and will usually subside by 4 months (6 months if baby is born premature or experienced a particularly traumatic birth). Babies will most commonly exhibit symptoms of colic at night; uncontrollable crying, writhing, flushed cheeks and possibly an arched back - they’ll appear to be in pain and it can be quite unsettling to witness it.

What causes it?

It is thought to be concerned with immaturity of the digestive system; indigestion, trapped wind or a temporary sensitivity to certain proteins and sugars found in both breast and formula milk. Both breastfed and bottlefed babies may experience colic and reported cases are indiscriminate between boys and girls.

“No one is certain what causes colic but a likely explanation may be the build up of trapped wind in your baby’s bowel, causing discomfort. Baby massage can help, as can anti-colic drops with simeticone.” Midwife, Nikki Khan

Firstly, stay calm and be reassured that it isn’t anything you’ve done or failed to do. If your baby’s appetite is good, he or she will continue to gain weight normally and there’s no evidence to suggest there’s any long-term health effects for your baby. Make sure you’re looking after your own wellbeing and getting rest throughout the day when baby is napping, and don’t shoulder the burden yourself if you’re finding it overwhelming - enlist family and friends to help.

If indigestion is indeed a cause, you might also want to keep baby’s head slightly elevated when feeding. Prop a bottlefed baby in the crook of your arm, or use a nursing pillow whilst breastfeeding. This will (hopefully) reduce the amount of air baby will swallow whilst feeding, and make it easier to wind them when they’ve finished.

Massaging your baby’s tummy is also believed to help relieve digestive discomfort. It is however, very important to research thoroughly before attempting baby massage as pressure applied incorrectly can result in baby becoming more distressed. Samantha Quinn, founder of Mumma Love Organics, has written an absolutely brilliant guide on baby massage (Comfort, Settle and Sleep) which acts as a step by step illustrative guide to getting it right. She also has a YouTube channel with a library of baby massage videos to help you hone your technique.

You might also want to try some anti-colic drops with simeticone such as Infacol. Infacol is Britain’s Number One Infant Colic remedy, and offers gentle but effective relief for infant colic, wind and griping pain. It works by helping the small trapped gas bubbles join into bigger bubbles, which your baby can easily bring up as wind. - helping to relieve their pain and discomfort.

Infacol can be used as often as required (Infacol’s active ingredient, simethicone, does not get absorbed into your baby’s body), before each and every feed regardless of how many times you feed your baby during the day. It can be used from birth onwards and comes with a handy dropper making it easy to administer and is a pleasant orange flavour that most babies take to easily. It certainly helped my two when they were little so I’d happily recommend it.