Kate Dimpfl, a mom from Ithaca, New York, still remembers those four excruciating months when her first son, Oscar — who was diagnosed with colic at 2 months — cried nightly from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Part of the stress stemmed from how helpless she felt.
“I never really found a pattern that impacted the crying,” she says. “It was isolating.”
Colic is characterized by repeated and extended bouts of crying. Caring for a newborn can be exhausting enough, but if your baby develops colic, you may feel like your life has been thrown into a state of chaos. It’s an instinct to want to stop your baby from crying, and when you can’t do that, you may end up feeling powerless and overwhelmed.
Here’s what you should know about baby colic — and what you can do.
What is colic?
Moms like Dimpfl are not alone: According to the Academy of American Pediatrics (AAP), about one-fifth of all babies will develop colic, starting between the second and fourth weeks of life. Episodes usually happen during the late afternoon or evening hours, most commonly from 6 p.m. to midnight.
Dr. Reshma Shah, a pediatrician at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center and an affiliate clinical instructor at Stanford University School of Medicine, explains that colic generally peaks at 6 weeks of age and tends to improve by 3 or 4 months old.
As Shah explains, colic is characterized as a “period of crying in an otherwise healthy infant” and can be defined by the “Rule of 3s,” which is:
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An infant who is less than 3 months of age
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Crying spells that last for more than three hours a day
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Episodes of crying that occur for three weeks or more
What are the signs and symptoms of colic?
As the AAP describes it, baby colic involves episodes of sustained crying or extreme fussing. These may be your baby’s only symptoms. Other symptoms may include:
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Screaming or inconsolable crying
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Grunting or passing large amounts of gas
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Kicking or pulling up legs while passing gas
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Enlarged or distended stomach, also from gas
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Becoming red-faced from crying
Because some of these symptoms mimic other, more serious conditions, it’s important to take your baby to their pediatrician for an evaluation, Shah says. However, if no underlying medical conditions are found — which is often the case — no treatment is required.
Colic can have profound effects on parents themselves, often leading to “parental anxiety,” says Shah. But while emotionally draining for parents, colic doesn’t last forever and usually resolves on its own.
What are the causes of colic?
One of the most difficult aspects of infantile colic is that there usually isn’t one definitive cause, and therefore colic can feel impossible to “cure.” Dimpfl shares that she “tried everything” to resolve her son’s colic — from babywearing, GERD medication and even an ultrasound of her son’s stomach sphincters. But nothing other than “riding it out” seemed to help.
This is often the case with colic, says Dr. Danelle Fisher, vice chair of Pediatrics at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California.
“There is not a good answer as to why some babies have colic and others don’t,” Fisher says. “But colic does occur worldwide, so it is not a regional or solely problem affecting babies born in the U.S. If we could figure out the exact cause of colic, we would have a better shot at trying to prevent it.”
That said, there are some theories as to what causes colic, according to Fisher:
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An intense period of neurological growth in the first three months, often referred to as the “Fourth Trimester”
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Gastrointestinal discomfort
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Allergies, possibly to milk or soy in breastmilk or formula
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An imbalance of bacteria in the baby’s gut
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Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
Again, if you suspect any of these causes, you should consult your pediatrician, who can help you come up with a plan of care tailored to your specific situation.
What are the remedies for colic?
Parents are usually desperate for colic to end and will do anything to resolve it. Most experts agree that the cure to colic is time, as almost all instances of colic resolve by 3 or 4 months of age. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t try different methods of soothing your baby. Sometimes just having a few things to try will curb your own anxiety about it.
Crystal Karges, a registered dietitian nutritionist and board-certified lactation consultant from San Diego, California, suggests parents reevaluate their feeding and soothing methods. For example:
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Don’t overfeed babies, as this can lead to stomach discomfort and gas.
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Make sure to properly burp your baby after feeds.
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Breastfeeding moms should not consume excessive amounts of stimulants, like caffeine.
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Switching to a hypoallergenic formula may be helpful.
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Motion can be calming for some babies; walking outside can be refreshing for both caregivers and babies.
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Swaddling can be helpful because it imitates the feeling in the womb.
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It’s vital for caregivers to take breaks and get support when needed.
Fisher says probiotics may be useful in some cases. Medication for GERD, dietary changes for breastfeeding moms (usually eliminating dairy or soy) and/or changing formula types can also be discussed with your pediatrician. But for most parents, reassurance and support is the colic “cure” with the most success.
Dimpfl’s son finally stopped having colic episodes right before 5 months old. (That’s on the late side, but still within the realm of normal, according to Fisher.)
“One day, it all stopped,” she says.
Although colic is not a fate she would wish on anyone, looking back, Dimpfl says she sees colic as her first lesson in parenting — a lesson in making peace with “what is” and realizing you can’t control or fix everything.
Her biggest advice to parents and caretakers dealing with colic? You’re not alone, don’t be afraid to open up about how hard it is, make sure to get support — and, most of all, she says remember that colic always, always ends.
