Colic

Our five-week-old baby cries and fusses all the time. Our doctor says she is perfectly healthy, but it seems as though she spends half -- or more -- of her waking time screaming. We've been told that this is colic, but no one can tell us what we can do to keep her and ourselves from being miserable. Help!

Anna McGrail answers:

Taking care of a newborn, especially your first, is a challenge for any parent, but when their baby is colicky, new parents can find themselves overwhelmed. You probably feel upset for your baby, frustrated because you can't help her, angry because it's so exhausting trying to comfort her, and weepy from lack of sleep. This was probably not your vision of being a parent!

As you've probably been told, colic is a label for a pattern of crying in a healthy, well-fed infant under three months of age that has no explanation. Even though most young babies cry on and off for no apparent reason, especially in the early evening, colicky babies cry a lot more than others and can be difficult or impossible to soothe. The baby's crying usually intensifies between six and eight weeks of age, and then tends to diminish when the baby is three months old. Colic means that even though your baby is healthy, your life for the next couple of weeks is going to be pretty tough.

You will hear lots of theories and advice on dealing with a colicky baby. By the time most parents have tried everything, the baby outgrows the colic anyway! However, information on some of the reasons for colic, if they apply to your baby, may help you decide what to do. Here are some possible causes:

• Your baby's central nervous system may be immature and unsettled, and she is not yet ready for the unpredictable stimulation of the world. This baby may cry less if she is swaddled or carried in a sling, rocked, or kept in motion in a swing. She may settle when you expose her to continuous noise or vibrations that block out other stimulation, perhaps by taking her on car rides or placing her near a humming household appliance. Your baby may calm down if she sucks on a pacifier or her fingers, or if you massage her gently, or take her on a walk outside.

• Your baby's gastrointestinal system may be immature. You may have noticed that your baby seems to have wind or pain, especially after feeding or before bowel movements. If she seems to have wind or needs to burp a lot, make sure she isn't swallowing air from a bottle, and burp her frequently even if she is breastfed. If she seems to have a severe case of wind, your paediatrician may suggest an antispasmodic medication such as Dentinox or Colimix.

• Your baby may be having a digestive or allergic reaction to the milk she is drinking. If you are breastfeeding her, you can try changing your diet to see if you notice less crying. You may want to eliminate spicy foods, high-fibre grains, beans, broccoli and cabbage, and caffeine. Some babies do better if their mum eliminates all milk products from her own diet. (If you decide to do this, talk to your doctor to make sure your diet is still adequate.) If your baby is formula fed, talk with your doctor before changing the type of milk you use. Feed your baby whenever she seems hungry, since some young babies will cry and fuss from hunger if parents try to time their feeds.

• Your baby may simply be temperamentally sensitive and highly reactive. She may be hard to soothe because her need for sleep and food are unpredictable. Hard-to-soothe babies are often those born a few weeks premature and in need of some catching up time, or those trying to recover from a difficult birth.

Your baby may continue to be sensitive even when she gets over her colic. If she seems to cry a lot and can't be soothed easily, her distress is bound to exhaust you. If nothing seems to work, you may start to think that your own feelings will affect your baby. Take heart, though -- parental anxiety doesn't cause colic. On the other hand, colic can stress parents out, and an anxious parent will find it hard to soothe a fussy baby.

If you start feeling tense, it's important to put your baby down for a while so that you can calm yourself. Taking a break will help you both. You can take the baby for a walk so both of you can get some fresh air. Better still, ask your husband or a friend to baby sit for a short while. Take a long bath, or lie down in a quiet room. Even a few hours away will give you energy to go back to your baby.