Colic is a condition among infants where there are sudden manifestations of distress in a normal baby. This distress may include cramping, moaning or intense crying. Colic causes the infant to be distressed for prolonged periods without any known cause. Colic usually affects neonates up to one month old, but can affect even the older infants.
Colic is associated with the presence of gas in the stomach, but there are a lot of causes that may lead to colic. Presence of colic may not only cause tension on the baby, but may also cause strain to the caregiver because of inability to make the baby stop crying even when the needs are already met (the baby is full, diapers are dry, bay is not ill, etc.).
Symptoms of colic are vast including:
- Intense crying
The classical sign of colic is the presence of intense, unexplained, high-pitched crying of babies. This usually happens in the early evening and after the baby has been fed. This means that the symptoms of colic are always apparent. However, lesser duration and frequency of crying may also be noted.
- Overstimulation of the baby
Prior to colicky crying, babies are observed to be over stimulated that leads to neurological overload. This makes the baby exhausted that further leads to discomforts.
- Muscle rigidity
Babies are also observed to have muscle rigidity on the stomach or the extremities along with prolonged crying. This is because colic also results from muscle spasms.
Other symptoms may include vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, lethargy, irritability while feeding and inability to gain weight.
Colic may result in breastfeeding failure, stress, exhaustion, postpartum depression and shaken baby syndrome because of parental burden. Colic may also lead to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome because of suffocation from babies who try to flip their bodies to lie on their stomach, parents putting their babies on a prone position to limit crying and parents who suddenly fall asleep while overseeing their babies because of exhaustion. Colic is more than a mild condition of babies and it should be addressed appropriately.
Treatments for Colic include:
- Burping and gas release techniques
Burping the baby after feeding is very essential to reduce gas distention in the stomach. Stomach massage may also be done to mobilize the gas for elimination.
Giving babies with probiotics was also found to treat colic by maintaining a healthy GIT.
- Proper swaddling
Swaddling the baby appropriately by covering the head and allowing the hips to be flexed is a good way to prevent colic.
- Auditory stimulation
Babies can be comforted using a loud “shhh” sound on their ears. Soft music resembling the sound inside the uterus is also effective in calming the baby.
- Swinging the baby minimally
Babies often want to be held and rocked. Swinging them by less than one inch back and forth may help provide comfort.
- Oral stimulation
Letting the bay suck the nipples or a pacifier also allows the bay to relax because the oral needs are gratified.
- Chiropractic care
Causes of colic may include neurologic overload and muscle spasms. Chiropractic care helps to relive these problems through manual therapy on the back of the infant. Careful treatment at your local Wesley Chapel chiropractor is usually employed because the baby’s musculoskeletal system is still immature.
Colic is a problem that needs to be addressed and it should not be seen as a normal occurrence among infants.