New parents experience many things for the first time in the months after their children are born. One of the more perplexing problems new moms and dads may experience is colic.
New parents experience many things for the first time in the months after their children are born. One of the more perplexing problems new moms and dads may experience is colic.
The Mayo Clinic defines colic as frequent, prolonged and intense crying and fussiness in a healthy infant. Colic is such a frustrating enigma because the distress has no apparent cause and parents are often helpless as they try to soothe and comfort their suddenly fussy children.
Colic was first extensively studied by doctor Morris Wessel, an American pediatrician who in the 1950s offered the first widely accepted definition of colic. According to Wessel’s criteria, about one in four babies develops colic, which typically peaks around six to eight weeks after birth. The American Pregnancy Association notes that 50 percent of colic cases end around three months, and 90 percent are gone by the time the child reaches nine months of age.
Symptoms of colic
Learning to recognize the signs of colic can help parents determine if their child is colicky or perhaps dealing with an illness or condition that is more serious and requires medical attention. The Mayo Clinic notes that the following are some features of colic:
• Intense crying that may seem more like screaming or an expression of pain.
• Crying for no apparent reason. It’s important to note that babies often cry to express hunger or the need for a diaper change, but crying babies who are not hungry and whose diapers are not soiled may be exhibiting colic.
• Extreme fussiness even after crying has diminished.
• Predictable timing: episodes of colic often occur in the evening at around the same time each night.
• Facial discoloration: babies’ faces may redden or the skin around the mouth may turn pale.
• Bodily tension: pulled up or stiffened legs, stiffened arms, clenched fists, arched back, or tense abdomen may be indicative of colic.
Excessive crying or fussiness is not always indicative of colic. The Mayo Clinic advises parents to visit their children’s pediatricians if they suspect their babies’ excessive crying and fussiness if indicative of something more than colic.
Colic often resolves on its own. Despite the frustration it can cause both parents and baby, the Mayo Clinic notes that it has not been linked to any short- or long-term problems for a child. Soothing children as much as possible and recognizing that symptoms tend to dissipate rather quickly can help parents and their children get through this difficult period.
— Metro Creative
