Baby colic
A common, self-limiting condition of excessive infant crying.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Baby colic, or infantile colic, describes a pattern where a healthy infant cries for over three hours daily, more than three days a week, for at least three weeks. The crying often happens in the evening and usually stops on its own without causing lasting harm. However, it can lead to parental frustration, postpartum depression, extra doctor visits, and even child abuse.
The exact cause is unknown. Some suspect it involves gastrointestinal discomfort like intestinal cramping. Diagnosis requires ruling out other issues; fewer than 5% of infants who cry excessively have an underlying medical condition. Warning signs include fever, low activity, or a swollen belly.
Treatment is generally supportive, with medications and alternative therapies playing little to no role. Extra support for parents may help. Some evidence supports certain probiotics for the baby and a low-allergen diet for breastfeeding mothers. For bottle-fed infants, hydrolyzed formula might be useful.
Colic affects 10–40% of babies, equally in bottle-fed and breastfed infants, and occurs at the same rate in boys and girls. It starts around the second week of life, peaks at six weeks, and resolves between 12 and 16 weeks, rarely lasting up to one year. The first detailed medical description was published in 1954.
**Signs and symptoms** Colic is defined by crying for more than three hours a day, more than three days a week, for at least three weeks in an otherwise healthy child. It is most common around six weeks of age and improves by six months. Normally, infants cry an average of just over two hours a day, peaking at six weeks. With colic, crying episodes happen most often in the evening for no clear reason. Associated signs may include legs pulled up to the stomach, a flushed face, clenched hands, and a wrinkled brow. The cry is often high-pitched and piercing.
**Effect on the family** An infant with colic can affect family stability and cause short-term anxiety or depression in parents. It may also lead to exhaustion and stress. Persistent crying has been linked to severe marital discord, postpartum depression, early stopping of breastfeeding, frequent doctor visits, a quadrupling of lab tests, and prescriptions for acid reflux medication. Babies with colic may be at risk for abuse, especially shaken baby syndrome. Parent training programs for managing colic may reduce crying time.
**Ca
- definition
- Crying >3 hours/day, >3 days/week, for 3 weeks
- peak age
- 6 weeks
- resolution age
- 12–16 weeks (rarely up to 1 year)
- prevalence
- 10–40% of babies
- gender distribution
- Equal in boys and girls
- feeding method
- Equally common in bottle- and breast-fed infants
Lore & Background
The cause of colic remains unknown, though some theories suggest gastrointestinal discomfort such as intestinal cramping. Fewer than 5% of infants with excessive crying have an underlying organic disease, such as constipation, gastroesophageal reflux, or cow's milk allergy. Studies have shown conflicting evidence regarding the role of cow's milk allergy, and the condition is not related to gas pains as previously believed. Psychological and social factors have been proposed but lack supporting evidence, and cigarette smoke may increase risk.
Reader's Guide
Baby colic is significant because it affects a substantial proportion of infants and can disrupt family stability, leading to short-term parental anxiety, depression, exhaustion, and stress. It has been associated with severe marital discord, early termination of breastfeeding, frequent doctor visits, and increased risk of child abuse, including shaken baby syndrome. Diagnosis requires ruling out other causes, and treatment is generally conservative, focusing on parental support and reassurance. No medications have been found both safe and effective; simethicone is safe but ineffective, while dicyclomine works but is unsafe. Dietary changes may help in some cases: a hypoallergenic diet for breastfeeding mothers or hydrolyzed formula for bottle-fed infants. Probiotics, specifically Lactobacillus reuteri, may reduce crying time in breastfed babies. The condition resolves by 12–16 weeks in most cases, and affected infants show no temperament differences at one year compared to peers.
Did You Know?
- Colic is defined by the 'rule of three': crying more than three hours a day, more than three days a week, for three weeks.
- Fewer than 5% of infants with excessive crying have an underlying organic disease.
- The first detailed medical description of colic was published in 1954.
- Swaddling does not appear to help with colic.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly defines baby colic?
Baby colic is a pattern of excessive crying in an otherwise healthy infant, specifically when the baby cries for more than three hours per day, on more than three days each week, lasting at least three weeks. It most commonly peaks around six weeks of age.
What causes baby colic?
No definitive cause has been identified, though some researchers suspect gastrointestinal discomfort such as intestinal cramping may play a role. Diagnosis requires ruling out other medical issues, since fewer than five percent of excessively crying infants have an underlying condition.
How long does baby colic typically last?
In most cases, the intense crying resolves on its own between twelve and sixteen weeks of age, though in rare instances it can persist up to one year. It is considered a self-limiting condition that does not cause lasting harm to the baby.
How common is baby colic, and does it affect boys and girls equally?
Roughly ten to forty percent of infants experience colic, and it affects boys and girls at equal rates. It occurs just as frequently in breast-fed babies as in bottle-fed ones.
What problems can baby colic cause for parents?
While the crying itself is harmless to the infant, it can trigger significant parental frustration, contribute to postpartum depression, and lead to repeated doctor visits. In extreme cases, the accumulated stress has been linked to incidents of child abuse.
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