A baby with colic is not necessarily a sick baby. A baby is diagnosed with colic when they are generally healthy, but experience episodes of crying that last for three hours straight on an ongoing basis for at least three days in a row. There are other symptoms of colic that a parent can watch out for too.

To have colic a baby is generally between the ages of two weeks and five months. The episodes of colic will begin within the first month after birth and can continue up until the baby is five months old. In a premature baby the onset of colic can occur as late as eight weeks after the original due date. Colic usually gets progressively worse and then starts to fade with less frequent and less severe episodes until the baby is no longer colicky. The episodes of colic are usually recognizable because they will occur around the same time each day and can begin with no warning.

A baby with colic will often look as if they are in pain. They will draw their legs up tightly to their chest, turn red, thrash about or their muscles will become tense. Generally during a colic episode nothing the parent tries to do helps calm the baby. It is often very difficult to even hold the baby. It can be very stressful to be unable to help your baby when they are so upset.

It is often very disturbing when a baby first starts to experience colic. Parents may worry that something is seriously wrong with their child. Colic is not a severe illness, though. The baby will grow out of it. Understanding the symptoms and getting help from the baby’s doctor is the best solution to learning how to care for a baby with colic.

colic