Colic in babies

As a new parent, it’s not easy to know how much crying is normal – all babies cry every day, because that’s how they signal hunger or tiredness. But when a baby screams intensely and inconsolably for hours at a time over a longer period, it could be colic. It’s hard to be certain, of course, but there are some signs you can watch for to make it easier to determine if your baby has colic – and things you can try to see if they help.

How do I know if my baby has colic?

It’s typical for a six-week-old baby to cry for a total of two hours per day without it having to be colic. Periods of screaming might feel very long indeed – much longer than they actually are. The older the baby gets, the less time they spend crying and screaming.

Signs of colic include:

• Crying a lot for long periods of time. That means at least three hours a day, at least three days a week – and for at least three weeks.
• The crying spells often come late in the afternoon or evening, usually in a recurrent daily pattern.
• The baby pulls their knees into their tummy or stretches out their legs.
• The baby seems to have a lot of gas or a rumbling tummy.

If your baby is younger than two weeks old, it is unlikely to be colic – but talk to your paediatrician if you have a newborn who is inconsolable for long periods of time. This is also the case if your baby is older than four months and is crying more as your typical daily rhythm changes. If your baby is crying a great deal and simultaneously seems tired, won’t eat, has a fever, intense vomiting, or dark blood in their stool, it is important to seek medical care.

What is colic?

We actually don’t really know what causes colic; it might be somewhat hereditary, but that is neither fully established nor testable. In the past, it was thought to be tummy-related, but that also has not been proven. However, intestinal flora do seem to play a role: research has shown that babies with colic may have fewer “good” bacteria in their gut than babies who cry less. In Scandinavia, about one in five to one in ten infants experience colic, but the risk seems unaffected by whether the baby breastfeeds or drinks formula.

How to help a baby with colic

Your paediatrician can help you if your baby has colic. They will have tried-and-true advice, such as excluding certain foods if you’re breastfeeding, and can also help you prioritise them to see if anything in particular works for your child. However, there are a few general tips that you can try.

• Baby massage, or colic massage, seems to soothe most babies whether or not they have colic. Here is a video that shows how to give a tummy massage to an infant. A warm bath can also feel nice for the baby.
• Some babies suckle very intensely while eating. That can easily lead to swallowing a lot of air, which may be tough on the gut. Try taking breaks to burp the baby between rounds while baby eats. If you are bottle-feeding, a smaller hole in the bottle nipple can also help. If you’re breastfeeding, try pumping a little bit before you breastfeed, in order to help slow the milk flow.
• Burping the baby after eating can reduce the pressure in a tense baby tummy.
• Try continuous closeness – carry the baby over your arm on their belly, place them over your shoulder, or carry them in a baby carrier or wrap.
• Some colicky babies can be soothed by swaddling. Ask your paediatrician to show you what to try.
• Try a Gaspasser to help baby get rid of gas, which can reduce colic.
• Take a stroll with your baby in their pram, or try pushing the pram on an uneven surface if that tends to soothe your child.
• Lactic acid bacteria tummy drops have been shown to improve intestinal flora and help with colic in some babies. It usually takes a week or two before you can tell if the drops are working. They are available over the counter at pharmacies.

Take care of yourself, too – ask for help!

The powerlessness and frustration you might feel as a parent of a colicky baby can be enormous. Not being able to soothe your child when they cry – because you really can’t when your baby has colic – doesn’t only cut in to your sleep time; it’s also incredibly stressful. And sometimes, you might not find anything that helps – no matter how much you try various pieces of advice. So lean on the science: colic isn’t dangerous, time is the best medicine, and a set of noise-cancelling headphones can do wonders – your child won’t be harmed if you don’t listen to every hour of their tears. It might not feel like it, but this will pass. Colic usually disappears when the baby is three to four months old. Until then, all you can do is try to find ways to get through it.

And during that time, you can ask friends and relatives for help so that you can have a little relief. It won’t be as hard for them to hear the baby cry, because they haven’t been listening to it for what feels like hours on end. Asking for help is especially important if you’re a single parent, because it can be quite overwhelming to handle a colicky baby by yourself. If you have a partner, take turns sleeping – and ask your paediatrician for advice. This is especially important if you feel so powerless and perhaps angry that you sometimes struggle to handle your feelings. Never shake a baby, no matter how frustrated you are – it can cause irreparable damage. Instead, leave the room and let the baby cry for a moment while you breathe, calm down and gather your strength.

There are also forums online where parents of colicky babies can find support and give each other tips.

Please note that all information above is based on Swedish recommendations.