Recognizing Symptoms Of Infant Colic

Are you wondering if your baby is showing symptoms of colic? We all know that it is normal for babies to cry but how do you tell if your baby is colicky or if it's just normal crying?

If you are a first time mother, taking care of a newborn can be a challenge. It's a new experience and there are many things to learn. It can also be confusing as you try to pick up on your baby's cues. The only way a baby can communicate is through crying. So, when your baby cries a lot and you don't know the reason why, you get worried. You wonder what could be wrong or if you have missed something. When the crying gets too much, the idea that maybe you have a colicky baby crosses your mind. But you don't want to jump to conclusions. You are afraid that by blaming the crying on colic, you may actually be overlooking a serious condition.

So, what are the symptoms of colic?
If you ask a doctor, they will base their diagnosis on "the rule of threes". Meaning, if your baby is healthy but cries non-stop for three or more hours per day, for three or more days per week and for a minimum of three weeks, they will call it colic. There are other tell-tale signs such as a flushed face, clenched fists, restlessness, and baby continually draws up the legs and kicks. The stomach will feel hard. Often the crying is worse towards the evening. Baby colic usually starts when baby is 3-4 weeks old. You can expect it to subside when baby is around 3 months old.

If you ask a parent that has survived colic, they will tell you that the cry of colic is very distinct. There will be no mistaking it for anything else. The cry is high pitched, intense, inconsolable and it will drive you crazy. You won't even call it crying. It will sound more like screaming and you will get the impression that baby is in a lot of pain.

When is it NOT colic?
Your baby's crying is not colic when you can identify the reason for the crying. In other words, baby is crying because he is hungry, cold, hot, uncomfortable, needs a change, tired, needs to burp or wants to be held; and baby stops crying when you meet those needs. It is also NOT colic if baby's crying sessions end within 30 minutes.

Colic does not indicate an illness. It's a term given to healthy babies that cry excessively for no reason. So do not say it's colic if baby has fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or rashes. Visit the doctor immediately. You also need to be concerned if baby doesn't feed well and his level of alertness drops.