How to Care for Your infant with Infantile Colic

Colic is a condition where infants up to 6 months of age who are not sick or hungry show repeated episodes of crying or fussiness.

Your child may cry a lot or be fussy, this could happen:

• At least 3 hours a day
• For three days a week
• For over three weeks

During the crying episodes, your infant will:

• Be difficult to control
• move his legs up
• turn red in the face

The doctor will ask a few questions about your child’s health and examine your child.

Typically, infants with colic have the following criteria:

• Are up to 6 months of age
• Healthy and well
• They feed well
• Cry a lot, mainly in the evening and late afternoon
• Do not show any problems with growth
• Do not show any weight gain issues
• don’t have abnormal vomiting
• do not have difficulty passing stools
• seem fine between the crying episodes

• This is a condition that is not harmful to your baby and will go away with time
• Most babies grow out of it by six months of age
• There is no medicine for the condition. However, some drops may help a little bit

Caring for a baby with infantile colic can be tiring and stressful. It is important as a mother to get support from family members or friends.

Some care steps may help, such as:

• making sure the baby:
  • Is not hungry, feeling cold or hot
  • Has no fever.
• Changing the baby’s position,
• Swaddling,
• Massage the back gently
• Put in a vibrating baby seat
• Trying some drops if suggested and prescribed by your doctor

Seek advice immediately if your baby shows:

• Abnormal breathing
• Abnormal color or tone or energy levels
• Fever
• Abdominal distention(Swelling of the abdomen)
• Abnormal vomiting
• Unable to pass stools
• Blood in the stool
• Poor feeding and poor weight gain
• Abnormal movements