baby colic

Since there is no absolute explanation for why baby colic appears in the first place, the general consensus is that a baby can be termed ‘colicky’ if such crying episodes occur more than three times a week and the baby cries incessantly for more than 3 hours for more than 3 weeks in a month. (Which just reminds me of the saying about how bad things come in threes!)

 
So what causes baby colic anyways? There was a time when baby colic was attributed to excessive gas formation in the baby’s gastrointestinal tract. While the belief still holds true in most cases, modern scientific research has shown that this may not be the sole reason for the baby becoming ‘colicky’. The latest clinical trials done on this subject shows that baby colic has a strong relationship with gut flora. Lactobacillus acidophilus is a type of glut flora, which is considered as a healthy flora. Sometimes a lack of this flora may be responsible for baby colic. Some studies have seen that external administration of this flora (the medical term for this is probiotic) improves the situation significantly. If you have noticed that some babies are sensitive to milk – this is called lactose intolerance. Research shows that external administration of Lactobacillus acidophilus often helps in not just improving baby colic situations, but also conditions like lactose intolerance, gastric intolerance, etc. The overall health condition of the infant is also seen to be improved with the administration of this healthy flora.

Although the above is definitely one theory about what causes colic, there are many other theories as well. Some pediatricians, suggest that baby colic is the result of some problem with the digestive system which makes it incapable of releasing the built-up gas. Others believe that baby colic may be due to a likely combination of several factors including inherent sensitivity, adverse environmental condition and the baby's premature nervous system which makes the baby cry inconsolably. The research of baby colic says something else altogether. According to the latest research findings at the Colic Clinic at Brown University shows that almost half of baby colic is directly related to some mild form of gastro-esophageal reflux (throwing up) and lactose intolerance. There are also some other theories that are currently being conducted to determine if baby colic could be related to such things as: pre-natal stress, mothers’ smoking during third semester, and trauma at birth. Also, another interesting idea from the research says a part of the baby colic could be the baby’s natural stress-release mechanism, and that the "cure" for the colic might actually require further facilitation rather than suppressing it!

As you can see, there are many different ideas about what causes baby colic and what to do about it. Sometimes reading about all these different aspects of baby colic can make your head swim! But the most important thing to do is to keep in mind that the cause of your baby's colic really isn't important. The important thing is finding a way to cope with it and make your little one feel better. Find things that others suggest and try them out to see if they seem to help your baby. If something doesn't work, try something else. With perserverence and love, you will find a way to make your baby feel better and soon your baby's colic will just seem like a bad dream!