How to Soothe a Baby with Colic
Published on in Health Tip of the Week
Published on in Health Tip of the Week
You had just settled into a comfortable routine with your new baby when, at about 3 weeks old, they start fussing and crying for hours each evening. Welcome to one of the most challenging aspects of parenting a baby: colic.
While colic sounds like a disease, it’s simply the name for excessive crying during a baby’s first few months. “The good news about colic is that it typically lasts until the baby is about 3 months old, then magically disappears,” says Catherine Bonita, MD, FAAP, a pediatrician with expertise in newborn care and nutrition at CHOP’s Primary Care location in Flourtown, PA.
That’s also the bad news. A few months of trying to soothe a colicky baby through the evening can seem like a very long time.
All babies have periods of crying and fussing. It’s considered colic when the crying goes on for more than three hours a day for more than three days a week. The crying is often accompanied by burping and other signs of gas, which may be because the baby is swallowing air when they cry.
When parents come to her about a crying baby who isn’t easily consoled, Dr. Bonita asks questions and examines the baby to rule out health problems. If the baby is eating well and growing, has no vomiting or diarrhea, and follows a pattern of extended crying in the evening (rather than all day long) it is probably colic.
Colic typically starts when babies are about 3 weeks old, with extended periods of crying in the evening, between 6 p.m. and midnight. The long crying spells usually end when the baby is about 3 months old, though some babies continue to have crying spells until they are 6 months old.
As you get to know your baby, you learn to check for the obvious causes of distress when they cry. Are they hungry? Are they hot or cold? Does their diaper need changing? Are they over-stimulated? A baby with colic might be crying for one of those reasons. Or they may be crying for a reason you can’t understand.
Once you’ve checked on their possible physical needs and sources of discomfort, it’s time to go into comforting mode, using whatever technique helps to calm your baby. Every baby is different, and what works for one may not work for another.
With that in mind, here are some ways to soothe a baby with colic:
It can be stressful when your baby cries for no obvious reason and isn’t easily soothed. Your baby needs you to be calm, too, and that can be hard if you are tired.
If you find yourself getting tense or angry as your baby cries, try breathing deeply to help yourself relax. If that’s not enough, lay your baby down in a safe place and go into another room for 10 or 15 minutes. Lie down, listen to calming music, do a household chore or take other steps to calm yourself. When you feel ready, go back and pick up your baby.
Ask friends or family members to relieve you at times so you can go for a walk outside, take a nap or have some time to yourself. It’s not selfish to take care of yourself. Restoring your ability to be calm can be the best thing you can do for your baby.
Contributed by: Catherine Bonita, MD, FAAP
Are you looking for advice to keep your child healthy and happy? Do you have questions about common childhood illnesses and injuries? Subscribe to our Health Tips newsletter to receive health and wellness tips from the pediatric experts at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, straight to your inbox. Read some recent tips.