10
Ways to Soothe Baby's Colic
Creative ways to stop the crying and get your baby to sleep.
There's nothing as unsettling for a parent as a crying baby. And getting
a baby to stop crying isn't always as easy as it sounds. Check out
these 10 methods that have worked for other moms -- maybe one of them
will do the trick for you and your baby.
1. Swaddle your
baby in a receiving blanket.
2. Take your
baby outside for a walk.
3. Holding baby
firmly, stand on your bed and bounce gently from foot to foot on your
mattress.
4. Place your
baby in a baby seat on top of the clothes dryer (keep your hands on
the seat); the motion may soothe her.
5. Play slow
music with the rhythm of a heartbeat.
6. Holding your
baby high up on your shoulder, with firm head and bottom support,
do slow knee bends.
7. Put a drawing
of a face with simple black-and-white graphics in front of your baby.
Infants are intrigued by the shape of a face and by sharp contrasts.
8. Lay your baby
down underneath a ceiling fan that's turned on at low speed. Give
her a gentle massage with baby oil.
9. Use white
noise, such as the vacuum cleaner or water running in the bathtub.
10. Put your
baby in front of an aquarium. The bubbling sound from the aerator
and the movement of the bubbles is calming.
Parents tend
to abandon methods of stopping the crying too quickly, says Maureen
Keefe, RN, PhD, founder of the Fussy Baby Clinics, in Denver, Colorado,
and Charleston, South Carolina. She notes that you have to stay with
an intervention for five minutes to get its maximum benefit. If after
five minutes, the baby is still crying don't get discouraged -- just
move on to the next strategy.
Colic Facts
Frequently asked questions about baby's nonstop crying.
Introduction
Colic is tough on babies, but it's probably harder on their parents.
Listening to your baby cry for hours on end and trying to offer comfort,
often without any success, is exhausting both physically and emotionally.
About one in
five babies suffers from colic. It generally starts when a baby is
2 to 3 weeks old and ends by 2 or 3 months, peaking when baby's around
5 or 6 weeks of age. Read the answers to these frequently asked questions
to learn more about your baby's crying.
What Causes Colic?
Although no one's sure what causes colic, most experts now think that
colic is a result of sensory overload for a newborn. For some babies,
the transition from the quiet, dark environment of the womb to the
outside world of light, sound, and touch can be very stressful. The
nervous system of these babies hasn't yet developed enough to filter
all that's going on around them. They feel as if they're being bombarded
by noise and sensations, so by the end of the day (when most colic
crying jags occur) they're worn out.
Some breastfeeding
mothers are convinced that colic may be exacerbated by certain foods
they eat. Foods that seem to give some babies gas include:
Products containing caffeine (including chocolate)
Cabbage and other
gas-producing vegetables
Dairy products
Certain grains
and nuts
But unless you're eating a whole head of broccoli or five onions in
one sitting, it's improbable that your diet is the cause of your baby's
colic.
How Can I Stop the Crying?
What soothes a colicky infant depends on the child. Experiment with
these ideas to see what gives your baby the most comfort.
Keep your baby close to you, in a front carrier for example.
Try playing peaceful-sounding
CDs, such as soothing ocean sounds or soft music.
Put her in an
automatic baby swing or take her for a car ride.
Try infant gas
drops.
Even though it's unlikely, if you suspect that your diet may be leading
to your baby's colic, it doesn't hurt to keep a diary. Note when your
baby has his crying jags while keeping track of your diet, just to
see if there's any kind of pattern.
Should I Call
the Pediatrician?
Even if your child has already been diagnosed with colic, call your
doctor if:
Your baby's crying pattern changes
He seems to be
in more or different pain
Your baby awakens
in pain
The crying spree
isn't limited to the evenings
And remember, not all cries are colic. If you're concerned, talk to
your doctor. She may want to check your baby again. Even if she still
thinks it's colic, her reassurance that something isn't terribly wrong
should help you through this difficult time.
Could This Be
Serious?
In 95 percent of colicky babies, there's no underlying disease. But
what if you're in that five percent? Talk to your pediatrician if
colic persists longer than five months or if your baby's crying is
accompanied by:
Severe vomiting
Poor weight gain
Unexplained fever
Your doctor may order tests to determine if your baby needs treatment.
What Can I Do?
For your well-being, it's important that you take a break from coping
with your baby's colic. Trade off with your partner so you can take
a walk or a hot shower. Consider hiring a sitter, or accepting the
offer of a grandparent, friend, or relative to come over and hold
your child for a few hours. You'll find that you can handle baby's
colic better if you're not exhausted.
Before you know
it, your baby's colic will end, perhaps just as abruptly as it started.
This usually happens at about 3 months, just about the time that baby
is flashing that first toothless grin. He's ready for company -- and
so is his nervous system.
The Whys of Baby's Cries
What is your baby trying to tell you?
Why
He Might Be Crying
Infants cry for any number of reasons -- and sometimes for no reason
at all. "Crying is babies' only means of communicating until
about 9 to 12 weeks of age, when they begin to coo and babble. Then
crying decreases," says Amy Salisbury, PhD, clinical researcher
in the Infant Development Center of Women and Infants' Hospital in
Providence, Rhode Island.
The tricky part
for new parents is figuring out what your baby is trying to tell you.
If you're lucky, after a while, you'll be able to decipher your child's
cries and skip the guessing game.
Whether or not
you can distinguish among your child's wails, fortunately, most cries
have a simple cause and solution. Here are the most common causes:
Hunger: Remember,
a baby's belly doesn't hold much. And if you're breastfeeding, it's
impossible to know just how much milk he's getting. So try feeding
him as a first response to crying. Of course, if he's just eaten,
you shouldn't immediately respond with more food.
Discomfort: A
dirty diaper is enough to set many babies off. Or your baby might
be too hot or too cold, or have gas. He could even have a tiny hair
wrapped around his finger. Do a quick "discomfort check"
before moving on to the next possible cause.
Fatigue: Although
babies need to learn to fall asleep on their own, sometimes your child
may be ready to sleep but will cry because something is distracting
her. If you suspect that's the case, try rocking her, or put her in
the crib, dim the lights, and sing a sweet tune.
"I'm wound
up and cranky": This is related to the fatigue cry. Your baby
may be suffering from overstimulation -- perhaps visits with well-wishers
have pushed him to distraction. He may also have picked up on your
tension over juggling new parenthood, chores, birth announcements,
and more, says Sara Viessman, MD, a professor of pediatrics at the
University of Missouri at Columbia. Babies will often let out their
built-up frustration in the late afternoon or early evening. To unwind,
they may simply need quiet time.
Boredom: On the
other hand, your baby's cries could indicate that he's bored and needs
more excitement. While some babies are happy to watch the world go
by, others need a little extra stimulation. "The quickest thing
to try is changing the baby's environment," says Dr. Viessman.
If your child is sitting, walk around with him. If he's inside, try
turning his bouncer seat around for a different view, or take him
outside.
Of course, crying
can also signal a more serious problem. If your usually quiet baby
suddenly has a sustained bout of crying for no apparent reason, check
with your doctor to rule out an illness. Also, if his cries sound
different than usual (at a higher pitch or more shrill, for example)
and are accompanied by a fever, vomiting, lack of appetite, diarrhea,
or other signs of illness, seek medical attention. But keep in mind
that even perfectly healthy babies can have extended bouts of crying
on a regular basis with no apparent cause.
Preventing the Cries
Although you can't stop your baby from crying altogether, there are
some things you can do to make him cry less:
1. Get as attached
as possible to your child -- literally. Keep him close in a carrier
or sling while you do housework or run errands. Remember, your baby
spent nine months with you as a constant companion, so he may cry
simply because he's lonely.
2. Respond quickly
to cries. One of the best ways to nip a crying spell in the bud is
to respond immediately, notes Debra Zeifman, PhD, assistant professor
of psychology at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York. Taking
quick action can also make your baby feel more secure and self-reliant
so he has less reason to cry in general. "The popular myth that
responding to an infant's cries results in spoiling the child isn't
true," according to Dr. Zeifman.
3. Stick to a
set routine. Routines have a calming affect on infants. "Babies
thrive on consistency," says Dr. Salisbury. "If you can
work toward a schedule for bathing, napping, and feeding, it can really
help." Using rituals for each activity -- such as singing the
same song every time you change a diaper -- can also reduce crying.
When a baby knows what to expect, he feels more secure.
Calming Remedies
Sometimes, despite your best efforts (and a check to make sure baby's
fed, dry, and comfortable), your child will continue to cry and fuss.
The good news is that there's a host of classic remedies for calming
her. They won't all work for your baby, but in time you will begin
to figure out which ones do.
Holding and cuddling:
This is always the best way to start. It's a nice source of warmth
and comfort for both caregiver and child, according to Dr. Zeifman.
While you're holding her, try rocking in a rhythmic, gently motion.
Motion: Other
forms of motion can help as well. Try baby swings, a stroll outside,
a ride in the car, even a trip atop the gyrating washing machine (just
hold on to baby's car seat).
Music: Most types
of music -- or even the white noise of a vacuum cleaner or hair dryer
-- can often lull a baby.
Massage: Some
babies like to be stroked or massaged, especially on their back. Different
holds, such as placing baby across your lap or facedown on your forearm,
can help relieve possible gas pressure or pain in her belly.
Pacifiers: For
some babies, just the sucking comfort of a pacifier is soothing enough
to stop the crying.
When shopping
for a strategy, don't give up on a remedy if it doesn't work the first
time. And don't switch from one method to another too quickly. You
might also want to keep a journal to figure out your baby's patterns,
such as when he seems to cry most or which remedy worked best at what
time.
There's only
so much crying a person can take, so if you're feeling sad, angry,
or frustrated -- all natural feelings for new parents -- you probably
won't be at your best for the baby. It may help for another caregiver
to take over temporarily while you take care of yourself.
What Causes Colic?
What may cause your baby's colic -- and how you can help.
Overstimulation
There have been many popular theories about what causes colic, although
none has been accepted as the primary cause of colic. There may be
different reasons for different babies' crying spurts. Read on to
see if any of these theories seem like they may be the cause of colic
in your baby.
A wide range
of crying is compatible with being a normal infant, and this includes
the extremes we call colic. The colicky baby is perfectly healthy,
but may differ in her sensitivity to her surroundings, perhaps, some
theorize, due to an immature central nervous system.
These babies
become overstimulated by stresses such as loud noises, bright lights,
lots of people coming and going, and toys such as rattles and mobiles.
Colicky babies get overtired, but instead of falling asleep, they
continue to absorb energy, so they've reached their limit by the end
of the day, suggests Maureen Keefe, RN, PhD, founder of the Fussy
Baby Clinics, in Denver, Colorado, and Charleston, South Carolina.
Once a baby starts crying, it's difficult to break through those auditory
and visual barriers to console her.
If you suspect
this is the cause: Try putting your baby in a dim, quiet room with
soothing sounds, such as a clock that sounds like a heartbeat or a
recording of ocean noises.
Stomach Pains
An allergy to milk and other dairy products or a lactose intolerance
can be a source of discomfort. This appears most frequently in a family
with a history of food allergies, points out Dr. Keefe. Gas trapped
in the gastrointestinal tract can lead to abdominal pain as well.
If you notice your baby passing excessive gas during her crying spurts,
this may be the root of her problem.
If you suspect
this is the cause: Some moms say that once their babies were switched
to soy-based formula, their colic disappeared. Make sure the bottle's
nipple is the right size and be sure to burp your baby every three
to five minutes during feedings.
If you're breastfeeding,
try cutting caffeine from your diet or avoiding dairy products and
gas-causing foods. If the crying doesn't let up, ask your pediatrician
about over-the-counter gas remedies.
Conveyed Anxiety
Since most babies can pick up on tension and anxiety, it's reasonable
to think that colic may be the result of stress passed from mother
to infant. An inexperienced new mother may feel an inordinate amount
of stress, but certainly anyone is susceptible to anxiety.
If you suspect
this is the cause: You need to be calm in order to put your baby at
ease. As difficult as it may be, don't let the stress from your baby's
crying increase your tension level. Instead, try to make your baby
feel soothed and comforted by feeling that way yourself.
Soothing Sensations
Other theories focus not on why colicky infants get so wound up, but
on their ability to calm down. Experts have identified two parts of
the brain related to calming or easing of pain. One registers taste,
the other registers bodily contact.
Ronald Barr,
MD, a professor of pediatrics and psychiatry at McGill University
in Montreal, notes that when he put drops of sucrose on the tongues
of squalling babies, they immediately quieted down for two to five
minutes. However, this method was less effective in colicky babies
than in babies with shorter crying spells.
Based on a second
study using pacifiers, Dr. Barr found that contact stimulates another
part of the brain that contributes to calming.
What you can
do: Give your baby a pacifier to suck on or a bottle filled with a
sweet drink. Bodily contact, such as holding or massaging a crying
baby, may make a difference in calming her down.
Your
should know:
The
information on this Web site is designed for educational purposes
only. It is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical
advice or care. You should not use this information to diagnose
or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your
pediatrician or family doctor. Please consult a doctor with any
questions or concerns you might have regarding your or your child's
condition.
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