Baby's first year : Colic

Colic is a kind of stomach cramp caused by trapped wind. It is known to affect some babies and is characterised by inconsolable crying at around the same time (late afternoon or evening) each day. This pattern of crying may well continue from 3 weeks till the time the baby is 12 weeks old. This is why it is also called the three-month or evening colic. Each bout of crying may last upto three hours. If your baby seems to be affected with colic, there is little you can do except be patient and wait for the three months to pass away. However, you can try the following to try and bring some relief to your little one:

• Adopt whatever position seems to soothe your baby
• Massage your baby's tummy
• You can use gripe water (preferably sugar and alcohol free)
• Some medicines are available over the counter specifically for colic pain. Consult your pharmacist before buying one but remember that no medicine can take away the discomfort completely
• If you are bottlefeeding, you can discuss with your health visitor, the advantage (if any) of changing over to a different formula milk
• If breastfeeding, you may be able to identify certain foods that don't suit your baby. You can try and avoid those for as long as you breastfeed