Baby Colic Relief

Anyone who has ever taken care of a colicky baby can attest to the fact that they would give their right arm for some baby colic relief that works. Colic is highly distressing, both for the infant, and for the parents or caregivers. A baby is diagnosed as having colic if he or she cries for three hours or longer everyday, for more than three days a week. Basically, crying for three hours or more is on the extreme side of what's considered normal crying for an infant.

Unfortunately, the causes of colic is not known and therefore the search for baby colic relief has been an ongoing quest for many, many years. In years past, newborn colic was believed to have some connection to the digestive system and excessive gas in the intestines that causes extreme pain. Other theories are based on the infants own temperament and immature nervous system.

The thought is that a baby with an immature nervous system who has a the type of temperament that makes him or her highly sensitive to the environment, cries in response. Once the baby begins to cry, he or she does not know how to stop or be soothed. As you can imagine, this is every parent's worst nightmare! There is nothing more distressing to a parent than to have a crying baby that they can not console no matter what they try to do.

The Search for Baby Colic Relief

It is important for parents to know that they are not in any way the cause of their newborn's colic. About 20% of babies get colic, with it affecting boys and girls equally. Sometimes the sleepless nights and endless crying can make parents feel inadequate, and that they will never find any kind of baby colic relief that works. It is not uncommon for parents and caregivers of babies with colic to feel depressed and anxious, as they go day after day with no real solutions.

This can be especially true when parents have other small children at home to take care of, in addition to jobs that take them out of the house early in the morning. When you are constantly sleep-deprived, everything seems a hundred times worse. It is incredibly important that parents and care givers of babies with colic find some sort of support, either from family or friends who can give them an occasional break, or from a paid babysitter.

Additionally, it is extremely helpful for parents to talk to their baby's pediatrician about possible baby colic relief solutions that may help diminish the severity of the colic symptoms. Bottle fed babies may need to be switched to another brand of formula to see if that helps ease the symptoms. Breast fed babies should continue to be breast fed, with mothers paying close attention to foods in their diet that may trigger crying in their baby.

Solutions for Baby Colic Relief

There are a few things parents can do in order to get some baby colic relief that helps ease baby's discomfort. Babies are often comforted when they are swaddled and held close to a parent's chest. It is especially helpful when the baby is walked or rocked continuously, as motion seems to provide some sort of soothing comfort. A warm bath, followed by a back and tummy rub can also help ease symptoms, as can a pacifier to suck on.

Finally, non-prescription baby colic relief in the form of gripe water or colic drops can help relieve abdominal symptoms of pain and gas. There is help for parents and babies who are suffering from colic. It is vitally important for everyone in the family to get some down time to regroup and rest, which will help them deal with the situation of having a baby with colic in the house.