How to Stop Colic

It's been plaguing parents for centuries: A newborn is restless, crying frantically for long periods of time and seemingly in pain, even though nothing seems to be wrong. It's called colic, and it affects as many as 40 percent of babies---not to mention their parents. The exact causes of this condition are unclear, though intestinal gas has long been believed to play a role. If you are a parent of a child suffering from colic, some tips may help you and your baby get some sleep.

Instructions

How to Stop Colic

• 1

  Relieve and prevent gas in the baby's stomach, since gas may contribute to or worsen colic. One way to do this is to burp the baby often during feeding. Feeding a baby cow's milk may cause irritation, and there is reason to suspect that colic can be triggered by breast milk from a mother who has been drinking cow's milk, eating spicy foods or consuming potential irritants, such as cabbage, broccoli, onions, alcohol and caffeine.

• 2

  Use physical security. Wrapping or holding the baby snugly may help.

• 3

  Apply warmth to the baby's stomach. This has been known to help, but remember that an infant's skin is easily burned. Make sure that there is a layer of protection between the skin and the warm object.

• 4

  Use repetitive motion. Babies respond favorably to being gently rocked, swung or otherwise subjected to back-and-forth movement. Sometimes just holding the baby while you walk is all it takes.

• 5

  Use comforting sounds or vibrations. Not only ocean waves and a clock ticking, but washing machines and even vacuum cleaners have been known to calm colicky babies. You can purchase recordings of such white noise especially designed to relieve colic. (See resources.)