What Causes Colic in Infants?

Parents of an infant with colic know how frustrating it can be when their new baby cries for hours despite every attempt to comfort and console him. Unfortunately, there is no clear answer to the question of how to keep a colicky baby from crying. Doctors and researchers have many theories about what causes colic in infants, but the reason that so many infants develop colic is still somewhat of a medical mystery.

Features

• New parents wondering if their baby has colic should keep track of their baby's symptoms and contact her pediatrician. The old rule of thumb for determining if a baby has colic is if the baby cries for three hours or more per day, for at least three days a week, and for three weeks or longer. Infants with colic continue crying despite all normal efforts to soothe or comfort.
  Symptoms of colic include crying, reflux, abdominal spasms or contractions, grunting in discomfort, balled up fists, red faces, and overall stress and tension in the muscles.

Types

• Colic with stabilized symptoms that do not get worse and end after a period of a few weeks to a few months is considered "normal" and doctors believe it could just be part of how an infant's digestive track accustoms itself to the first weeks and months of life.
  Colic that appears to worsen, does not respond at all to colic-comforting techniques, and interferes with normal weight gain is possibly caused by gastrointestinal problems, allergies or psychological causes.

Causes

• What causes colic in infants has not been fully proven by researchers, but there are several likely causes.
  The first set of possibilities involves gastrointestinal difficulties like reflux, sensitivities to gassy foods consumed by the mother, and either a hyperactive or immature intestinal tract.
  Allergies to cow's milk in the mother's diet or to formula are also considered possibilities for what causes colic in infants. The protein in cow's milk that is an allergen for many adults is passed to the digestive tract of breastfed infants when a mother drinks milk or eats dairy products and can cause intestinal upset. This is the same possible colic-causing allergy that babies who drink cow's milk-based formula may also experience. To help solve these possible causes for colic, doctors recommend eliminating dairy from the mother's diet or switching to a lactose-free formula.
  Possible emotional or psychological causes of colic include a stressful mother-infant relationship (typically more common with the firstborn) and overall maternal anxiety. This theory suggests that anxiety and stress on the mother's part is recognized by the infant and in turn causes stress in the baby, which evidences itself through gastrointestinal difficulties.

Prevention/Solution

• While there are no medical treatments to "cure" colic, dietary changes either in the mother or in the type of formula given to the infant can help improve colic in some infants. Additionally, doctors recommend certain techniques that may help improve infant colic symptoms. Some of these tips include slower, more frequent feedings, pumping the baby's legs up to her abdomen to help eliminate gas, stomach massages, warm baths, mirrors, and carrying the baby in a sling or carrier.

Considerations

• Colic typically evidences itself within the first three weeks of an infant's life and lasts no longer than three months. Approximately 20 percent of infants have colic, and while what causes colic in infants is unclear, several observations have been documented by researchers. Colic appears to more common in firstborns, babies who are breastfed, older and more educated mothers, more stressed or anxious mothers, and mothers who consume broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, onions, chocolate and milk.