Colic- The whole family nightmare.
I found out for the first time what the colic really is when my youngest godson was 2 weeks old. I came to visit him for the first time and his parents told me that he had been crying his lungs out multiple times a day and there was nothing they could do to stop it. They were terrified that their baby would be struggling with colic the same way their first son did.
I think seeing your child in pain and feeling helpless about it is the worst scenario for every parent.
I was only starting my pediatric specialisation back then but still decided to help. I was treating little sunshine for 4 days in a row, whenever I felt it was right to do, advised his parent with what they could do and we adjusted the breastfeeding position. The colic stopped completely 10 days later!
As we still don’t fully understand colic and why it is happening to some babies, some factors may cause or contribute to the struggle:
1. The digestive system of newborns is still developing, hence why it is harder for them to digest food. Colic symptoms should start getting better when the baby is 3 to 4 months old.
2. Some allergies, e.g. cows` milk allergy.
3. Imbalance of healthy bacteria in the digestive tract. This can be linked to e.g. antibiotics intake by the mother, baby, or both ( pre and postnatally).
4. Overfeeding or underfeeding.
5. Infrequent or inefficient burping.
6. Stress or anxiety in the closest family.
7. Early form of childhood migraines.
When do you know if your baby suffers from colic?
Is there any treatment available?
Despite colic being a common condition (1 in 6 children is being consulted by various healthcare professionals for it), it is still poorly understood. Current research on pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for colic is limited, therefore parents quite often are being left out feeling helpless trying to help their baby in this self-limited condition. This is why colic can be as distressing for parents as for the baby.
Various healthcare professionals can advise you on colic treatment. Commonly, treatment will include e.g. medication, supplements, manual therapy, exercises, and parents` and baby's lifestyle changes.
Osteopaths are one of the therapists who can help with your baby`s colic symptoms and cranial osteopathy is officially listed as a part of colic treatment on the NHS website. Colic- NHS
If no underlying conditions are triggering the colic, the excessive crying should resolve with time (around the age of 4 months) however, we know that managing colic adds significant stress to caring for your newborn child. So don't make it harder for yourself and your baby! If your child struggles with colic, get in touch! We will be happy to assess your baby and do our best to relieve their discomfort.
