Baby 101: The crying game

Colic
You have tried everything, but your newborn will not stop crying. There's no other sign that she's sick, you respond quickly, you carry her frequently, but almost every evening, the crying starts and does not stop for three or more hours. The chances are that your baby has colic. It's estimated that 15 to 20 per cent of all babies are colicky.

Most medical experts now define colic simply as an excessive amount of crying -- the high end of the normal range, or more than three or four hours a day at least three days a week. Typically, this excessive crying starts when the baby is two to three weeks old and ends at three or four months of age, although in some cases it may last longer.

Colic is not a disease -- in only about 5 per cent of cases is excessive crying caused by illness. Nor does crying alone suggest that colic indicates problems with the baby's colon or digestive system. Babies often pass gas and pull their legs up to their stomachs during bouts of crying that might be described as colicky. But if there are other symptoms such as diarrhea or vomiting, the crying may be the result of diet. Some children are allergic to cow's milk in formula or cow's milk protein passed on through the mother's milk, especially if there is a family history of milk allergy. Consult with your doctor, who might suggest that you replace cow's milk for yourself and the baby for up to seven days to see if the crying behaviour changes.

There seems to be no link between colic and the sex of the child, the birth order or intelligence, and it does not run in families. One child can be an angel and the next can keep you up every night. There is nothing to indicate that a baby with colic will turn out to be a difficult child later in life. That does not mean it's easy to deal with. But there are a number of techniques that seem to help.

One of the most effective is movement. Some babies like to be carried in a sling or a pack, others prefer the rocking motion of a cradle. One Alberta study showed that the most effective rhythm is one rocking movement per second, but see what works best with your child. Taking the baby for an outing in a baby carriage or stroller may also help.

White noise, an electronic noise with a constant intensity, is also very effective -- even a dishwasher or vacuum cleaner can lull the baby to sleep. Try combining motion and white noise by carrying the baby in a pack while you're vacuuming. One father, while holding his crying baby, found that the noise of the aerator on a nearby fish tank soothed the baby. Some parents find their child sleeps better with the noise of a ticking clock -- perhaps because it simulates the sound of the beating heart heard in the womb. Some companies market audiotapes of white noise that have been shown to help.

A favourite trick of experienced parents is to take the baby for a ride in the car. This combines movement with the white noise of the engine and the air rushing past, and it works in some cases. Just don't be surprised if the baby wakes up as soon as the car stops. Some companies have capitalized on this idea by selling devices that attach to the crib, imitating the motion of a car.

Sometimes wrapping the baby snugly in a blanket can help. Pacifiers work with some children; others won't accept them. Try different kinds, but avoid using them before you've established a regular pattern of breast-feeding, and avoid using them as a substitute for your own personal attention.

If your colicky baby does not respond to any of these measures, you may want to discuss medication with your doctor. However, most doctors are reluctant to prescribe medications for babies only a few weeks old because of the possibility of side effects or an overdose.

Dealing with your own frustration
Colic does not result from bad parenting or from tension in the home. On the contrary, the constant crying creates anxiety in the parents. It's very hard to live with a colicky baby, even when both parents take on the job. One study showed that the sound of a baby crying makes a parent's body respond as if given an electric shock.

If you are feeling so frazzled that you fear you might hurt the baby, put him in a safe place and go to another part of the house until you feel in control again. If you cannot take any more, ask a friend or relative to look after the baby while you get out of the house. Consider calling a parent help line in your community, or make some time to join a parent discussion group and you'll see that you're not alone. And don't despair. The colicky crying period will end soon!

Tips for handling colicky babies
There is no magic trick for calming a colicky baby, but here are a few suggestions to try, alone or in combination. Not all of them will work for your baby, and those that do work will not work all the time.

• Hold her often and try to pick her up before the crying really gets going. A baby crying in high gear is harder to settle.
• Try the "colic hold." Lay the baby face down along your arm, with her head in the crook of your elbow and your hand coming up between her legs. Use your other hand to hold her in place.
• Baby massage is another possible means of calming your baby.
• Put the baby in a pack and go for a walk.
• Rock the baby in your arms.
• Create white noise: vacuum cleaner, fish tank aerator, dishwasher.
• Make recordings of white noise to play to your baby.
• Go for a ride in the car.
• Attach to the crib one of the commercial devices that simulate a car ride.

Excerpted from Growing with Your Child: Pre-Birth to Age 5 by Christine Langlois. Copyright 1998 by Telemedia Communications Inc. Excerpted with permission by Ballantine Books. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Got a parenting question? Ask our expert, Dr. Cathryn Tobin, author of The Parent's Problem Solver.

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