Colic - Fussy Baby

Infants communicate by crying.  They have a different cry for pain, hunger, and attention.  Most infants cry in the evening.  This seems to peak at about 6 weeks.  If the baby calms after about 2 hours and seems happy during the rest of the day their is no reason to worry.

If your infant cries longer than 3 hours a day you should look at other reasons for the fussiness.

Gas
 
One common reason is gas.  Sometimes mom's diet can affect the child if she is breast feeding.  If nursing, you might try to eliminate caffeine, dairy, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, beans, spicy foods, citrus, and chocolate one at a time.  Try to discover if one food makes your baby gassy.  Some moms like to try gripe water.

Reflux
 
If your baby spits a lot your baby may have heartburn.  The most important thing is to elevate your baby about 30 degrees.  This includes sleeping position (elevate the head of the mattress) and after feeding make sure the baby is elevated.  If this does not help, talk with your doctor about trying "heartburn" or reflux medicine like Zantac or Prevacid.

Probiotics

Some research suggests that probiotics may help colic.  Our NICU uses probiotics like culturelle or Align.

Milk Intolerance

Some babies actually cannot tolerate mothers breast milk or regular formula.  These infants need to try a special formula like Nutramigen or Alimentum.

See Your Doctor

If your baby has a rectal temperature of 100, refuses to eat, has a lot of pain, or if you have other concerns you should see your doctor.


Calming

Car rides, swings, rocking, pacifiers, back rubs, and swaddling can calm a baby.

Let someone else take over for a time.

It's hard listening to your baby cry for long periods, so give yourself a break.  There are plenty of people that would love to hold a baby.