Colic
Colic gets better on its own after a few months,although you may find thefollowing tipshelpful in the meantime.
There is no "best" wayto comfort your baby. Different babies respond to different methods, so you may have to see what works best for you.
The following suggestions mayhelp:
Looking after a baby with colic can be exhausting and distressing, and it's common for parents to sometimes feel depressed, angry or helpless.
You may find the following tips useful:
A support group called Cry-sis can also provide help and advice to parents with babies that cry excessively. You can contact the Cry-sis helpline on 0845 122 8669 (9am-10pm,seven days a week).
As colic eventually improves on its own, medical treatment isn't usually recommended.But if you're finding it hard to cope, speak to your GP or pharmacistfor advice about possible treatments.
There are some over-the-counter treatments available you may want to try. These are described below.
There isn't much good evidencefor the effectiveness ofthese treatments, although some parents find them helpful. It may be worthwhiletrying them one at a time for about a week or so each to see if they help.
Simeticone drops, such as Infacol, are a supplement that can be added to your baby's bottle or breast milk before a feed. The drops are designed to help release bubbles of trapped air in your baby's digestive system.
A one-week trial of simeticone drops is usually recommended. If your baby's symptoms do not improve within this time, it's usually felt there's little point carrying on with the treatment.
Simeticone drops are safe for babies to have and there have been no reports of side effects from the treatment.
Lactase is an enzyme that helps break down a sugar called lactose, which is found in breast and formula milk. Your baby may havea temporary problem digesting lactose, which could contribute to their colicky symptoms.
Lactase drops, such as Colief,can be added to your baby's feed to make digesting the lactose easier. As with simeticone, using lactase drops for more than a week if symptoms don't improve isn't usually recommended.
It's possible your baby may have developed a short-term intolerance to proteins found in cows' milk and other dairy products.
If you're breastfeeding, you can try removing dairy products from your diet for a week or two to see if your baby's symptoms improve.
Speak to your GP for advice ifyou decide to continue with a dairy-free diet after this point, as they may recommend taking additional calcium supplements to ensure you maintain good bone health.
If you're bottle feeding, see your GP for advice about switching to a hypoallergenic milk formula. This type of milk has low levels of the protein that may be causing the intolerance. Again, you can try using it for a week ortwoto see if your baby's symptoms improve.
Your GP can advise you about the most suitable hypoallergenic milk formula for your baby. Soya milk formula isn't usually recommended for babies less than six months old,as it contains hormones that may interfere with your baby's physical and sexual development.
If your baby's symptoms don't improve after using hypoallergenic milk formula for a week or two, it's usually felt there's little point carrying on with it.
The following treatments could be dangerous for your baby and shouldn't be tried:
Speak to a pharmacist or your GP for advice before giving your baby a treatment if you're not sure whether it's safe for them to take.
Colic is the name for excessive, frequent crying in a baby who appears to be otherwise healthy. It's a common problem that affects up to one in five babies.
Read about what you can do to comfort a colicky baby, and find out what treatments are available if you need them.