The Colic Myth: How to Find Answers
Dr. Sears uses the term “the hurting baby” to describe babies who exhibit signs of colic. He believes (and my experience leads me to agree) that colicky babies are actually in pain, and that parents and doctors should work together to find the cause. Dr. Sears has a whole section on his website about colic. It’s a lot of great information, but it takes time to wade through it all! I’ve condensed it here to make it more accessible to parents who need the bullet points in one place. I’m not a medical professional, and any information presented is intended for informational purposes only. Please consult with your doctor about any concerns you have regarding your baby’s health.
A 3 Step Plan to look for the cause of colicky symptoms:
Keep a Colic Diary
Triggers and things that help
Time of day, length of episode, frequency
Are the episodes getting better, worse, or staying the same?
Feeding-
Spitting up- Frequency, length of time after feeding, amount of force
Breastfeeding- Any correlation between what you eat and symptoms? [How to Tell, Elimination Diet]
Formula- type of formula, type of bottle, type of nipple—duration, or position of feeding? What changes in feeding techniques or formulas have you tried?
Bloating? Does your baby seem to swallow a lot of air or pass a lot of gas?
Stools- Frequency, difficulty passing, soft or hard? Any changes in frequency or characteristics in response to a change in feeding?
What have you already tried? What helped, what didn’t?
2. Get a medical evaluation
Let them know you need an extended office visit
Both parents attend if possible
Bring your Colic Diary, Food Diary, and a video of a crying episode to show the doctor
3. Don’t stop searching for answers
Trust your instincts. If your gut feeling tells you that your baby hurts somewhere, don’t give up searching for the cause and experimenting with various comforting remedies.
Possible Hidden Medical Causes of Colic
Gastroesophageal reflux (GER)
Possible symptoms:
Wails and shrieks in pain, causing you to feel that they’re not just crying but truly hurting
Spits up after feedings
Experiences painful bursts of nightwaking
Most painful cries occur after eating
Draws up legs, knees to chest, and arches back as if writhing in pain
Has frequent, unexplained colds, wheezing, and chest infections
Often seems happier when upright rather than lying flat
(My note: For us, food sensitivities/allergies were the cause of GER. Once we got those figured out, we were able to work with the GI to taper off medication.)
Food sensitivities Either to something you’re eating if breastfeeding, or formula if bottle feeding
Possible symptoms:
Baby’s pain escalates within an hour after feeding
Baby seems gassy or bloated, rather than contented, after feeding
Baby spits up profusely soon after feeding
Baby begins to nurse or bottlefeed, but keeps pulling off, crying as if in pain
Baby has constipation or diarrhea
Baby’s bowel movements are extremely watery, mucousy, or explosive
Baby shows the “target-sign”: a red, circular rash around the anus, caused by the skin reacting to irritants in their feces
Possible culprits:
Dairy products
Caffeine – coffee, tea, soda
Soy products
Peanuts
Shellfish
Chocolate (sorry!)
Citrus fruits
Wheat
Chicken
Beef
Eggs
Nuts
Corn (My note: Corn is hard to eliminate, because the derivatives are in EVERYTHING. [Corn derivatives])
Prenatal vitamins (The iron may be irritating to baby. Ask your OB for an alternative if this is the culprit.)
Gassy vegetables:
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Onions
Green peppers
Tomatoes
Transient Lactase Deficiency TLD is a recently-recognized contributor to colic. Research has shown that 38% infant colic cases can be attributed to a temporary insufficiency of lactase enzyme, an intestinal enzyme that digests the lactose sugar in milk (breast milk or cow’s milk formula). The undigested sugar will ferment and create lactic acid and hydrogen gas, which can contribute to colicky symptoms. Such infants will usually begin producing more lactase enzyme by four months of age, but the intervening months can be very uncomfortable. This can be improved by adding lactase digestive enzyme drops to an infant’s formula or breast milk.
In my research for this article, I came across SO many pages that basically said “sorry, colic sucks but it only lasts a few months.” You don’t have to accept that answer. A lot of parenting comes down to trusting your gut. You know your baby best, and you have the right to advocate for their needs.
Colic is excruciating, for everyone involved. Any parent dealing with it gets overwhelmed at times and needs a break. If you feel yourself getting angry or overly frustrated, pass your baby off to another caretaker, or lay them in a safe place (like a crib or bassinette) and take a break to regroup.
Reach out for help to cope with the very real toll colic takes on you.
❤
Jennifer
Information condensed from askdrsears.com