Gas brings relief after passing wind or burping, with fussiness often tied to feeding, while colic is intense, prolonged, inconsolable crying (3+ hrs/day, 3+ days/week) in a healthy baby, often in the evenings, with symptoms like leg-drawing & back-arching, but little relief from typical soothing. Gas is usually temporary discomfort from trapped air; colic is a pattern of unexplained, extreme distress that eventually resolves, though gas pain can worsen colic.
But when your infant has painful gas, especially if it's frequent, it can cause your baby to cry or become fussy—until it's passed; unlike colic, which causes crying and fussiness that lasts for hours across days and weeks. Gas can have distinctive symptoms, too, such as a swollen-looking belly.
[14] Wessel proposed a diagnostic criteria for infantile colic known as the Wessels "Rule of 3," which are still helpful today. Infants affected by colic experience bouts of fussiness and crying that last at least 3 hours a day for 3 or more days a week for over 3 weeks.
Symptoms of gas include fussiness, enlarged abdomen, and passage of excessive gas through burping or flatulence. Milk allergy. Milk allergies may cause abdominal pain, but usually also cause diarrhea.
Reflux. Reflux and colic are closely related and are often confused. Reflux can also be caused by oversupply and both are more often a problem when a baby is given large feeds with long gaps in between. A baby who has reflux often spits up milk and cries more when he is lying down or is in a car seat.
Symptoms of colic
Possible Causes of Colic
Hunger. Overfeeding. Baby cannot tolerate certain foods or certain proteins in breast milk or formula. Sensitivity to certain stimuli.
Symptoms associated with gas or gas pains include: Excessive burping. Passing excessive gas. Pain, cramps or a knotted feeling in your stomach.
Colicky crying is louder, more high-pitched, and more urgent sounding than regular crying. Colicky babies can be very hard to calm down.
Baby colic causes may include: Belly (abdominal) pain or discomfort from gas due to air swallowed while nursing or crying. Reflux (bringing up) of stomach contents. Food allergies.
Sometimes a baby with colic will find it soothing to suck on a dummy between feeds. If you decide to give your baby a dummy, it's better to wait until breastfeeding is well-established and he is gaining weight well. You will also need to follow manufacturer's guidelines on cleaning and replacement.
How to relieve colic symptoms
The discomfort from gas will pass. Gas discomfort from burps and farts typically peaks at six weeks and improves immensely by 3 months of age.
Newborn reflux
Some babies will make gurgling or gulping sounds during or after feeds. Reflux can cause newborn fussiness, back arching and a lot of spit up.
The 7 key danger signs for newborns, often highlighted by organizations like the WHO, are not feeding well, convulsions, fast breathing, severe chest indrawing, lethargy/unconsciousness (movement only when stimulated), high or low temperature, and jaundice (yellow skin/soles) or signs of local infection like an infected umbilical stump, requiring immediate medical attention.
Silent reflux, also known as laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR), is a condition that's often misunderstood and misdiagnosed. It's commonly associated with a wide variety of symptoms, including colic, constipation, breathing difficulties, and general discomfort.
The pitch of their cry may change and you may eventually begin to recognise the specific sound of your overtired baby. Commonly, overtired babies sound more high-pitched and nasal than normal.
Symptoms
Gas in the intestine causes pain for some people. When it collects on the left side of the colon, the pain can be confused with heart disease. When it collects on the right side of the colon, the pain may feel like the pain associated with gallstones or appendicitis.
You should call your healthcare provider if you experience:
Making lifestyle changes may help reduce or relieve excess gas and gas pain.
The "Colic 333 Rule" is a common guideline for identifying colic in a healthy, well-fed baby: crying for more than 3 hours a day, for more than 3 days a week, for more than 3 weeks. While it's a helpful way to recognize persistent, intense crying spells, it's not a strict diagnosis, and you don't need to wait three weeks to seek help if you're concerned. Colic usually peaks around 6 weeks and lessens by 3-4 months, but it's important to rule out other issues with a doctor.
The "4-4-4 rule" for breast milk is a simple storage guideline: fresh milk is good for 4 hours at room temperature (up to 77°F/25°C), for 4 days in the refrigerator (39°F/4°C or colder), and up to 4-6 months (or longer) in a standard freezer (0°F/-18°C). It's a handy mnemonic, though some organizations like the CDC recommend up to 6 months in the freezer and the AAP up to 9 months, with deeper freezers offering even longer storage.
With the exception of three infants, the pacifier was successful in relieving the irritability and crying of the infant and in causing a cessation of the symptoms of colic.