The first signs of colic are intense, prolonged, inconsolable crying spells, often in the late afternoon or evening, in a healthy baby, accompanied by physical signs like clenched fists, drawn-up legs, an arched back, a red face, and a tense belly, even after feeding or changing. These episodes usually start around 2-3 weeks of age, peak at 6 weeks, and typically resolve by 3-4 months.
If you have a baby with colic, you are not alone. One in five babies cry enough that people call them colicky. Colic usually starts when babies are about 3 weeks old. It gets worse when they are between 4 and 6 weeks old.
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.
Colic often begins suddenly, with loud and mostly nonstop crying. This constant, extreme crying can be very stressful and difficult for parents. Babies with colic are often fussy, gassy, and don't sleep well.
Ways to soothe the baby
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.
Improper feeding technique, such as underfeeding or overfeeding, or infrequent burping, has been suggested to be a cause for colic.
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.
Best Sleeping Position for a Colic Baby: Flat on Their Back
Colic can sometimes be caused by gas and digestive discomfort, so taking steps to improve your baby's digestion before putting them to sleep on their back can allow for better-quality, longer sleep.
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.
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.
Certain foods can help ease colic symptoms in babies, while others may trigger discomfort. Common culprits include dairy, caffeine, and acidic foods, which can cause gassiness, restlessness, or digestive issues.
Over-the-counter gas drops, such as Simethicone, may be used to help relieve gas but other over-the-counter gripe waters are not normally recommended to treat colic, says Dr. Wilkinson.
Features of colic may include: Loud, hard crying that may sound like screaming or being in pain. Crying for no known reason. Colic crying is not like the crying a baby does when hungry or wet.
Parents of infants with colic correlated crying to stomach aches and a disturbed gut function [2,16]. In a qualitative study they remarked that their infants had bowel movements more than ten times/day or hardly at all and that the stools were green, explosive and foul-smelling [2].
Colic and gas are common challenges faced by newborns, often causing significant discomfort and distress. Swaddling, when done correctly, can be a highly effective strategy in alleviating these symptoms by providing comfort, security, and soothing effects.
Swaddle your baby in a soft blanket. Sing and talk softly to your baby. Sway back and forth while you hold your baby, or find other ways to gently rock her. Some babies are calmed by a swing.
The hardest week with a newborn is often considered the first six weeks, especially weeks 2-3, due to extreme sleep deprivation, constant feeding demands, learning baby's cues, postpartum recovery, and a peak in inconsolable crying (the "witching hour"), making parents feel overwhelmed as they adjust to a new, exhausting routine. While the first week is tough, the challenges often intensify as the baby becomes more alert but still fussy, with major developmental hurdles like cluster feeding and increased fussiness peaking around 6-8 weeks.
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.
When fed too much, a baby may also swallow air. This can produce gas, increase discomfort in the belly, and lead to crying. An overfed baby also may spit up more than usual and have loose stools. Although crying from discomfort is not colic, it can make crying more frequent and more intense in an already colicky baby.
Babies with restricted oral movement often swallow air, struggle to feed, and end up with gas and reflux-like symptoms. These can closely mimic colic — leaving parents feeling helpless and frustrated.
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.
Signs of overfeeding a baby include frequent spitting up/vomiting, fussiness, gassiness, a tight belly, and changes in stool (loose, green, frothy, or explosive). While babies often know when they're full (turning away, falling asleep), signs of overfeeding often involve discomfort and digestive issues, sometimes with rapid weight gain or a very full, hard tummy, especially if fed past fullness cues.
A warmed bottle is more soothing for your baby's sensitive digestive system, reducing the likelihood of gas and discomfort after feeding. Additionally, warm milk can help ease colic and reduce spit-ups, leading to a happier and more content baby.