Colic – when crying becomes excessive
GIVING birth to my baby a few years back was the most amazing thing that had ever happened in my life.
I recall asking myself time and again, as my beautiful girl lay there by my side: is this baby really mine? Is it the one that has been growing in me for the past nine months? The questions went on playing on my mind.
As I left the hospital seven days later (I underwent a C-Section), with an additional member to our small family unit, no one had prepared me for the rigours of motherhood.
The first few weeks were just great, as my baby would sleep only to wake up once or twice a night for her intake of the always available breast milk.
SLEEPLESS NIGHTS
Come the end of the second week, and my baby girl started crying endlessly at night. This is when I came to understand what motherhood is all about. How could she start causing mayhem at night, when I really needed my sleep, considering my wound had not even healed properly?
I think I would have run amok, if my husband would not have been supportive. I started detesting motherhood. Is this what my mother went through when she was raising us? I remember asking myself.
Our daughter would keep us awake almost the entire night: we spent sleepless nights on end as we tried to soothe her to sleep. And sleep she would, until we placed her in her cot thinking she was sound asleep: this is when she would woke up and start howling all over again!
My husband and I decided to take turns, carrying her and soothing her to sleep, all night long. I used to pity him because he would go to the office with red eyes and persistent headaches. I was the lucky one because I was on leave, so I would enjoy my sleep during the day when ironically, she would also decide to sleep soundly.
After several days passed, with the problem continuing persistently, we decided to visit a paediatrician who diagnosed the problem as colic and gave us medication that greatly helped deal with problem, and at least help us enjoy our sleep.
I recall how relieved my husband and I were when for the first time in several weeks, our baby slept soundly at night—it was simply unbelievable.
BUT WHAT EXACTLY IS COLIC?
Although all babies cry from time to time, sometimes a baby can cry for hours no matter what you do. This extreme type of crying in a baby of age three weeks to three months is referred to as colic and is normal for some babies.
Normally, doctors diagnose colic when a healthy baby cries more than expected in a ‘3’ pattern: meaning more than three hours daily, at least three days a week for at least three weeks in a row.
WHEN DOES IT OCCUR?
Colic occurs commonly during the first six weeks of a baby’s life: but most babies outgrow it by the time they are three to four months old. While 90 percent of babies grow out of colic by the time they are four months, the remaining 10 percent stop being colicky by the time they are six months of age.
WHAT CAUSES COLIC?
Colic may be the result of a baby’s sensitive temperament and an immature nervous system. These may cause a baby to cry easily and have trouble stopping. But as babies grow and develop, they are better able to control their crying.
Although colic is not related to any health conditions, such as digestion problems, having a lot of gas in the stomach can worsen the crying.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
While most babies will cry less when they are held, fed, and given attention, these may not work for babies who have colic. When they are crying, they may clench their fists and stiffen their stomach and legs. Some babies arch their back, while others pull up their legs to their stomach.
DR.ORINGE, A PAEDIATRICIAN SAYS…
Colic is the distension of the abdomen or intestinal tracts by gas. This gas could have been swallowed by the baby or may be caused by indigestible milk, causing pain in the abdomen.
It can be managed by encouraging a mother to burp the child after every breastfeeding session.
There are also some different types of colicky drops that a mother could give to help a fussy baby.
She should prevent colic by ensuring the type of milk she gives to the baby is digestible. Babies do not have enough enzymes to digest any type of cow or goat’s milk. Therefore, they should be fed on formula milk up to at least one year. A mother can also use the help of drugs that are baby friendly and that help in enhancing digestion.
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