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The cause of colic is not known. Experts attribute it to any number of things, including an infant's immature digestive system, weaning the child too early, allergies, hormones in breast milk, and overfeeding. It is worsened when the baby cries as he or she takes in extra air which can exacerbate the problem.
Traditional Treatment:
There is no actual cure for colic, although you can often find relief from many at-home remedies have proved helpful in soothing colicky babies. Always try to be calm and curb your anxiousness as this can inadvertently be communicated to your child and it will make the condition worse.
Do not ever punish a child with colic. If you feel you cannot cope, leave someone else with the child for a few moments while you relax calm yourself.
If you suspect your child has colic, call your paediatrician. After ruling out possible medical causes of prolonged crying, most doctors recommend simple remedies you can perform at home.
Some encourage parents to talk with other parents for support. Give the baby something safe to suck, this will distract them from the pain. Also rhythmic rocking or walking with the baby is soothing.
* Be consistent with the ways in which you pacify the child
* Give your baby things to distract him or her.
* Motion can relieve colic. So take them for a walk, or drive or gently rock them.
* Wrap the child snugly in a blanket to provide a sense of security and comfort.
* Use a warm water bottle to sooth the pain
When to seek further professional advice :
* bouts of colic are accompanied by fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, or constipation.
* your baby's crying sounds painful, not fussy - indicating injury or illness is causing the distress.
* your baby is older than three months and still acting colicky; behavioural problems or illness may be the cause.
* your colicky child fails to gain weight and is not hungry, which suggests illness.
* you're exhausted or fear stress might lead you to hurt your baby.