Home > Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine > Colic

Definition

Colic is persistent, unexplained crying and discomfort in an otherwise healthy baby between the ages of two weeks and about five months.

Description

Colic affects 10-20% of all infants. It is more common in boys than in girls and most common in a family's first child. Symptoms of colic usually appear when a baby is 14-21 days old, reach a peak at the age of three months, and disappear within the next eight weeks.

Causes & symptoms

Some babies who have colic are simply fussy. Others cry so hard that their faces turn red, then pale. Episodes may occur frequently but intermittently, usually beginning with prolonged periods of crying in the late afternoon or evening. Crying may intensify, taper off, and then get even louder. It can last for just a few minutes or continue for several hours. During a colicky episode, babies' bellies often look swollen, feel hard, and make a rumbling...