Colic in newborn refers to the unexplainable crying for a longer period of time. It occurs in newborns after two weeks of birth and may persist for three or four months, but it is not dangerous.
Colic is categorized into
- Renal colic
- Horse colic
- Biliary colic and others.
Abdominal pain due to kidney stone leads to renal colic while stone in gallbladder causes biliary colic. Any other discomfort as caused by some diseases can lead to inconsolable crying of newborn is called as horse colic.
Lactose intolerance, indigestion, milk allergies and underdeveloped digestive and nervous system can also lead to colic in newborns. Smoking and/or use of alcohol by mother also poses risk of developing bouts of long crying in babies.
Symptoms
- Irregular sleep
- Intense crying
- Intervening episodes of crying during sleep
- Stiffness of abdominal muscles
- Arched back
Diagnosis And Treatment
Doctors may conduct a physical examination to find out whether the baby has any distress or intestinal obstructions and if the baby is otherwise healthy, then it is diagnosed as colic.
Being a short-term condition, it does not cause any serious harm to the health, growth and development of babies, colic does not need any specific treatment.
However, it is recommended to exclude the cow's milk from diet of the baby and put the baby on breastfeeding alone. Over the counter drops like anti-foaming drops and lactase enzyme drops may also help.
