Colics
It’s estimated that one in five babies have crying spells, usually beginning in late afternoon and lasting until bedtime, that are severe enough to be labelled colic. Colic’s differs from ordinary crying in that the baby seem inconsolable, crying turns to screaming, and the ordeal lasts for three hours, sometimes much longer, occasionally nearly round-the-clock.
Most often colicky periods recur daily,though some babies take an occasional night off . Doctors usually diagnose the colic based on the “rules of three”: at least three hours of crying, at least three days a week, starting at about three weeks of age. A baby whit colic pulls his knees up, clenches his fists and generally increases his activity. He closes his eyes tightly or open them wide, furrows his brow, even holds his breath briefly; bowel activity increases and he passes gas.
Eating and sleeping patterns are upset by the crying, the baby frantically seeks a nipple only to reject it once sucking is begun or dozes for a few moments only to awaken screaming.
Not all babies experience colic with the same intensity of crying and associated behavior, and not all parents respond in exactly the same way.
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