Although painful for both the infants and the parents, colic is not usually a serious condition. You’ll sustain your baby’s crying periods which oftentimes will be so intense that anyone would think that it’s a case of life or death. It is not, but this does not mean that you will not do anything to relieve the problem. Medical specialists and physicians are still attempting to pinpoint just what causes the colic, even though intestinal colic is characterized by a pain in the stomach and the tummy. Some consider that this is because of an allergy while others think it is innate, and because there is no particular cause, there is also no specific remedy for the episodes.
Babies that are experiencing colic can scream loud enough to destroy your ears. What is worse is that these crying and shouting occurrences can last from one hour to as long as five hours, even the entire day, depending on the seriousness of the intestinal colic and the way moms and dads handle the situation. It is difficult for a parent to see their child in pain and not recognize what to do. Colic happens to babies as young as three weeks old which is usually the onset of the intestinal colic but for infants who are premature, colic can begin at the sixth to eighth week after the reckoned to be due date. Occurrences usually peak in the second month, start to lessen in the third month, and most sometimes, will cease by the end of the 4th month. The mystery is still why medical science do not even know what starts the problem in the first place.
It can happen with any baby, no matter of their health. Some experts believe that intestinal colic in babies can actually be genetic as moms and dads who have had intestinal colic when they were infants will most likely produce an offspring who will also be afflicted with colic. One of the most evident signs of colic in infants is the crying episodes that will start to become frequent and recurring. If the episodes occur at particular time or period of the day, normally after eating, intestinal colic may be the problem. Intestinal colic episodes can last for a few minutes to 60 minutes and can occur many times a day but crying can also start without any real reason, although sometimes the crying will stop when they have passed gas or moved their bowels.
You may notice infants acting uneasy and drawing their legs up onto their tummies while clenching their hands because their abdomen is in pain. Other symptoms of a colicky baby are hard abdominal muscles that tense up to the touch, followed by kicking, or they may even draw their legs in and thrash as if in a lot of pain. Babies who have intestinal colic will sometimes display physical symptoms such as a flushed face, usually caused by the increased level of crying due to the discomfort this condition causes.
