Colic in Babies: What New Parents Need to Know About Colic From a Pediatrician Newborns

I spent some time with baby Paige and Dr. Anita Chandra, a pediatrician with Northwestern Medical Group in Chicago, to learn about colic, its causes and what parents can do to soothe their colicky babies. Dr. Chandra offered some helpful information as well as an important reminder that is sure to ease parents’ minds.

What Is Colic?

True colic is actually not that common. Your baby may have colic if she:

• Is crying despite being fed well and changed.
• Cries at predictable times.
• Cries three hours a day, three days a week for three weeks in a row.

What Causes Colic? 

The medical community doesn’t know exactly, but it could be:

• intestinal spasms
• gassiness
• lactose intolerance
• natural behavior phenomenon

What Can Parents Do to Soothe Colicky Babies?

• Rock your baby.
• Swaddle.
• Burp.
• Warm bath.
• Motion.
• White noise (ex. use a sound machine or white noise app or run the vacuum cleaner).

Good news for new parents: According to Dr. Chandra, colic typically ends by 3 months of age. “There is an end in sight!”

Watch this video to see Dr. Chandra and I demonstrate swaddling and burping.

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