Baby Colic Relief: How to Ease Your Baby's Discomfort

There are no proven causes of colic although there are a number of possible causes which medical science has associated colic with.  

A popular belief links colic to digestive problems such as lactose intolerance, food allergies, and an immature digestive system.  Some experts, however, contend that colic is not necessarily associated with infant digestion but may be caused in different ways, by different factors, in different babies.  Infants with mothers who smoke, for example, has a greater risk of colic.

How to Give your Baby Colic Relief to Ease Discomfort

Since the causes are clearly unidentified which makes prevention less likely, it is best to take a holistic approach and focus on how to help ease your baby’s discomfort during an attack of colic and reduce the strain and stress in the family.

The following are useful tips to give your baby relief from colic:

• Turn your baby’s attention away from the discomfort.  Many moms can attest that continuous noise and vibrations from household appliances such as the dishwasher, washing machine or vacuum cleaner actually soothes the baby.  You can also try playing “white noise” or music that your baby seems to like on the stereo. 
• Give your baby a nice, warm bath.  A warm bath is comforting and calming.
• Swaddle your baby.  Wrap your baby firmly with a comfortable blanket. Swaddling is often done to help infants sleep.  This is very comforting and may help soothe colic.
• Keep your baby in some sort of motion.  This includes rocking or walking your baby around in a front-pouch style, like the way you carry grocery bags, with his legs drawn up and pressure off of the belly.
• Probiotics.  Recent studies showed that probiotics may help ease and reduce colic attacks.  These are dietary supplements that contain live bacteria used to aid digestion.  Always talk to your baby’s medical provider before using any type of medication.
• Stick to your baby’s feeding schedule.  Some parents, in their effort to stop the baby’s incessant crying, tend to overfeed the baby.  Avoid overfeeding!  This can worsen colic.
• If you are a breastfeeding mom, try to avoid milk products and gas-producing foods.  Examples of this type of foods are onions, celery, carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, caffeine, etc.
• If your baby is formula-fed, try a low-allergy formula.  You can try trial milk formula packs to see if the formula you are currently using is contributing to colic.

Always keep a positive attitude.  When you feel that the situation is wearing down on you, have someone else watch the baby for a while, leave the house, take a walk, go for a swim or do whatever activity that helps you cope with stress.  Dealing with colic is a challenge but you can get through this with the right approach.

Freelance Contributor: Hazel Zanoria