DOES MY BABY HAVE COLIC?

In this fortnightly column, renowned paediatrician Dr Anupam Sibal helps young parents resolve dilemmas

- DR ANUPAM SIBAL

My two-month-old cries for hours every evening and nothing seems to comfort him. We have tried burping, rocking, feeding and changing, but the crying still goes on. Is this just normal newborn fussiness or could something be wrong? Is this colic?

Colic is a term used when a healthy baby cries a lot, for no obvious reason, and seems inconsolable, yet is feeding, growing and otherwise behaving normally. Episodes often occur in the evening and babies may appear red-faced, draw up their legs, and tense their abdomen during crying.

Crying usually peaks at about 6-8 weeks of age and improves by 3-4 months of age. Though distressing for parents, colic is a common and self-limiting condition that usually resolves on its own by 3-4 months of age. In India, studies report a prevalence of about 25.6%. It also accounts for 10% to 20% of paediatrician visits during early infancy for the first three months (1).

WHY DOES IT HAPPEN?