The term "colic" means an acute, sharp pain in the abdomen but I've learned colic is seldom an intestinal problem and seldom caused by "gas". In many babies colicky symptoms are due to an overall tension release from a generally upset baby.

While unknown causes can bring out a sympathetic response from parents, they also run the risk of creating reactions like, "I'm being manipulated" or "I've been had." These feelings may add a bit of restraint to the caregiver's nurturing responses, especially if they are reinforced by well-meaning advisors who admonish the mother that she will spoil her baby if she responds every time he cries. Here are 2 myths I would like to explode right off the bat before we get into possible causes and helpful resources...

Myth #1 --- Tense Mother - Tense Baby Syndrome

Let's explode this myth right off the bat. Parents do not cause their baby's colic, they respond to it. Colic occurs in babies of accepting, easy-going mothers as well as in babies whose mothers are more prone to be anxious. It is true that parents vary widely in their coping abilities and that colic, like any stress that is not quickly dealt with, can be prolonged and reinforced by the parents' tension. A tense baby doesn't settle well in tense arms... so it's true that tense parents can aggravate a baby's colic, but it is very hard to relax with a screaming baby. Lack of answers as to why the baby has colic only aggravates parental tension. Heck, there were times in his second week of colic I thought my eardrums were going to split and I won't even talk about migraine headaches here.

Myth #2 --- It's Just Gas

During colicky periods the infant's tummy does seem to be more distended, and the infant does pass a lot of gas, BUT ... is it the cause of colic? X-ray studies suggest not. Abdominal x-rays of non-colicky babies frequently reveal a lot of distention of the intestines with gas but the infants do not seem to be uncomfortable. However, x-rays taken during a colic crying spell show no gas but taken after a crying spell show a lot of gas. This is one major reason why a prompt response to crying is important. Avoiding the crying episode may lessen the amount of air the baby swallows, thus decreasing the amount of intestinal gas and shortening the duration of the colic cry. No, you are not spoiling him! You are preventing/reducing pain --- both his and yours.

What are the causes of colic? What brings on the attacks? I've read a few possible answers to these questions...
 
 

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Page 1   |   What Is Colic?   |   What Causes Colic?   | Hormones?
Medical Causes of Colic   |   Coping With Colic   |   More Coping Help   |   Getting Doctor's Help
Resources For Colic

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