Colic is a common phenomenon among infants, characterised by episodes of intense, prolonged crying. These episodes can be very stressful for parents, especially when they don’t know how to soothe their baby. This article explores the causes of colic, its symptoms and suggests strategies to help soothe colicky babies.
What is colic?
Infant colic is classically defined as episodes of intense, recurrent crying in a healthy baby. This crying usually occurs at the end of the day or in the evening, with no apparent cause. Wessel’s “rule of 3” is often used to diagnose colic: crying for more than 3 hours a day, more than 3 days a week, for more than 3 weeks.
Symptoms of colic
Symptoms of colic include
- Intense crying: Babies cry intensely, often inconsolably.
- Physical signs: They may clench their fists, turn red, stiffen up, fold their legs against their tummy and have a hard tummy with gas.
- Seizure rhythm: Seizures frequently occur at the same time of day, particularly in the late afternoon and evening.
Causes of colic
The exact cause of colic remains unknown, but several hypotheses exist:
- Human evolution (shrinking of the jaws from generation to generation): the jaws shrink from generation to generation. Babies find it increasingly difficult to breathe through their nose. Or they breathe through their nose but with their mouth wide open. This puts them under respiratory strain. They have to force themselves to breathe through their nose. This induces thoracic depression, crushing of the thorax and dilation of the abdomen → colic.
- Baby’s intestinal dysbiosis and mum’s intestinal and mammary gland dysbiosis: this causes bloating, swelling, pain, gas in babies’ tummies.
- Food hypersensitivity: in some babies, hypersensitivity to bovine proteins present in breast milk (via the mother’s diet) or in infant formula can cause colic. And not just to bovine proteins, gluten and all foods containing proteins. The most common are cow’s milk casein, gluten and eggs.
- Vagal system dysfunction: Excessive sensory stimulation can also trigger crying spells in sensitive babies. Medical childbirth and oral-myofacial dysfunctions are the main causes of this disruption to the vagal system. A poorly regulated vagal system leads to dysbiosis and digestive problems. This leads to stomach hypochorydria, changes in the intestinal microbiota, bacteria in the colon, and colic. It is important to have good gastric acidity to digest proteins. And to have good gastric acidity, you need good oro-maxillo-facial functions and good regulation of your vagal system.
How to relieve colic
- Carrying techniques and positioning :
- Carrying your baby in an upright position against you can help soothe colic. Use baby carriers or slings to provide close, reassuring contact.
- Laying your baby flat on your lap or folding his legs against his tummy can also relieve pain.
- Create a calm environment :
- Reducing external stimuli by dimming lights and creating a calm environment can help soothe the baby.
- Talking softly to the baby, telling him stories or having him listen to white noise such as the sound of the extractor hood or hoover can be soothing.
- Comforting methods :
- Offering the breast frequently can comfort a breastfed baby, even if it doesn’t always immediately relieve colic.
- Giving the baby a warm bath or having a bath with him can also be very soothing.
- Gently massaging your baby’s tummy in a clockwise direction can help relieve gas.
When to see a doctor
You should always consult a doctor and check your baby’s oral-myofacial functions. Although colic is important, it should be managed by carers who are well-informed about its true origins. It is important to consult a doctor if :
- Crying persists for several weeks
- Symptoms include frequent vomiting, diarrhoea, blood in the stools, fever or poor weight gain.
- The baby’s behaviour changes significantly or if he or she seems lethargic or ill.
Conclusion
Colic can be a difficult time for parents and babies. By adopting carrying techniques, creating a calm environment and using comforting methods, it is possible to reduce the baby’s discomfort. If in doubt or if symptoms persist, a medical consultation is always recommended.
Note from Caroline, GP and IBCLC trainer
For me, with sleepclinic, we agree that colic is a warning sign of a future chronic apnoea sufferer! caused by oromaxillofacial dysfunctions, a jaw that is already too small (high and narrow palate, often associated with a restrictive lingual brake), dysbiosis of mother and baby. the mother’s dysbiosis (the intestinal microbiota is the head of all the other microbiota. If it is sick, so are the other microbiota in the body), which leads to mammary dysbiosis (a mammary gland that has become permeable to inflammatory cytokines) and chronic inflammation in the mother, with inflammatory cytokines passing into the mother’s milk. All this leads to a disruption of the vagal system because the body is in chronic discomfort → stimulation of the emergency system, the adrenergic system, which leads to a dysregulation of the vagal system.
