What is colic actually?
One expert opinion seems to sum colic up rather well:
since colic represents a pattern of behavior and not
a disease, a baby cannot be 'diagnosed' with colic.
Having said that, colic tends to set in when a baby
is about 2 weeks old but is known to start from birth
in some babies and goes away completely when baby is
about 3 months old but can linger on until six months
in some cases. Colic as we know it is painful intestinal
contractions causing long bouts of crying and gas. Infants
are usually irritable and fussy. To date, there is no
cure for it.
Colic can occur at any part of the day but seems most
common in the late afternoon continuing till midnight.
The crying is distinctive - a high-pitched squeal which
is sometimes accompanied by baby drawing up his legs
and turning red in the face. The cries do subside but
only to start again.
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