Dear Reader,

Colic! Just the word strikes fear into the hearts of many parents. Picture a cheerful infant who suddenly begins to scream and can't be comforted, whose stomach is hard and swollen, whose legs are drawn up, whose hands are clenched, and whose face is flushed. And picture this going on for hours, only stopping when the baby is exhausted.

No one is really sure what causes colic...it remains a mystery! Is it gas or dietary intolerance? Feeding problems or an infant cycle which adults can't figure out? Some authorities say that the typical pattern of late afternoon or evening colic points to something happening at home which triggers the attacks. But nobody really knows for sure.

What is usually recommended is the establishment of regular and careful feedings, including good burping; the maintenance of a calm atmosphere in the home; and either constant motion or "lap" work for the baby. Sedatives are sometimes prescribed for the infant, and not suprisingly, for the parents.

Unfortunately, no treatment is guaranteed to work or even have an effect. The good news about colic is that it almost always disappears by the age of three months...going away as mysteriously as it arrived. So there is hope if parents will just hang on.

You have already discussed this with your pediatrician. This was a very good idea since he/she will want to make sure that there is not some other, more serious problem going on. For other parents, who may be suffering through their baby's colic, Alice recommends seeing the doctor, too. Hope this passes soon!

Alice

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