Colic is the name for excessive, frequent crying in a baby who appears to be otherwise healthy. It's a common problem that affects up to one in five babies.
Colic tends to begin when a baby is a few weeks old. It normally stops by four months of age, or by six months at the latest.
Looking after a colicky baby can be very frustrating and distressing, but the problem will eventually pass and is usually nothing to worry about.
Signs and symptoms of colic include:
Your baby often starts crying suddenly. The cry is high-pitched and nothing you do seems to help.
The crying begins at the same time each day, often in the afternoon or evening.
Your baby might draw their legs up when they cry.
Your baby might clench their hands.
Your baby's face might flush.
The crying can last for minutes or hours. A baby with colic cries for 3 hours a day or more.
The crying often winds down when your baby is exhausted or when they have passed wind or poo.
Crying is not always a sign of colic. Other reasons that babies cry include having a wet nappy, being hungry, too hot or cold, or in pain.
Caring for a baby with colic can be very difficult for parents, particularly first-time parents. It's important to remember that:
your baby's colic is not your fault – it doesn't mean your baby is unwell, you're doing something wrong, or your baby is rejecting you
your baby will get better eventually – colic normally stops before they're four to six months old
you should look after your own wellbeing – if possible, ask friends and family for support as it's important to take regular breaks and get some rest
Support groups, such as Cry-sis, can also offer help and advice if you need it.
You can contact the Cry-sis helpline for advice on 0845 122 8669 (9am-10pm, seven days a week).
There's no method that works for all babies with colic, but there are a number of techniques that may help. These include:
Holding your baby in an upright position, to help stop your baby swallowing air during feeding
If you are breastfeeding, allow your baby to finish one breast before you offer the second
If you are bottle feeding, make sure that the hole in the nipple is not too large. Try to avoid feeding your baby too quickly. You can buy special teats that are designed to stop air getting into the feed.
Burping your baby after feeds
Gently rocking your baby over your shoulder, or try driving around in the car
Bathing your baby in a warm bath
Gently massaging your baby's tummy
Some babies may also benefit from changes to their diet, such as adding drops to breast or bottle milk that aid digestion and release any bubbles of trapped air in your baby's digestive system. You should speak to a GP or pharmacist for advice before trying these.
If you are worried about your baby, you should see your doctor. They will check whether there is anything wrong that is causing your baby to cry. Always see your doctor if your baby has a high temperature, is being sick (vomiting) more forcefully than normal, has very runny or watery stool, or if their pattern of crying changes suddenly.
Babies who have colic are not ill, but they cry a lot more than babies usually do. Colic usually starts when a baby is a few weeks old and stops at 4 or 5 months. No one knows what causes it.
For some babies, colic may be a sign of a food allergy, for example sensitivity to cow's milk. Here are other things that may trigger colic:
If the baby is being breast-fed, some types of food or drink eaten by the mother might set it off. Examples include: chocolate, eggs, citrus fruits, caffeine (found in coffee, tea, cola and energy drinks), and some seafood.
Exposure to cigarette smoke, both during pregnancy and after the baby is born. Colic is twice as common in babies of mothers who smoke
Fast bottle feeding, or not being burped enough after feeding.This might mean the baby is taking in too much air, which can lead to wind and painful cramps. If your baby feeds in less than 20 minutes, the hole in the bottle's teat might be too large.
Your doctor may diagnose colic if your baby cries a lot, but is otherwise generally well and gaining weight. Colic doesn't mean you are doing anything wrong as a parent. And colic won't harm your baby.
Click the video below to watch an informative video on colic in babies from Best Beginnings:
There are many sensory issues associated with sleep including:
Sensitivity to sound, touch, and visual stimuli which can be distracting and distressing and can affect the process of falling asleep.
Interoception difficulties, particularly recognising when hungry, full or thirsty or when the person is tired.
Some children are more sensitive to foods like sugar, caffeine and additives which keep people awake.
Look at the bedroom environment to see what may be affecting their ability to go to sleep and stay asleep. Do their pyjamas and bedclothes feel comfortable, are they too hot or cold? Is it too light or too dark, too noisy or too quiet? Perhaps it is too cluttered and stimulating. Think about your child’s diet. Are they eating too early or not having enough to eat? Are they eating food that can stimulate them close to bedtime. There can be added difficulties where children have restrictive diets but some simple adjustments of what is eaten and when can make a big difference.
Sticking to the same routine helps your child to know what to expect at bedtime and helps them feel secure. It also helps to support your child’s internal body clock and keep it on track. The age related sleep advice and information on this website can help with establishing routines. Some children will benefit from using picture timetables, timers or social stories to help them understand their bed-time routine. More information about visual supports can be found on these websites
Your child may be feeling overstimulated after a busy day and needs help to wind down, or their environment may be overstimulating with lots of toys, TVs and computers within reach. Avoiding TV and computers or hand-held devices an hour before bedtime can help your child to wind down. Activities that are good for the wind down period are jigsaws and colouring. Having a relaxing bath and milky drink can help some children, but for some children having a bath can over-excite them so they may need to have their bath earlier in the day.
Children who wake to use the toilet, wet the bed, or who wear nappies or pull-ups at night that need changing may have disturbed sleep. Eric, the children’s bowel and bladder charity are a good source of advice on this topic.
What might help
Keeping a sleep diary
A sleep diary can help you understand what may be causing difficulties with sleep. Fill it out every evening and record as much as you can. You can use it to spot patterns and make changes that may help.
There are organisations that can help you if you are having difficulties with your child’s sleep. There are many national organisations, including those who specialise in sleep for SEND families, and there are also community-based services in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin. Click the link at the bottom of page to visit our support services page.
Understanding sleep cycles
The circadian sleep cycle is a 24-hour cycle that helps govern essential bodily functions especially the sleep-wake cycle. It plays a vital role in a person’s ability to sleep in one consolidated block of time at night and to stay awake during the day. As the sun sets in the evening, the brain begins producing melatonin, a hormone that induces sleepiness. Core body temperature also drops.
As melatonin and tryptophan (an amino acid which helps produce melatonin) are naturally produced in the body, there are things you can do to help their production. Darkness helps to promote the production of melatonin which is why it is a good idea to put your child to sleep in a darkened room, and light emitting devices such as tablets and phones also can destroy melatonin so should not be used for at least an hour before bed. New research shows that limiting exposure to screens and increasing physical activity levels during the day has a positive effect on children's overall physical, mental health and wellbeing, including sleep.
Setting a waking time consistently even in holiday times, which is called ‘anchoring’ the wake time, can help to reset the body clock over time. This should be accompanied with exposure to lots of light on waking to support circadian rhythm.
Melatonin and tryptophan occur naturally in some foods and drinks such as milky drinks and cereals which is why having a milky drink before bed can help settling to sleep. For more information visit Diet & Sleep - The Sleep Charity
Prescriptions of melatonin
Behavioural strategies and practical solutions are the best way to address sleep difficulties, but if they are having a significant impact on your child’s ability to function, a drug form of melatonin is sometimes prescribed for neurodivergent children. As the drug’s function is to re-set sleep and wake cycles, it works best combined with good sleep hygiene practices. It is important that is it taken under medical supervision and not purchased on-line so that it is closely monitored for dosage and side effects. It should be prescribed for the shortest period necessary as the long-term effects of the drug on children’s development are not yet known.
In Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin the Community Paediatric Service and the CAMHS (BeeU) Service) can prescribe melatonin for children and young people who meet ALL of the following criteria.
the child/young person must be open to and being treated by the service due to a neurodevelopmental/mental health need (diagnosis is not required but the child must be being seen by the service, not on a waiitng list)
sleep issues are causing significant impact on the child/ young person, for example due to daytime sleeping or behavioural problems that are impacting daily functioning or educational attendance
behavioural approaches have been tried and failed. These may have been offered by the service (where available) or by community sleep support services.
GPs are unable to prescribe melatonin although they sometimes issue repeat prescriptions when prescribing has been started by a specialist (such as a paediatrician or child psychiatrist).
Further support
Click on the link below to visit a page with information about
national websites and sleep organisations
local community services in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.
