CHKD Health & Surgery Center (Newport News) issued the following announcement on Nov. 1
Colic in infants can be more harmful to parents and caretakers than to the baby. When a colicky baby starts crying, parents can feel tired, guilty, and depressed, and should know how to cope with crying in a healthy way.
If you are living with a colicky baby, it’s important to know that colic is a common condition in young babies that will go away on its own between the ages of 3 to 6 months.
Help soothe your colicky baby with these tips.
- If your baby is bottle-fed, try using a curved bottle so you can hold your baby in an upright position. Switching to a bottle with a collapsible bag or liner may also help.
- Reduce the amount of air your baby swallows during feeding by burping your baby often.
- Check to see if they are hungry, but don’t force-feed them if they’re uninterested in eating.
- Change your baby’s position to give them a different view. If they’re lying down, sit them up. If you’re holding your baby towards you, face them away from you.
- Make sure they has interesting things to look at, such as different shapes, colors, textures, and sizes.
- Talk and sing to your baby.
- Walk with your baby.
- Rock your baby or place them in an infant swing on a low setting.
- Give them a warm bath.
- Let your baby lie on their belly on your lap and softly rub their back.
- Take them for a ride in the car.
- Soothing sounds like a fan, white-noise machine, or a heartbeat CD can be calming. Some babies can even be soothed by the sound of a vacuum or washing machine.
- Hold and cuddle your baby.
- Use a pacifier.
- Keep any stimulation to a minimum.
For breastfeeding mothers, your provider may suggest you avoid foods such as milk, eggs, nuts, wheat, or other foods likely to cause an allergic reaction for a while.
To learn more about colic and what you can do to calm your baby, speak with your child’s pediatrician.
Original source can be found here.
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