1. from the desk of:
Steve Marchbank, MD
Colic – A Survivor’s Guide
Author: Tom Selva, MD Edited/adapted by: Steve Marchbank, MD
General Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital and Clinics
University of Missouri-Columbia; Columbia, Missouri
It’s 3am and there you stand in the baby’s room, alone in your angst over how to get this baby to calm down. Sure, she’s only three
weeks old, but by now she has managed to destroy any semblance of a sleep cycle you may have had, and your wife is in tears in bed
over what to do next. Nursing hasn’t helped, bathing, dressing, changing the diaper, even the famed “Daddy Dance” hasn’t done the
trick. Sound familiar? I know it does to me. My first child was the “Golden Child” when she came home from the hospital, but
within two weeks we were at a loss as to what to do to stop the 8 pm to 3 am screamfest.
My wife and I decided, without any input from journals or parent guides, to take matters into our own hands. We agreed that the
crying just wasn’t going to bother us (too much), and that we were still in charge of our home. Lo and behold, in a week the crying
was better – both the baby’s and our own. Does this shine a ray of hope for you? I hope so.
For many years this behavior has been called “colic” due to the spasmodic crying from the child on an almost regular basis. Perhaps
because of the use of this term, many parents make the assumption that the source of the child’s discomfort is bowel related. Many
home remedies have been tried, some with fair results, others with no results at all. The fact is that colic seems to mysteriously arise
around 3 weeks of age and somehow disappears at around 3 months of age. Perhaps there are some clues in those astonishingly
reproducible numbers.
A study performed in Great Britain in 1992 sought to unravel the mystery of infantile colic. Since many patients in that country are
covered by the government’s socialized medicine plan, a ready pool of expectant mothers was available. Two groups of new mothers
were identified. The first group was handled as any first time mother would be, and the second group of mothers was provided with
stress management skills before delivery. In follow up interviews, the second group showed a strikingly lower amount of infantile
colic.
Perhaps, then, part of the answer lies within us as parents. Suppose for an instant that you could be your infant before birth and
shortly thereafter. From a quiet, warm, zero-gravity liquid environment where all your needs are met without asking, you are thrust
into a cold, dry, loud world where you have to make your needs known all the time. Then suppose that at certain parts of the day you
just can’t take it any more, and have to let the stress out in the form of a screaming fit. Beginning to sound familiar? To make matters
worse, when you scream your parents just seem to get more and more stressed, and you can’t get your idea across.
You see, much of colic or fussiness is really coming from us as parents. Just think… at three weeks out, the magical glow of new
parenting is wearing off, and the harsh reality of just how demanding the job is begins to sink in. You can’t go out to eat anymore, no
dates, no sleep, and forget about sex. Even if you wanted to, you just aren’t allowed for a few more weeks. Add to that the
responsibility of having to keep up with work and/or home chores, and you have the recipe for disaster. Three months later down the
road, many parents have “resigned’ themselves to the fact that life will just have to change and are willing to accept the baby’s moods,
screams and smiles. As well, by three months most babies are smiling and beginning to laugh; a welcome return on the investment of
emotional stress those first few months.
Am I saying that all colic is really just us? No, absolutely not. However, some of it is. As new parents, we need to realize that even a
newborn has moods, and we as parents have to do our best to leave our stress on the patio or in the car so that we are better able to
give all of our energy to the child. True, some children have bowel distress, and an even smaller number may have the infantile form
of irritable bowel syndrome, but the vast majority of infants are just venting their inner stress. Our job is to be the sponge and absorb
it.
So how do you survive this period in a newborn’s life? Many experts have said “motion is the potion” when dealing with the infant
with colic. Rocking, rhythmic dancing (i.e. “the daddy sway”), bouncing, swinging, and the proverbial ride in the car are all forms of
motion that may help sooth the savage beast. Perhaps though, the soothing goes both ways. If you are married or if both parents are
helping in caring for the baby, be sure to take turns. Nothing gets accomplished when both parents are up all night and nobody gets

2. any rest. It is an unwritten rule of new parenting that you can’t be angry at your newborn…. So who’s left but each other? Tag team –
when one of you has had enough, take a break and get some rest. Say “partner, TAG, you’re it – I need to recharge”! Most
importantly… keep your cool. When you think you can’t take another scream and feel like you are going to lose your mind, or worse
yet, hurt your child, take a break. No child ever died from crying!  So it’s O.K. to take that break, and to put some distance between
you and the baby. As long as the baby is safe in the crib, playpen, etc, close the door, get out of earshot, and recharge those emotional
batteries for a few minutes. It doesn’t take long. And make time to go out on dates. When friends and family offer to babysit, take
them up on it! They may not offer later. Remember, this child is your love with a name. That loving relationship needs nurturing, but
you need nurturing too, and some time away from the children can help. Be sure to take it when you can.
Finally, remember the colic blues only last for weeks, and you have an entire lifetime with this child of yours. Take it easy, relax and
keep it in perspective. It won’t be long before the fun of parenting sets in, and the colic will be gone. Good luck!
Tom Selva, MD
Addendum:
A few more tips/suggestions to consider… As noted above, motion can really be the potion, so try the gentle baby sway, the swing,
the rocking chair, the car ride, or any similar rhythmic, gentle movement. Another thing that colicky babies often calm with is a
steady, rhythmic sound or noise. Some examples that I’ve heard from families include soft music, ‘white noise’ from a television or
radio (the noise the TV makes when it’s not tuned to an actual station), a ceiling fan, a ticking clock, a vacuum cleaner, a blow-dryer..
and the list goes on and on. While some of these noises might seem loud or annoying, such as the blow dryer, I have had several
families who swore by the hair dryer, and more than a few who went through several of them, using them until they literally burned up
(if you do this, PLEASE be careful and don’t start a fire!). My cousin, Tammy, found that doing laundry every night during ‘colic
time’ calmed her little Robbie – the rhythmic noise of the washer/dryer seemed to calm him – and their clothes were very clean for
those couple of months!
The point is… there are many things you can try, and if you find something safe that works, it will be worth it. And as Dr. Selva
points out above, colic WILL go away, and you WILL get through it. And as always, we’re here to help if you need it! 
Steve Marchbank, MD