Causes of colic and crying babies for hours

What is colic?

Colic is a condition that is not a disease and will not harm the baby, but may be a bit annoying and worrying parents. Usually babies cry because they urinate, are hungry, afraid, or want to sleep, but colicky babies will cry all the time and without any cause. There are several things that can distinguish colic from ordinary crying, namely:

Colic usually begins at 2 or 3 weeks of age, usually in the afternoon or evening
Babies cry for more than 3 hours, can occur more than 3 days a week, and can last for at least 3 weeks
It usually peaks at 6-8 weeks and can last until the baby is 3-4 months old.

If the baby is colic, usually the mother will be confused to handle it. The baby's cry during colic is also louder than he used to cry.

What causes colic babies?

Nobody knows what causes colic in babies. Experts estimate that about 8-40% of babies have experienced colic. Nor does anyone know why some babies get colic and some don't. Yes, not all babies have colic, some do not. Colic babies may be caused by various things.

Some experts suspect that long colic is a physical discharge in sensitive babies. As the day changes, the baby may not be able to handle what he sees, the sounds he hears, or the sensations he feels, so the baby becomes confused and cries constantly. Some also consider colic to be a natural developmental stage of the baby because it adapts to a different environment than the one it feels while in the mother's womb.

Another theory states that colic is sometimes caused by an imbalance of good bacteria in the gut. Research shows that babies with colic have a different gut microflora than babies who don't. Treatment with probiotics, especially Lactobacillus reuteri , helps relieve colic in some babies.

Some people may think colic is caused because the baby's stomach contains gas, which makes the baby uncomfortable. However, it turns out that gas in the baby's stomach is not the reason for babies to have colic. Gas in the baby's stomach actually appears because the baby is colicky (crying constantly). When crying, the baby unconsciously swallows a lot of air, causing gas in his stomach. You may notice that your baby will clench his fists, bend his legs and then straighten them, and then he will feel better after he gasps or moves his bowels.

If your baby has a milk intolerance or allergy, it may also be causing colic in your baby. Stomach problems caused by milk intolerance may make your baby cry all the time. If this problem arises because your baby is being fed formula milk, you may be able to change the type of your baby's formula to a special milk for babies who suffer from milk intolerance in which the milk protein has been broken down.

How to deal with a colic baby?

Before calming your baby, you should calm yourself first. Sometimes hearing a baby who doesn't stop crying can make you feel angry and upset. Colic babies are normal for all babies. You don't have to feel bad or guilty about this as a parent. You just need to be patient and give more understanding to your baby.

When your baby is colicky, you may not be able to make him stop crying right away. However, with some effort, you may be able to calm your baby down until he or she stops crying completely.

According to Dr. Harvey Karp, author of the book The Happiest Baby on the Block, There are five ways to calm a baby when crying, namely: