What is colic?

All babies cry, as this is their way of communicating that they are hungry, tired, cold, or in need of a nappy changing. However, sometimes babies cry for no obvious reason, even when they are well cared for. Don’t worry; it is possible they have infantile colic.

This condition is defined as inconsolable crying by infants under six months of age. Specifically, the crying has to be at least 3 hours per day, on at least 3 days a week for at least 3 weeks. However, any prolonged crying for no apparent reason can be extremely upsetting for parents. You may feel as if you are letting your baby down, or that you are doing something wrong, but this may not be the case at all.

The average baby cries for about two and a half hours a day. In addition to persistent crying, a colicky baby looks truly uncomfortable. They may alternately extend or pull up their legs and pass wind. The persistent crying usually occurs between 6 p.m. and midnight, though it can occur anytime, generally becoming worse in the evening. It commonly occurs in about 20% of babies and there is no scientific reason why it occurs. However, there are many suggestions, one being acute stomach pain caused by trapped gas, abnormal bowel functions, or wind. It is widely thought that the cause of this pain is that the infant's digestive system is not yet fully developed.

It is certainly known that amongst all babies with colic, there are factors that may worsen the symptoms:

• overfeeding in a futile attempt to lessen the crying
• feeding certain foods, especially those with high sugar content may increase the amount of gas in the intestine and worsen the situation
• the presence of excessive anger, anxiety, fear or excitement in the household.

There is general agreement that soothing measures, such as pacifiers, listening to white noise and rocking are often effective in calming the baby during crying periods. This is also known as the cuddle cure or 5S’s:

• swaddling
• placing the baby on their side or stomach
• swinging the baby in a rhythmic steady motion
• making a shhh sound or singing in the baby’s ear
• giving the baby something to suck on.

Lactobacillus Acidophilus for infants may often do the trick with colic - helps to balance intestinal flora, which improves digestion.

How can Myosteopractic help

Most Myosteo-practitioners use a combination of structural and cross release techniques, which is gentle, safe and effective for the infant. It specifically involves very skilled, light pressure applied where necessary to assist the body in releasing stresses and tensions. The most common areas of irritation are the diaphragm, neck and skull.

Reactions to Myosteopractic vary; often the infant is very relaxed afterwards and sleeps well. Others have a burst of energy after treatment, which is usually followed by a good nights sleep. On occasion, an infant is initially unsettled after treatment then shows improvement.