✓ Newborn colic and the rule of three

Source: Shutterstock

What are newborn colic?

An inconsolable cry

They are called colic strong plant crisesor of the newborn, generally characteristics of the late afternoon and evening. Infants usually start crying sharply and suddenly, often after eating, turning purple in the face and retracting the knees as if curling up on themselves. He can also arch his back, clench his fists and stiffen. There may also be temporary relief from passing stools and gas. However, it must be said that the manifestations can be very different from newborn to newborn and, for the same child, from day to day.

Read also: Newborn colic: all the scientific truths on the causes and REALLY useful remedies

The rule of three and its overcoming

It is not easy to define what colic is and what, on the other hand, is "normal" baby crying. After all, in the first months of life, crying is the fundamental tool of communication of children, who through it express their needs. So they may cry because they are hungry, cuddling, tired or feeling unwell or uncomfortable. "Irritability and crying in the first three months of life are manifestations of the baby's normal development," she told mymodernparents.com Alessandro , in charge of allergology at the Bambino Gesù Hospital in the city.

From the XNUMXs onwards, the so-called "rule of three": the crying fits had to last more than three hours a day, for more than three days a week, for three consecutive weeks. The rule was however revised by an international group of pediatric gastroenterologists who in the so-called criteria of the city IV suggested that these three criteria must be met in order to diagnose colic:

The infant has aage less than 5 months when symptoms arise and resolve;
Recurring bouts of prolonged crying, agitation, or irritability that occur with no obvious cause and cannot be prevented or fixed by the parent. As reported in an article on the criteria of the Del Paesena Society of Pediatrics, "the term agitation refers to an intermittent vocalization and has been defined as behavior that is not exactly crying, but not exactly that of someone who is awake and happy";
No evidence of growth failure, fever or illness.

Read also: Health balances, what they are and when to do them

When do they manifest and how long they last

Colic typically begins to manifest in the second or third week of life (later in preterm babies), to worsen around the sixth. In most cases they resolve spontaneously at three or four months, gradually or suddenly.

What they depend on

In fact, explained Dr. , colic pain "is caused by the rapid distension of the intestinal wall due to the passage of air bubbles. The causes of this manifestation are not known, but have been advanced several hypotheses". In particular, the following are considered plausible triggers:

excessive swallowing of air, linked to hunger and the imperfect coordination of sucking;
altered balance between bacteria that make up the intestinal flora (the microbiota);
hormonal imbalances;
exposure to passive smoking;
anxiety of new parents;
overstimulation by lights or noise (or individual hypersensitivity to lights and noise);
immaturity of the nervous system and digestive system;
intolerance with milk.

What to do in case of colic

The first thing to do, even if it's not always simple, is keep calm. You have to be patient and try to do not overdo it in apprehension. Secondly, you can try them various tricks to try to calm the baby, but they do not necessarily work and in any case what is good for one child may not prove to be effective for another. Here are some examples:

cuddle him, which contain and distract. You can try rock it with repetitive rhythmic movements, holding him in his arms with the tummy downwards, in a prone position on the forearm (this position seems to favor the emission of air);
offer her breast (or pacifier);
dip it into a hot bath;
make him do a ride in the car (obviously in the special seat! And remember that from last March XNUMXth i anti-abandonment devices for children under 4);
give him a belly massage;
only in the most "important" cases - he recalled - could the administration of antispasmodic drugs, alone or in association with changes in the diet of the nursing mother. Instead, anti-meteoric products such as simethicone are of little use, while in some selected cases they could be useful Probiotics, although it is not yet clear through which mechanism they could act. "In any case it is absolutely from avoid DIY: in case of difficulty it is always better to discuss with the pediatrician.

Obviously, if the management of the child with colic becomes difficult, it is advisable to ask the partner for a change, to recharge himself with energy and then be able to take care of him with greater serenity.

To know more:

the first month of the newborn;
the third month of the newborn;
the agenda of the newborn from 0 to 12 months;
infant massage;
cuddling babies leave their mark on the genes.

Other sources for this article: material on the WebMD medical information site; informative material of the American Mayo Clinic

Questions and answers

How to recognize colic?

They usually occur in the late afternoon and evening. Infants usually start crying sharply and suddenly, often after eating, turning purple in the face and retracting the knees as if curling up on themselves.

Are there any foods that cause colic?

Each "mother-child" dyad could have its own sensitivity or balance, so it may be useful to pay attention to any effects on the children of particular foods ingested. And if you notice any discomfort in the infant, eliminate them. But it can all be very subjective: there are, in fact, no foods that in themselves cause colic.