Colic is defined as the condition where a baby cries and screams for several hours, with no readily apparent reason for parents to address. Soothing attempts routinely fail, and the colic fits can continue for hours at a stretch. Typically presenting itself in babies five months old or younger, colic often lasts for several days over a course of many weeks.

Determining if your baby is colicky is largely a matter of measuring, using the 3-3-3 guideline. If your baby cries for longer than three hours a day for three days or more per week for three weeks, you can safely surmise that colic has become a problem.

The Beginnings & Possible Causes of Colic
Colic often begins as young as two or three weeks old. While some crying and wailing is (unfortunately) to be expected from any infant, especially when the baby is cold, wet, or hungry, colic can seem to come "out of the blue."

Conventional medical wisdom has long believed that colic results from trapped gasses irritating the digestive tract. While there may still be some truth to that belief, some recent research has shown that colic may be caused by an array of microorganisms, called gut flora, that live inside the baby's nascent stomach and intestines.

Studies at Brown University have shown that nearly half of all babies with colic have a disorder know as Gastroesophageal Reflux, or GER. This condition occurs when an intestinal muscle known as the Lower Esophagus Sphincter remains unable to handle many of the foods and amino acids that are used in digestion. Some doctors speculate that as many as 60 percent of all newborns have some LES problems during the first few months.

Colic is also sometimes a symptom of lactose intolerance. However, there is no evidence of baby formula causing colic symptoms. Mothers who smoked during pregnancy are twice as likely to have babies that experience colic.

Coping with Colic
Are you ready for the bad news? There is no universally accepted remedy for colic. While some experts caution for the more circuitous route of letting the symptoms run their course (providing some corollary stress relief for baby in the process), many researchers and frazzled parents have come to seek out some ways to alleviate baby's all-too-apparent suffering.

Some studies have shown gripe water, a holistic remedy with several different recipes, to be an effective way to settle baby's digestive tract. Medical research has had some success treating colic with probiotics, or specially engineered dietary supplements containing yeast of wheat. A variety of herbal teas are also routinely proposed as treatment, though a final verdict on their effectiveness is still forthcoming.

Many doctors point to a healthy baby routine as important in preventing and treating colic. Regular feedings, exposure to fresh air and sunshine, and crafting a healthy diet regimen are suggested for babies with colic.

Fortunately colic doesn't last forever: babies eventually outgrow the symptoms as their digestive tract strengthens, usually around five or six months.