My baby cries a lot in the evening. Is this colic?

A Colic is fairly common and it affects 15-40% of babies from the second week of life and subsides when they are 3-4 months old. Infantile colic presents as recurrent inconsolable fits of crying. It is accompanied by drawing up of the knees and abdominal distension.
Nobody knows what causes colic but ‘wind’ is often blamed as the cause. It is thought that there is a build up of air in the intestines and this causes the gut to go into painful spasm. The baby cries and the intake of air from the crying is also thought to make the problem worse. Sometimes gurgling of gas can be heard within the abdomen. Infantile colic is found in both breast fed and bottle-fed babies. A change in feeding technique might help whether you are breast or bottle-feeding. Consult your Health Visitor who will be happy to observe you feed and offer suggestions. Sometimes the use of anti-flatulent's can help. There are several suitable products available over the counter e.g. Infracol. They act by reducing the surface tension of bubbles in the stomach, which help to dissipate them so that they are more easily expelled.
Gripe water has been used for generations. Gripe water contains sodium bicarbonate, sugar and sometimes dill or spearmint oil. Homeopathy offers a product called Colocynth. Whatever you decide to try, follow the instructions on the bottle and give your chosen remedy 4-7 days to work. Baby massage may help some babies. Ask your Health Visitor about Baby Massage classes in your area. Symptoms not associated with colic are: raised temperature, vomiting and diarrhoea.

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