Description

In this parenting video learn all about colic and how it can make your baby have a terrible temper.

Transcript

Female: Screaming, clenching, they’re disturbing sounds for any new parent to hear. But what happens when the crying never ends? The Rosario family knows first hand those feelings of frustration and helplessness. Just three weeks after they brought their healthy newborn son home form the hospital, the sudden outburst began. Star: that was about 7:00 at night like right at dinner time, he would just start crying and crying and we couldn’t console him. It was horrible because you feel helpless. Female: Star’s son Robert Brandon was suffering from colic. Male: The most common cause of abdominal pain in infants is something called colic. Colic is the descriptive term that we use to describe children usually from about two weeks until about three months of age who get these sudden outbursts of abdominal pain where they cry and seemed to be very uncomfortable. Star: When you see such a tiny little infant crying so much and so miserable, you wonder you know how bad it is that he really has to cry that much and for so long. I mean it's draining to the point where his voice would get a little hoarse from the crying. And then you see the little tears come down in sides and you know it's like you feel so helpless. Female: Although this medical condition is still not fully understood, pediatrician say the problem may stem from an immature digestive system or baby’s allergic reaction to his mother’s milk creating painful stomach aches. Male: This tends to be in the afternoons or in the evenings and in some cases it last seemingly for 24 hours in some children. Female: However, unlike most medical conditions that require a series of texts to diagnose, colic is determined after no other explanation can be given for the newborns extreme discomfort. Star: We as parents, we always want to find a reason. We have to know why things are happening and when you don’t know why it's happening or what you can do to help him, then you feel helpless. Female: So how do you know if your child is colicky? It's easy of you can remember the magic three’s. Doctors say the crying must occur for at least three hours a day, three days per week and last for at least three weeks. Colic also begins within the first three weeks of life and rarely last longer than three months. It occurs in otherwise healthy thriving babies. But knowing your newborn has colic is only half the battle. Since no one knows exactly what causes it, parents often feel guilty for their child’s pain. Star: At first you know you blame yourself. Well maybe it's my breast milk, maybe it's not good for the baby so then we went ahead and change them to them to the soy formula and that didn’t help. Female: Although a change in formula may help some infants. When nothings seems to work, Doctor Hurwitz says there are things you can do to make a child with colic feel more comfortable. Dr. Hurwitz: Some of the things that we recommend include give the child a bath, some dim lights, some soft music, things that are very soothing to the child. So, each parent has to try these different kinds of techniques to find what works best for their baby. Female: And after weeks of suffering, the Rosarios found their son’s saving grace. Star: We pulled out the vacuum cleaner and we tried and it actually worked. From six weeks to three months, the vacuum was our best friend. Female: Robert Brandon seemed to find comfort in the soothing white noise of the household vacuum cleaner. But possibly, the best news a parent with a colicky baby can hear is that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Most children naturally outgrow colic at three months and Robert Brandon was no exception. Star: The period of crying got smaller. He would cry in a little bit. He was more easily consoled and techniques that didn’t work before would work. Female: For the entire Rosario family, that meant a quieter happier life. Star: That was wonderful to be able to see him at night and enjoy him without having to you know worry about the crying or seeing him in pain. It's just an overall feeling of joy and happiness and even for him because you could see that he was happy.