Any adult can tell you just how uncomfortable or even painful indigestion can be. Now put yourself in the shoes of an infant. Can you imagine the pain they must experience when they have indigestion? They cannot tell you so they just express it by crying to show you something is wrong. Any mother will tell you that they would gladly take on their baby's sickness if it meant giving their child relief from whatever is causing them pain.

What is Colic? This is a common term used around childrens health and is also referred to as infant indigestion. Colic is seen by some people as infants just being "fussy" and "cranky" which is a tiny bit shortsighted. Colic has no single definition as such - we simply know that the child is in pain and needs help. This discomfort is normally linked to the childs digestive process, which is still in its formative stages.

In general colic begins when a baby is six weeks old and lasts until they are about 3 to 4 months old. It's rare for colic to continue past this age. What Causes Colic? Some people believe that colic is an allergic reaction in the child whereas more agree that it most likely has diet as its root cause. An infant being overfed or underfed is more than enough to start a painful attack. Foods with high fat, sugar and protein content also seem more likely to cause colic. One interesting fact is that breastfed babies suffer far less from colic. Stress is also a major cause of colic in infants so parents and carers alike should make every possible effort to provide the infant with a worry-free environment to grow up in.

The Symptoms of Colic The first, and most obvious, sign of colic is crying - and lots of it. This crying is also different to normal infant "sobbing" which they may do for attention. This type of infant crying is painful and inconsolable. Infant crying caused by colic is the type that no mother can stop - no matter what she tries.

It's bad enough that your baby is in pain but the crying fit they experience actually causes them further problems. When a baby cries in this way sudden spasmodic abdominal cramping will occur, and the child will automatically draw up their knees and clench their fists. Their tiny body is now tense and the intense crying now sucks more air into their stomach which then causes them more pain from trapped gas.

Colic Like Clockwork? Oddly enough most infants will develop colic around the same time each day. This is normally in the late afternoon or evening and can last for several hours. The crying fits can be trying on the most patient of parents but keeping track of when the colic occurs will allow you to track it and mentally prepare for it in advance.