The classic description is the rule of threes: crying for more than three hours a day, on more than three days a week, for longer than three weeks, in a baby who is otherwise well and gaining weight normally. The peak is around six weeks of age and episodes cluster in the evening. By three to four months colic resolves in virtually every baby — the single most important fact for parents.
Colic is not a sign that you are doing something wrong, and not a consequence of "bad milk". A baby with colic gains weight, feeds well between episodes and develops normally. If that is not the case, it is not colic, and the baby needs examining.
Not a great deal, and it is more honest to say so. There is some evidence for the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri in breastfed infants. Where cow's milk protein allergy is genuinely suspected — a different diagnosis with its own features — a trial of elimination helps, but it should be directed by a doctor rather than the internet. Soothing techniques do work: swaddling, rhythmic rocking, white noise, carrying, skin-to-skin contact.
Simethicone has not outperformed placebo in trials. Switching formula repeatedly without indication, fennel teas for newborns, herbal preparations, and a breastfeeding mother restricting her diet "just in case" down to three foods are all either useless or actively harmful: an impoverished maternal diet and chaotic changes to the baby's feeding create new problems.
Crying and lost sleep in the first months can be exhausting. If you feel you need a pause, put the baby somewhere safe and step away for a few minutes.
Never shake a baby. If it becomes hard to manage your emotions, ask people close to you for help, or see a specialist. That is caring for both of you.
At GMS a pediatrician consultation is AED 600 and a pediatrician-gastroenterologist consultation AED 750. The doctor will confirm that it is colic, exclude other causes and review feeding. If travelling with your baby is difficult, a doctor can come to you.
This article is for information only and does not replace a consultation. If you have symptoms, see a doctor.
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