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Home › Articles › Crying Issues › What's All the Fuss?

What's All the Fuss?

Knowing and Soothing Your Fussy Infant

By Kelly Burgess

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When Vickie Barnes's first child was born, she was living in London far from her family and friends. When the baby developed colic and proceeded to scream for six solid months, she just assumed she was a terrible mother.

"Back then, eight years ago there ... wasn't the information available on this condition that there is today," says Barnes. "All we had was our doctors who gave it a label, shrugged their shoulders and told us it would pass."

These days, research and anecdotal evidence have replaced that shrug with causes and cures for Baby's crying. Barnes herself is part of the solution. Her site, ColicHelp.com, aims to help other women realize their babies' crying is not a reflection on their mothering abilities.

Fussy or Frantic?
When discussing fusiness, you first need to make one important distinction: Not all extended crying is colic. Colic is inconsolable crying usually starting at about 2 to 3 weeks of age. It generally occurs at the same time every day and resolves itself by about 3 months of age.

Sandy Jones, author of Comforting Your Crying Baby: Why Your Baby Is Crying And What You Can Do About It (Innova, 2005), says no parent should ever assume that a baby who is crying inconsolably has colic. Instead, see your pediatrician to rule out physical causes such as an inner ear infection or undiagnosed hernia. One very common cause of constant crying is gastro esophageal reflux, but it differs from colic in that it doesn't happen at the same time every day. There are different forms of this condition, and it often can be diagnosed and treated.

"Colic signals are very much the same as pain signals," says Jones. "It may be colic, but don't let Aunt Jane tell you that's what it is. See your pediatrician."

Dr. Ari Brown, author of Baby 411: Clear Answers and Smart Advice for Your Baby's First Year

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