baby colic is one of these diseases.
Baby colic (also known as infantile colic)
is defined as episodes
of crying for more than
three hours a day for more than
three days a week for
three weeks in an
otherwise healthy child between
the ages of two weeks
and four months.[1] Colic
typically does not result in
long term problems.[2] Crying
associated with a baby's colic
can cause relationship stress,
breastfeeding failure, depression
following delivery, excess visits
to the doctor, and child abuse,
such as shaken baby syndrome.[3]
The cause of colic is generally unknown.[4] Some believe it is due to gastrointestinal discomfort like intestinal cramping.[5] Fewer than 5% of infants with excess crying have an underlying organic disease.[4]
Treatment is generally conservative, with little to no role for either medications or alternative therapies. It often disappears when the baby is three to four months old, but can last up to one year.[6] It is present in 5–25% of infants.
