Unfortunately for the parents of a baby with colic, there is no guaranteed medical cure for the frequent and prolonged crying that comes with colic. In fact, experts aren’t even in agreement about what might cause colic. There are a variety of theories about what can cause colic. Some experts believe that colic has to do with problems with the gastrointestinal tract. Others believe that colic has to do with the fact that babies have an immature neuromuscular system, and that the baby with colic is just not able to stop crying once he or she starts. Some experts believe that colic may be caused by an overstimulating environment, combined with the immature neuromuscular system. Fortunately for the parents of a baby with colic, there are some remedies that they can try that may reduce the duration and/or the frequency of their baby’s crying.
One of the newer and more interesting ways to help your baby with colic is with white noise. White noise refers to constant, rhythmic sounds. For the baby that is overstimulated, white noise may actually serve to relax the baby, allowing them to calm down, and even to sleep. A “White Noise” style CD or MP3 File, for example, contains a variety of white noise sounds. There are tracks that resemble everything from the sound of rain on the roof, to the interior of a car, to the sound of a vacuum cleaner or even the mother’s heartbeat. By playing this sort of a CD for your baby with colic, you may find that your baby is able to shut out all of those extra stimuli and relax enough to get control of their crying.
The good news about colic is that it won’t last forever. Most babies will grow out of their colic by the time they reach the age of four months old. In addition, it has been proven that colic does not cause any harm to your baby, and that the worst part about colic tends to be the anxiety and stress that the crying can cause on the household.