Health encyclopaedia

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Causes of Colic

Colic is an extremely common trait in babies, but the exact cause is unknown. Many parents learn by trial and error how to soothe their baby’s crying, and how to recognise what it is the baby wants.

Possible causes of colic include:

• Poor digestion - some research suggests that babies get cramps as milk is passed through their immature digestive system. Colic usually disappears before weaning onto solid food begins.
• Lactose intolerance - some bottle-fed babies may be sensitive to the lactose present in formula milk. Lactose from dairy products in the mother’s diet may also be present in breast milk. Occasionally, this can cause a build up of undigested lactose in the intestines. By the age of three to four months, most babies produce enough of the enzyme, lactase, to break down lactose.
• Wind - babies may swallow tiny air bubbles as they feed or cry, which can cause pain in the intestines.

Some parents worry that they are responsible for their baby crying a lot, but all babies cry as a way of informing other people that they need something. Colic is simply an extreme version of this, and has nothing to do with bad parenting.

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