I am writing about this as one with first-hand experience. Our first child had colic and it was a constant struggle to manage it until we finally got the right information and treatment. I'm hoping this saves a few people the trouble we had getting our hands on the necessary information.

Colic is so common among infants that most people are not surprise anymore when it happens. Still, for the first time mom it can be a harrowing and panicking experience especially with her normally quiet angel screaming non-stop in the background. It is usually manifested at about two to three weeks of age. It becomes more prominent during the first two months and subsides at three months old. Colic altogether stops at about three-and-a-half to four months of age.

Colic is actually not so dangerous. It might seem so though from the way babies would cry and scream at the top of their lungs. In fact, it can be so common that parents may experience an episode on a daily basis; and after the first episode, parents usually learn to handle succeeding ones with aplomb. Still, physicians and scientists cannot pinpoint up until now just what exactly causes colic. It just happens.

Colic, to those who are not familiar with the problem, is a stomach ache that occurs after eating. Because of the continuous pain, babies cry for hours and hours until the colic is relieved. Crying can last for about one to four hours, depending on the severity of the pain. Babies’ cheeks will also become red from the exertion and perhaps the pain.

When there is colic, the belly of the baby may become distended or may become enlarged. One leg will be bent while the other will extended straight out. The feet will become cold and the hands clenched tight because of the pain. This is actually a common reaction for people whose stomachs pain them.

Often, it will occur late in the afternoon or early in the evening after every meal. It can however also happen any time of the day. Not all babies suffer from colic and some even suffer less frequent than others. Medical experts believe that genetics play a role. It seems that if one or both parents have suffered from colic when they were babies, their offspring will also experience colic episodes.

Still, there are factors that will exacerbate a colic condition in babies. Below are some of them. Read on so that you can avoid these factors and prevent your baby from further suffering.

1. Overfeeding can only worsen the situations when you have a colicky baby in your arms. Make sure that your baby is suffering from hunger and not colic before you feed him again.

2. There are certain foods that will worsen the colic. Those with high sugar content, those with undiluted juice will only increase the gas in the stomach and thus, exacerbate the condition.

3. Intestinal allergy may also cause colic so it is important for moms to know just what makes their babies allergic. It may be from something that they have directly eaten or something that you passed on through the milk in your breasts.

4. Intense feelings can also affect colic. Emotions such as anger, fear, anxiety and excitement should be avoided as this will only worsen the pain for the baby.

The best way to help your baby is to first not panic and then to read up as much as possible even before an episode occurs. Nonstop crying can be a result of a host of other things so it is important that you also keep your eyes open so that you will know what exactly ails your baby. Keep in mind that there is no known cause; so there is also no known cure for it except to make the experience as comfortable and less painful as possible.

Crying is the primal means of an infant to express him or herself. This is why it experts say that it is only a common occurrence if a baby cries often everyday. However, if an infant shows sudden irritability, excessive crying for more than 3 hours a day, and suffer from noticeable discomfort, then this could be a sign colic.

Indeed, one of the difficult phases of parenting is dealing with the infant when he or she shows signs of colic—a severe abdominal pain caused by spasm, obstruction, or distention of any of the hollow viscera such as the intestines. Known as a common problem from the first three weeks up to first three months of a child' s life, colic is becoming one of the foremost concerns of more and more parents because they also experience and discomfort when their baby starts crying endlessly.

Usually evident from the first 3 weeks of an infant's life, colic consists of recurrent spasm and abdominal pain. This period of pain usually lasts from three hours up to 12 to 15 hours daily depending on the severity of the case.

When a baby suffers from colic, he or she becomes hypertonic and can show alternating body postures that involve contractions, sudden stretching, spastically stiffening while he or she turns red. When these signs occur, parents should start observing their babies intently because it might be a simple colic or can be signs of a more serious digestive problem.

Until now, doctors and people in the medical world have yet to discover the causes of colic in infants. Although, there have been various studies that indicate the possible causes of the condition that affects 20 percent of babies in the world. Researchers say that colic can originate in a baby’s intestines since he or she has sensitive and developing digestive and nervous system.

Others say that colic can be a result of some environmental factors like certain milk formulas and cow's milk for certain infants.

THE SIGNS

One of the most common signs of colic in infants is excessive crying with no apparent reason. Statistics show that 1 in every 10 babies experience colic because it is an apparent abdominal pain experienced in early infancy. Usually, colic attacks are evident before, during and after each meal. The cry usually starts out and can continue for 3 hours and more. Aside from loud and excessive crying, periods of irritability, and body contractions are also apparent signs of colic. Other signs of colic include:

Vigorous and excessive for long periods of time despite extreme efforts of consolation

Onset crying that starts around the same time everyday or night and can be ending or never-ending

• Suffers from gas discomfort
• Slight bloating of the abdomen
• Has a hard and bloated stomach
• Unlikely and patterned body contortions like pulling of knees to the chest
• Hard-clenched fists
• Flailing arms and legsArched back
• Frequent sleeplessness
• Chronic irritability
• Unreasonable fussiness
• Reddening face due to ling periods of crying
• Excessive belching or spitting up after feeding
• Passing gas
• Experience difficulty in passing stools

This list includes only the usual signs of colic. It is best if you visit a doctor once you see these symptoms in your baby so you can be sure that he or she is not experiencing more serious illness as early as now.

Although it is a must that you bring the baby to a doctor so he or she can be examined, there are other ways to relieve the discomfort caused by simple colic at your home. If you are sure that the infant only experiences simple colic, all you need is muster enough patience and try these simple home remedies:

1. Try to relax and comfort the baby by giving him or her a massage. Through the years, massage has proven to be an effective method of relieving varying levels of discomfort. Because of this, many colic release techniques have become available in the Internet or from the publications available in many bookstores.

These series of massage usually include simple movements and techniques that are easy to learn and apply. Although these techniques do not directly treat the major cause of colic, it can help a lot to comfort the child by reducing the level of pain he or she experiences.

If the massage is done properly, it can even help stimulate regular bowel movement and releasing of gas that will eventually reduce cramping that causes extreme pain.

2. Consider using herbal tea as a simple solution to colic. Despite the glaring wonders of herbal medicines, more parents still don't realize that this can be used to treat simple colic. By administering up to four ounces of herbal tea to infants a daily, you can ease the pain and discomfort caused by the condition.

With your doctor's approval, you can even increase your child's intake of herbal tea larger. Parents who have tried using herbal tea as a simple home remedy for colic say that some of the best herbs for colic include chamomile, ginger, catnip, and peppermint. Generally, these are safe for your child but make sure that you do not replace meals with it so it won't cause malnutrition.

3. Try the wonders of burping. Indeed, one of the most overlooked home remedy for colic is the simple process of burping Experts say that letting your child burp before, after, and during feedings can reduce the amount of air going into his or her stomach and intestines. While feeding, try to stop every five minutes and let your baby burp for a minute or two then proceed to the entirety of the meal. Since it can disrupt his or her meal, the infant will reject this at first but by doing it regularly, you can find the best home remedy for your colicky baby.

4. Let warm water bottle or any warming device to comfort your infant when he or she experiences colic. Aside from burping, a simple warm water bottle can ease your child's discomfort. By placing warm water bottle or any warming device on top of his or her tummy, you can help the intestines relax and reduce cramps. You can also opt for a warm bath if your baby loves water.

5. Try the magic of catnip. By boiling 1/4 cup of catnip in a kettle of water, you can ease the pain and discomfort caused by colic. After boiling the catnip, strain it using cheesecloth or a fine strainer. Let it cool first before giving it to your child. If he or she shows signs of dislike due to the taste, you can add a little sugar to it.

6. The wonder of vacuum cleaner. Once the baby starts crying when he or she experiences colic, try turning on the vacuum cleaner. You will notice that the baby's attention will shift from his or her stomach to the sound created by the cleaner.

7. Use boiled Fernel seeds to ease to dilute stomachaches, cramps, and digestion.

8. Boil a thick slice of onion, put it into an old sterilized bottle, and let your baby drink it.

9. Maximize the benefits of formula or breast milk by putting it in a teaspoon and give it to your child.

10. Soothe the baby's pain by rubbing some caster oil over his or her tummy.