Colic:

Does your baby spend hours screaming for no apparent reason? Have you tried everything to soothe her and nothing seems to help? Have you changed her diaper, fed her, and bathed her and she is still crying? It could be that your baby has colic. In general, if a baby cries for a few hours at the same time every day at least three days a week, pediatricians will diagnose colic.

The good news: Now you know you are not a bad parent but there is actually something bothering your baby. The bad news: Doctors don't know what causes colic so there is no sure cure for your baby's seemingly endless crying fits. It is possible that colicky babies suffer from muscle spasms caused by their still immature digestive systems. Similar they could be experiencing an allergic reaction in the form of stomach pain to something in their mother's breast milk. It is also possible that colic is simply a baby's response to being overtired and over-stimulated at the end of a long day. Your baby might just be trying to express herself in the only way she knows how.

Despite the lack of a clear cause for colic, there are a number of things you can try to help relax your baby and stop the crying. The first thing to try, with any crying baby, is motion. Some babies like to be rocked while others like to be vibrated or swung. You can wear your baby in a carrier and carry her around while you do housework, take her for a brisk walk in a stroller, or put on some soothing music and dance her around the house. Another thing to try is to place your baby in an infant seat on top of a running washing machine or dryer. The motions and sounds of the machine may help relax your baby and put her to sleep. If these don't work, put your baby in the car and go for a drive. You won't be the fist parent to be out on the streets with a newborn at 11:00 at night!

Since it is possible your baby may be having an allergic reaction to, you may try changing your baby's formula or your own diet if you are breastfeeding. The most likely allergy to cause colic is a milk allergy. Milk allergies are common in newborns though many outgrow it after a number of months. Try soy products in place of dairy for at least a week and see if you notice a change in your baby. If this seems to help, you may want to consider eliminating milk from your diet altogether until your baby gets older or stops breastfeeding.

If all else fails, there are some medicinal remedies available. Many pediatricians recommend a non-prescription drug called simethicone to help soothe the stomachs of colicky babies. Simethicone comes as drops and works by clearing gas bubbles from the intestines. Look for brand names such as Mylicon and Mylanta, or buy generic simethicone drops that are less expensive and work just as well.

Another medication sometimes prescribed for colicky babies is hycoscymine sulfate, under the name Levsin. This drug also helps relieves stomach pain by relaxing intestinal muscle spasms. However, unlike simethicone which is relatively harmless, Levsin does have some possible side effects. If you prefer alternative or herbal remedies, try making a tea by seeping fennel, cumin, anise, caraway, dill or coriander seeds in boiling water. (Use one cup of water per teaspoon of seeds and seep for 15 minutes.) Speak to your baby's pediatrician to decide which choice would be best for your child.

Of course, it is possible that none of these options will cure your baby's colic and that you will just have to wait it out. However, like all your baby's stages, this one won't last long. Babies generally stop being colicky around 3-4 months. It may not seem that way now, but in the scheme of things the colic will just be one more phase you will look back on when your baby is no longer a baby and you are asking yourself how time could have gone by so quickly. So consider getting yourself some help and just hang in there.