Infant and toddler health (20)
- Language development: Speech milestones for babies
- Vaccines schedule for children
- Car seat safety: Avoid 10 common mistakes
- see all in Infant and toddler health
Newborn health (21)
- Infant development: Birth to 3 months
- Breast milk storage: Tips for storing breast milk
- Newborn care: Common-sense strategies for stressed-out parents
- see all in Newborn health
Infant health (18)
- Teething: Tips for soothing sore gums
- Solid foods: How to get your baby started
- Infant development: Milestones from 7 to 9 months
- see all in Infant health
Toddler health (14)
- Temper tantrums: How to keep the peace
- Parenting tips: How to improve toddler behavior
- Burn safety: Protect your child from burns
- see all in Toddler health
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
continued:
Crying baby: What to do when your newborn cries
Is it just fussiness, or is it colic?
Some babies have frustrating periods of intense, inconsolable crying known as colic — often starting a few weeks after birth and improving by age 3 months. Colic is defined as crying more than three hours a day, three days a week for more than three weeks in an otherwise well-fed, healthy baby. The crying often begins suddenly and for no apparent reason. During an episode, your baby might be difficult — or even impossible — to comfort.
What causes colic remains a mystery, and there are few treatment options. If you're concerned about colic, consult your baby's doctor. He or she can make sure your baby is otherwise healthy and help you learn how to care for a colicky baby.
Taking care of yourself
It's tough to listen to your baby cry. To take the best care of your baby, it's important to take care of yourself, too.
- Take a break. Ask your spouse, partner or another loved one to take over for a while. Even an hour on your own can help renew your coping strength.
- Make healthy lifestyle choices. Eat a healthy diet. Include physical activity in your daily routine. If you can, sleep when the baby sleeps — even during the day. Avoid caffeine and alcohol.
- Remember that it's temporary. Crying spells often peak at about six to eight weeks and then gradually decrease.
- Know when to call the doctor. If you're concerned about the crying or your baby isn't eating, sleeping or behaving like usual, call your baby's doctor. He or she can help you tell the difference between normal tears and something more serious.
It's also important to recognize your limits. If your baby's crying is causing you to lose control, put the baby in a safe place — such as a crib — and go to another room to collect yourself. If necessary, contact your doctor, a local crisis intervention service or a mental health help line for additional support.
Previous page(2 of 2)
- Basic baby care. American Academy of Pediatrics. http://www.aap.org/parentingbooks/MC-Chapter%201.pdf. Accessed Jan. 10, 2011.
- Turner TL, et al. Clinical features and etiology of colic. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 10, 2011.
- Policy statement: Breastfeeding and the use of human milk. Pediatrics. 2005;115:496.
- Sleeping by the book. American Academy of Pediatrics. http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/sleep/Pages/Sleeping-by-the-Book.aspx. Accessed Jan. 14, 2011.
- Nicklaus S. Development of food variety in children. Appetite. 2009;52:253.
- Responding to your baby's cries. American Academy of Pediatrics. http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/crying-colic/Pages/Responding-to-Your-Babys-Cries.aspx. Accessed Dec. 28, 2010.
- Colic. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/sec19/ch266/ch266f.html?qt=colic&alt=sh. Accessed Jan. 11, 2011.
- Burping, hiccups, and spitting up. American Academy of Pediatrics. http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/feeding-nutrition/Pages/Burping-Hiccups-and-Spitting-Up.aspx. Accessed Jan. 11, 2011.
Find Mayo Clinic on