Your baby cries tirelessly and you have tried everything to calm him down. You have had very little sleep and are on the edge of your wits to find a way to find relief for your ears and, more importantly, your baby. Conventional medicine has had few results, and you wonder what natural things you can do to help your baby feel better. Sounds familiar? For many families, after ruling out various other diagnoses, their baby may be suffering from colic.
Researchers have defined colic as “a healthy, well-nourished baby who cries for more than three hours a day, for more than three days a week, for more than three weeks,” or better known as the “rule of 3 “. Colic can be a misunderstood condition and there are several factors involved. Typically, a colicky baby, or “colicky baby,” cries at very loud levels, has tension in the abdominal region, bent legs, and clenched fingers. These symptoms can last from infancy to about 6 months of age and affect 10-20% of babies. There has been little evidence showing differences in prevalence between boys and girls.
Some of the possible causes of colic include stomach aches due to adverse reactions from lactose and milk protein consumption, intestinal gas and bloating, hypersensitivity due to environmental factors such as loud noise and light, and the baby’s natural reaction to the trauma and vigor of the birthing process, causing subluxations and misalignments in the spine, contributing to muscle spasms, pinched nerves, and pain. There is wonderful news for mothers and fathers of terrified colicky babies: Chiropractic care. Research has shown that chiropractic, a safe, natural, drug-free, and surgery-free profession, has given some of the best results for colicky babies. According to the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, “spinal manipulation was found to be effective in alleviating infantile colic.” Babies who received chiropractic care showed a 67% decrease in crying, while babies who took medication showed a 38% decrease in crying. Another study showed a 94% improvement rate with chiropractic adjustments.
More and more parents bring their babies to be seen by a chiropractor. When a pediatric chiropractor gently adjusts a baby’s spine, he often uses his index finger to feel for the baby’s muscle spasms. This, in turn, can elicit a response in the baby, as his body twists in response to the subluxation of his spine. By applying gentle pressure and adjusting the baby, this can ease the baby’s pain, as well as the baby’s intestinal gas. This can also help the motility of the baby’s intestines, support his digestion, and ultimately help the baby sleep and eliminate the pain that he is suffering.
As a related case study, I recently had a 4-week-old baby who visited my office, exhibiting irritability, poor sleep, bloating, and associated muscle spasms in his mid-back. His mother had told me that her son had not slept for more than 2 hours in a row since he was born and that he had not defecated in a week. After gently adjusting the baby, he immediately had a bowel movement, and within thirty minutes of the office visit, he slept for 6 hours! If you or someone you know has a colicky baby, finding a pediatric chiropractor is a great option for natural care.
