Of course, it is not always easy to tell why a baby is crying – there may be many different causes. Even the question of how much crying is ‘natural’ is contentious. The following quotations illustrate the widely differing views of this common problem:
‘During the first few weeks of life the average baby sleeps a great deal but, when awake, cries lustily and often …. It is only from about six weeks of age onwards, when the baby is becoming aware of his or her surroundings, that there are some wakeful periods without crying…. There is no reason why the simple milk diet (whether natural or otherwise) of the normal baby should cause tummy ache. If the baby cries uncontrollably for several hours each evening, it is more likely that the cause is so-called 3-month or 10-week colic (sharp tummy ache). But, although some doctors consider that the baby has genuine physical pain, others believe that this is an example of the baby reacting to the tensions of the mother at the end of a hard day: and they believe that the crying stops after 10 to 12 weeks because by then the mother has become more competent and confident in her handling of the baby, and has communicated this new calmness to the baby.’ (The Macmillan Guide to Family Health, edited by Dr Tony Smith).
SOME MINOR SYMPTOMS THAT MAY ACCOMPANY COLIC
Frequent regurgitation of food (posseting) Loose stools Wind and bloating Constipation
Poor appetite, stops feeding and screams after a few minutes
Stuffy or runny nose, nose-rubbing
Frequent sneezing, coughing, sniffing or snorting
Noisy breathing
Frequent ear infections or colds
Bad breath
Dry, cracked skin, rashes, eczema
Constant scratching or rubbing
Sweatiness, slight fever, or cold hands and feet
Redness around mouth or anus, or on cheeks
Swelling around eyes
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