YOUR baby cries every afternoon for hours at a time. The crying has exhausted you to the point where you feel like joining in. When a healthy baby cries like this, chances are that he has colic. What exactly is colic? What causes it, and what can you perform about it?

Colic is not a physical disorder or disease. Medical professionals define colic as three or more hours a day of persistent crying. The crying is not due to hunger, a wet diaper, or other visible cause, and the infant cannot be quieted down. Colic usually vanishes by three months of age.

A baby's fussiness may not be colic at all. The first action to take is to check for indicators of illness. Colicky babies have a healthy sucking reflex and a good appetite. Sick babies may appear "sore," because they don't like to be held despite their fussiness. Colicky babies might spit up occasionally, but if your infant is actually vomiting, you should call the physician. True vomiting is not an indicator of colic.

Medical experts now believe that colic is rarely, if ever, triggered by a milk allergy. After all, breast-fed babies also experience colic. They also believe that colic is probably not triggered by gas. It may be difficult to ascertain which came first, the gas or the colic, but they suggest that more often than not, a colicky baby has developed gas by swallowing too much air during crying bouts. Prescribing anti-gas drops has not proven to be a highly effective way to treat colic, although it does seem to aid some infants. Some physicians think that colic is due to the baby's own disposition. Some infants just require a little bit longer to adjust to the world, or a day and night cycle. This is perfectly normal and the colic will dissipate.

There is no single remedy that always provides relief to infants with colic, but there are some techniques you can employ for your colicky baby that may make life easier for both of you. First, make sure your baby is not hungry. If s/he isn't, don't persist trying to feed her/him. Instead, attempt to console her/him. You can also:

Walk with your baby or rock her/him.

Try burping your baby more often during feedings.

Place the baby across your lap on her/his belly and rub her/his back.

Put the baby in a swing. The motion may have a soothing effect.

Take breaks and let another adult care for your baby for a while.

If all else fails, put the baby in her/his infant seat in the back of the car and go for a ride. The vibration and movement of the car generally calms a baby.