What is colic?

Colic is a common condition that affects otherwise healthy babies. It is thought to affect between 5% and 19% of infants, depending on the definition, although some studies suggest that the rate could be as high as 73%

Normally starting soon after birth, colic affects girls and boys equally and typically lasts until the baby is around three or four months old2.

The most common symptom of colic is excessive and inconsolable crying in a baby that appears healthy and well-fed. Crying caused by colic tends to be intense, severe and furious, and parents will be able to do little or nothing to alleviate the crying.


A baby with colic
may also exhibit3:

Clenched fists, drawn-up knees or an arched back

Redness of the face

Persistent crying that usually follows a pattern, such as being worse in the evening

A failure to respond to methods that usually soothe distress