Does your fussy baby have colic symptoms?

(Wichita chiropractor Dr. Dennis "Doc" Scharenberg has successfully cured baby colic for 37 years, using a chiropractic massage technique called ileocecal massage. Visit his Wichita chiropractic clinic website to learn more about this and other chiropractic wellness strategies that help families stay healthy without the use of drugs or surgery.)

I talk a lot about baby colic as a reason that babies cry, and other articles on this blog discuss colic cure and baby colic symptoms. But it's important to realize that, most of the time, when you have a fussy baby, it's caused by something far less serious. In one study, only five percent of fussy babies brought to an emergency room had serious medical conditions. The study also revealed that the ones found to have serious conditions had other, visible symptoms beyond fussiness.

Let's look at some other issues that can turn your happy, healthy baby into a fussy baby:

1. Some experts believe that babies may cry simply because they are overstimulated or overwhelmed by their environments. Naps and mealtimes usually cure this problem.

2. Has the baby missed a nap or meal due to disruptions in the family schedule?

3. Is the baby teething?

4. Does the baby have a fever, congestion or runny nose? It could be a cold or ear infection.

5. Is the baby vomiting? Does the baby have diarrhea? This could indicate a stomach virus, especially if illness is "going around." (Continuous vomiting combined with tender, distended abdomen indicate a severe infection or other problem, which requires immediate medical attention.)

6. Does the baby have a rash, insect bite or other skin irritation?

7. Is the baby scratched or injured?

8. Has the baby's diet changed? If the baby is being breastfed, has the mother's diet changed? This could open the door to a food intolerance.

How to soothe a fussy baby

1. Walk and rock your fussy baby.
2. Give your baby a warm bath.
3. Take a ride in the car.
4. Turn a fan on low. As with many adults, this sound can relax a fussy baby.
5. Play with toys or draw pictures for your baby.
6. Change the baby's position, from belly to back or vise versa.
7. Play classical or soothing music.
8. Do a baby massage. Like anyone else, infants like to be touched.
9. Offer the baby a pacifier.
10. Wrap the baby in a warm blanket.
11. Try putting your fussy baby in the crib and walking away for a few minutes. Maybe your attempts to sooth are having the opposite effect. It happens (although I'm not a believer in the theory that you can spoil an infant with too much love and attention).
12. Keep looking for solutions. Remember that what works for friends' babies, may not work for yours. We're all individuals, even in infancy. If you think your baby has a serious health problem, contact your doctor.

If you still think your fussy baby has baby colic symptoms, call my office, and let's take a look. The treatment is very low cost, it's drug free, and it's 100 percent effective as a colic cure.

And remember: never shake your baby. This can cause shaken baby syndrome.