Colic - can anyone actually give me an actual medical definition of what it is?

[AliGrylls]

I have been trying to find out what colic is, however, it seems to be lacking a medical definition. All I have found out about it is that it is characterised by crying around the same time every night.

Could it be that the baby is just tired but can't get to sleep? If anybody knows please tell me. DH and I are really curious.

I keep getting told by my Doc that I suffer from Colic, but as of yet they have failed to tell me what it actually is. The only thing I found helpful was the NHS website

Assume it is DC doing the suffering from colic (tho as a parent of an once colicky baby you have my every sympathy because it is not a parenting experience you would wish on anyone)

The medical profession does not know what causes it nor why it eventually goes away (which it does). Alternative therapists posit things like cranial osteopathy and homeopathy as a cure but there is no evidence based research to suggest they work. There is no evidence either to show that OTC colic meds work but it may make parents feel they are doing something.

So you are back to managing it - putting the baby in a sling, using white noise i.e. vacuum cleaner, baby massage or even just putting earplugs in while you hold the baby so that you are offering comfort while taking the awful grating edge off the crying.

it is just one of those catch all terms like growing pains which mean taht the person has no idea and wishes you would stop asking them.

ds cried for hours every night for months and it had nothign to do with wind or anything other than just wanting to scream. early recognition of human condition or something, he did perk up at about 6months.

colic is probably related to digestion ,the pancreas and the gall bladder.ANOTHER TERM IS PANCREATO-BILIARY COLIC.....bile is alkaline and not acid like the stomach contents and having recently suffered from colic prior to having my gall bladder in june ,my theory is that the alkaline affects the way the pancreas works temporarily. Some babies are intolerant to certain substances such as lactose whilst their gut is developing and this is again to do with the pancreas.Plus it produces alot of gas and bloating.

These are only my theories..but i know its really painful.
Horses get colic when they cant digest something properly and it can be very serious for them.