Determining if Your Baby Has Colic

     I know many tired mommies of baby's who cry and cry and cry. Besides the crying, their baby seems to be healthy in all other aspects. If this is true of your baby, your baby may have colic. It is one of the most common problems in babies.

 

What is colic? According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, colic is "a clinical manifestation of normal emotional development, in which an infant has diminished capacity to regulate crying duration." Basically your baby cries a lot for no apparent reason and cannot be comforted during this time.

 

 

What are the signs of colic? Colic usually appears when the baby is 2-3 weeks old. A baby with colic will not only cry when they are wet, tired, or hungry, they will cry for long periods of time. They are often inconsolable.  They will often have clenched fists, legs flexed over its abdomen, arching back, flushing, a hard distended abdomen, regurgitation, passing of gas, and an active, grimacing, or “pain” face. It usually happens around the same time of day every day and is usually around late afternoon to evening time.

 

How long does colic usually last? Colic will usually peak around 6 weeks of age. By age 3-4 months, colic should be subsiding. By the age of 5 months, it should be totally gone. It will be a long few months, but try to figure out ways that soothes your baby during this time.

 

 

 

Will colic hurt my baby? No. Colic itself will not cause any long lasting damage. It is a hard and long journey for both you and your baby, but once you get through it, then it is over.

 

Why do some babies have colic and not others? They are not really sure. There could be many factors that play into it. Things like gender, when they were born in the family, breastfed or formula fed, digestive issues, etc. No one really knows for sure what causes it and some babies are more prone to it than others.

How can I help my baby with colic? 1) Check their bottle and make sure they are not gulping and getting air when they eat. 2) When you feed them, keep them as upright as you can. 3) Feed your baby before they are starving. This causes them to be franctic and gulp more and get more air. This makes colic worse. 4) Burp them often. 5) Try and rock them. 6) Create white noise with things such as a vacuum. 7) Place a warm towel on their abdomen. 8) Go for a car ride.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope that this helps you determine if your baby has colic. If you do think your baby has colic, I would recommend taking them to see your pediatrician just to double check. You can be on the safe side that it is not something more serious.

 

Until next time,

                                  

Temperatures: How high is too high?

Fevers are SCARY!! So much can be wrong or go wrong when your little ones fever spikes! Here are some general guidelines to know what to do and when to take your baby in if they have a fever.


1) If your baby is 3 months or younger, they are considered to have a fever at 100.4 degrees. If they get a fever of 100.4, call your doctor immediately. A fever this high in a baby that small can be very dangerous. Be aware that it is likely they will want you to go to the ER with your baby. They need to make sure everything is okay and that they don't have an infection. DO NOT give a baby under 3 months Tylenol without talking to your pediatrician first. This can alter their fever and give false indication of what the real problem is.

2) If your baby is 3 months or older, they are considered to have a fever at 101 degrees. The concern is more about how your baby is acting. If they are acting sick, most definitely take them in. If they are not acting sick but have a fever, use your judgement. There have been several times that Brody has had a 103 fever and we did not take him in. He was acting like he didn't feel good, but we felt like we could at least regulate the fever with Tylenol and Ibuprofen (after 6 months of age) for a night and see if he got any better. Sometimes he was better the next day and sometimes we were headed to the doctor. You do not need to wake your baby in the middle of the night just to give them medicine. I would go in and check on Brody to make sure he was not on fire with fever, but did not wake him up if he was not any hotter than when he went to bed. If they wake up and you want to give them more, you can if it has been long enough. If your child over 3 months and gives any signs of stiff neck, bad headache, seizure, sore throat, ear pain, foul smelling urine, burning with urination, is lethargic, or you just feel something is not right, call your pediatrician.

3) If your child is 3-6 months old, use only Tylenol (Acetaminophen). If they are older than 6 months, you can use Ibuprofen. Always talk to your doctor before the first time you use either. If your child has a fever that is above 102 and you cannot get it down and maintained at 102 or lower for at least 3 hours, I would call your doctor or go to the ER if it is after hours. To maintain the fever, give your baby Tylenol every 4 hours or Ibuprofen every 6. If your child is of age (at least 6 months), Ibuprofen is the best to use. It is a better fever reducer and pain reliever. It can only be given every 6 hours. If your child cannot wait until the next dosage, you can give them Tylenol as well.  They can be given at the same time.  If you do this, make sure you write the times down so that you give the second dose of both medicines at the right time. Be aware that Ibuprofen can cause some stomach aches and diarrhea so just be mindful of that and the amount of dosages you are giving your baby. NEVER use ASPIRIN to treat a child's fever. If your child cannot keep down the Tylenol, Feverall is a rectal acetaminophen that can be given.

4) The most accurate reading of temperature, especially in infants younger than 3 months, is rectally. They have thermometers that take the temperature in less than 5 seconds. Armpits, mouths, and foreheads are ways to take temperature as well, but they not as accurate. If you can, take it rectally. It won't hurt them. If you take it rectally, obviously make sure that thermometer is only used rectally.

5) Here's how you take a temperature rectally.
Step 1: Lubricate the end of the thermometer with a water-soluable lubrication.
Step 2: Lay the baby face down across your lap. Make sure to support their head. You make also lay them flat on a changing table.
Step 3: Press your palm of one hand firmly on your baby's lower back and hold them still.
Step 4: Use your other hand and insert the lubricated thermometer through their anal opening (about 1/2 inch to 1 inch - the thermometer usually has a ring around it that shows you how far to insert the thermometer). If you feel any resistance at all, do not push the thermometer in any farther.
Step 5: Steady the thermometer with on hand and cup your baby's bottom with the other.
Step 6: Wait until it beeps and remove slowly. Make sure you write down the time and temperature.

6) Comfort: A way to try and comfort your child is by giving them a lukewarm sponge bath for 10-20 minutes. Do this every 2 hours as you need to. Evidence shows it doesn't reduce fever but may help comfort your baby.

7) Giving your baby the right dosage of medicine is essential!!! Make sure you do Tylenol every 4 hours and Ibuprofen every 6 hours. I have listed the dosage amounts below.
Tylenol: 15 mg per kg per dose or 7mg per pound per dose (2.2 lbs = 1 kg)
Infant's Acetaminophen Concentrated drops: 80mg/0.8mL (found on box)
12-17 pounds (6-11 months): Give 1 dropperful or about 0.8mL
18-23 pounds (12-23 months): 1.5 dropperful (1.2 mL)
24-35 pounds (2-3 years): 2 dropperfuls (1.6 mL)
36-47 pounds (4-5 years): 3 dropperfuls (2.4 mL)

Children's AcetaminophenSuspension Liquid: 160mg/5mL (found on box)

12-17 pounds (6-11 months): .5 teaspoon

18-23 pounds (12-23 months): 0.75 teaspoon 

24-35 pounds (2-3 years): 1 teaspoon

36-47 pounds (4-5 years): 1.5 teaspoons

Ibuprofen: 10mg per kg dose or 4.5 mg per pound per dose.
Infant's Ibuprofen Concentrated drops: 50mg/1.25mL (found on box)

12-17 pounds (6-11 months): 1 dropperful (1.25mL)

18-23 pounds (12-23 months): 1.5 dropperful (1.875 mL)

24-35 pounds (2-3 years): 2 dropperfuls (2.5 mL)

36-47 pounds (4-5 years): 3 dropperfuls (3.75 mL)

Children's Ibuprofen Suspension drops: 100mg/5mL

12-17 pounds (6-11 months): 0.5 teaspoon

18-23 pounds (12-23 months): 0.75 teaspoon

24-35 pounds (2-3 years): 1 teaspoon

36-47 pounds (4-5 years): 1.5 teaspoons

Here is a picture of an Infant's Ibuprofen box to show you were the dosage is listed. Below the words Ibuprofen Oral Suspension you will see 50mg per 1.25 mL. Those are the numbers you are looking for on a box to know your dosage.

*Do not take Acetaminophen (Tylenol) more than 5 times in 24 hours.

*Do not take Ibuprofen more than 4 times in 24 hours. 

*Always check your medicine box and with your doctor before administering medication to your child. 

Hope this helps and you can get that yucky fever down! Good luck! 

Until next time!

Welcome!

Hello all! I am SO excited to be able to share my experience as a Mommy with you. Congratulations to you on being a Mommy! Whether it is a new adventure for you or one you have been in for a while. I hope my experiences can help you in some way. Whether it is just to encourage you, to give you needed advice, or just for your enjoyment of reading. I am very thankful for my little boy and give all praise and thanks to God for the blessing of Brody. It is my pride and joy to be his Mommy!

My blog has labels. Labels are on the right side towards the bottom of my blog. There are a few different categories you can look at if you are looking for something specific or just to browse. All things I write about is either something I have experienced or something I have researched a lot. Please let me know if there is anything specific you want me to write about or research. I would love to have new ideas!

I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I love writing it!