Guest Columnist
by
Sarah Lien, MDMeritCare Children's
How to calm a fussy baby
Calming a fussy baby can be a real challenge. I know this from my own experience as the mom of a colicky daughter, plus I hear it in my many conversations with parents at MeritCare Children's Southwest in Fargo. For those who may not be familiar with the term, "colicky" refers to a healthy baby who cries for no apparent reason, sometimes for long periods of time. The crying is not due to hunger, a wet diaper, illness or any visible cause. There are many theories as to the cause of colic, but it's still not well-understood.
In calming a colicky baby, one of the best lessons I have learned – and I now pass on to my patients – comes from well-known pediatrician Dr. Harvey Karp, author of "Happiest Baby on the Block." (MeritCare Children's recently sponsored a program he spoke at in Fargo.) His theory is that just like when they were in the womb, babies still want to be cuddled, warm and hearing all sorts of familiar sounds. That world can be recreated, at least in part, by using Dr. Karp's "Five S's:" Swaddling, Side, Shushing, Swinging (a gentle back-and-forth movement) and Sucking (such as on a pacifier). Our daughter, Anna, was definitely a colicky baby, and Dr. Karp's "Five S's" may very well have saved us. Of the five, the following three were especially helpful:
- Swaddling, which refers to how to wrap the baby appropriately. Like most parents, my husband David, who is also a doctor, and I were taught how to do this at the hospital shortly after Anna was born. Once we got home, realized it wasn't that easy. In one of his videos, Dr. Karp does a great demonstration of how to swaddle your baby so that it doesn't come undone so easily. Now it's something I teach to all my patients, usually at the two-week visit. I've actually had parents come back and tell me how well this works, plus their baby sleeps an hour longer at night.
- Side, which refers to how to hold a fussy baby. Instead of cradling a baby face-up in your arms, you position the baby on his or her side, facing out. I've noticed Anna's grandparents seem to do this naturally.
- Shushing, which refers to the "shhh" sound made in the baby's ear to recreate the sound of the uterine artery. (Incidentally, the sound of the uterine artery is as loud as a vacuum cleaner.) When I was in pediatric training at the University of Michigan, I saw this technique demonstrated by Dr. Karp. As soon as he made the 'shushing' sound in the baby's ear, the crying stopped. You could see the change in the baby's eyes and facial expression; it was amazing.
Caring for a colicky baby can be extremely frustrating, so be sure to take care of yourself, too. Don't blame yourself or your baby for the constant crying – colic is nobody's fault. Try to relax, and remember that your baby will eventually outgrow this phase – usually at about 3 months. If you are concerned that your baby might be sick, make sure to seek medical care. And if at any time you start to feel out of control with anger because of the excessive crying, enlist the help of others. Friends and relatives are often happy to watch your baby when you need some time to yourself.
Learn more about colic at meritcare.com.
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