When your baby has been fed, burped, changed, and still cries for hours, it can leave you wondering what else you can do. Those long crying spells can be exhausting, especially when you are already doing everything you can.
The reassuring part is that colic is not a sign of bad parenting, and it is usually temporary. There is no instant cure, but several gentle, evidence-based baby colic treatments can help reduce crying and make your baby more comfortable. If you're still unsure whether your baby's crying is colic, start with our guide to colic in babies.
Key Takeaways
- There is no single cure: True colic is a temporary developmental stage. It usually peaks at 6 weeks and improves naturally between 3 to 4 months.
- A combination of soothing methods can help: Gentle movement, a calm environment, white noise, and secure containment can work better together than relying on one remedy.
- Be careful with OTC remedies: Gas drops and physical treatments have limitations. Targeted probiotics, such as Lactobacillus reuteri, may help some breastfed babies.
- Feeding habits matter: Paced feeds, burping, upright positioning for 20 to 30 minutes, and tracking maternal foods can help reduce extra swallowed air and digestive discomfort.
Can You Treat Colic in Babies?
There is no single medical cure for colic. Most babies improve as their digestive and nervous systems mature. Treatment focuses on reducing crying, easing gas, and helping both baby and parents cope.
- Peak window: Colic symptoms often become strongest around 6 weeks.
- Resolution benchmark: About 85% to 90% of babies improve naturally by 3 to 4 months.
- Clinical definition: Colic is traditionally defined as crying for more than 3 hours a day, at least 3 days a week, for 3 weeks or longer in an otherwise healthy baby.
When you're awake at 3 AM with a crying baby, it can be hard to remember that crying does not always mean your baby is being harmed. During the fourth trimester, your baby's nervous system is still learning how to handle light, sounds, movement, and digestive sensations.
That overstimulation can lead to long crying spells. Babies may also swallow more air while crying, which can add to abdominal discomfort.
Still, don't assume every episode is colic. A pediatrician should rule out other causes, including gastroesophageal reflux disease, corneal abrasions, or urinary infections. Our guide to baby colic symptoms and diagnosis can also help you understand what to look for.
Simple Ways to Soothe a Colicky Baby
The most helpful approach is often a combination of calming sensory cues. Lower stimulation, gentle movement, soothing sounds, and safe swaddling can help your baby settle.
- Auditory threshold: Continuous white noise around 65 to 70 dB near the bassinet can help soften sudden household sounds.
- Gentle movement: Rhythmic vertical or side-to-side movement around 1 to 2 Hz can provide calming vestibular stimulation.
- Safe containment: A flexible, four-way stretch swaddle can limit startling movements while allowing safe hip flexion.
Lower the Stimulation With Dim Light and White Noise
During evening crying, your baby's nervous system may already be overloaded. Bright lights and sudden household noises can make settling even harder.
Try moving to a dim, quiet room and using continuous, low-frequency white noise. The womb was not silent. Maternal blood flow created a steady sound environment around 75 to 85 dB.
A sound machine or steady fan can soften sudden changes in household noise. This may give your baby fewer sensations to process while they settle.
Try Gentle Rhythmic Movement and Upright Cuddles
Your baby experienced constant movement before birth whenever you walked, bent, or changed position. Gentle movement can feel familiar when they are upset.
Hold your baby upright against your chest while slowly swaying or walking. Their position can also reduce abdominal pressure. Your heartbeat and closeness provide familiar sensory cues.
If you use a baby carrier, make sure your baby's airway remains clear and their position follows safe babywearing guidance.
Use a Snug Swaddle to Help With Startling
Crying can make babies flail their arms and trigger the Moro reflex. That sudden startle can make an already upset baby even harder to settle.
A breathable, stretchy swaddle can provide gentle containment without restricting normal breathing. Swaddling may help reduce startling and create a secure feeling similar to the close boundaries your baby experienced before birth.
SWaddle AN's soft, flexible bamboo swaddles can make this calming routine feel comfortable during those difficult evenings. The goal is not to stop every movement. It is to give your baby a secure, soothing environment while their nervous system settles.
Always follow safe-swaddling guidance, including stopping swaddling when your baby shows signs of rolling.
Offer Non-Nutritive Sucking
Sucking can be naturally calming for babies. It may help lower heart rate and activate the body's relaxation response.
A pacifier can offer comfort without adding more milk to a baby who may already have a full, gassy stomach. If you breastfeed, follow your healthcare provider's advice about introducing a pacifier.
For many parents, the goal during a colic episode is simple: reduce the stimulation, offer comfort, and give your baby time to settle.
Dietary Changes and Medical Remedies
Some babies may benefit from feeding changes or specific medical options, but these should be guided by your pediatrician. Most babies with colic do not need medication, and there is no one-size-fits-all treatment.
| Intervention | What It May Help With | Evidence | Pediatric Guidance |
| Maternal Elimination Diet | Removing cow's milk protein and soy from the mother's diet | Moderate for babies with true CMPA | Try for 2 to 3 weeks with pediatric guidance |
| Hydrolyzed Formula | Uses broken-down proteins that may be easier to tolerate | Moderate to High for some formula-fed allergic infants | Transition gradually over 4 to 7 days |
| Targeted Probiotics | Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 may reduce crying | Moderate for some breastfed infants | Use daily only as recommended by your physician |
| Simethicone Gas Drops | Helps combine small gas bubbles | Low to inconclusive for true colic | May help gas, but does not treat the underlying crying |
When Diet Changes May Help
If your baby has signs that suggest a food allergy or intolerance, feeding changes may be worth discussing with your pediatrician.
For breastfeeding parents, removing dairy and soy for 14 to 21 days may be considered when cow's milk protein allergy is suspected. Keep a simple crying and symptom diary during the trial.
For formula-fed babies with significant fussiness, mucus in the stool, or persistent spit-up, your pediatrician may recommend an extensively hydrolyzed or amino acid-based formula.
Try not to change formulas every few days. Frequent changes can make it harder to understand what is actually helping.
What to Know About baby colic medicine and Probiotics
Most baby colic medicine does not reliably treat true colic. Simethicone may help with gas, but research has not shown it to be better than placebo for colic itself.
Some evidence supports Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 for reducing crying in certain breastfed babies. Results are not consistent across every probiotic or every baby.
If you are considering a probiotic, ask your pediatrician which strain and dose are appropriate. Avoid giving herbal gripe water or homemade remedies without medical guidance.
Is a Chiropractor Safe for a Baby With Colic?
Chiropractic manipulation is not a proven treatment for infant colic or reflux. Evidence does not support high-velocity spinal or cranial manipulation for these conditions.
Parents often search for a chiropractor for babies with colic and reflux after hearing hopeful stories online. It is understandable to want another option when your baby will not stop crying.
However, infants have developing bones and delicate structures. High-force or unverified manipulation can create unnecessary risks.
Your energy is better spent on gentle soothing, feeding support, and care recommended by your baby's pediatrician.
Gentle Ways to Help With Gas and Tummy Discomfort
Gentle positioning and movement may help your baby pass trapped gas. These techniques should feel comfortable and never force your baby's body into a position.
- Clockwise movements: Gentle abdominal strokes can follow the natural direction of the colon.
- Warm water: A bath around 98°F to 100°F may help relax tense muscles.
- Rectal tools: Do not routinely use invasive gas-relief tools without medical advice.
Try Gentle Tummy Massage and Bicycle Legs
Gas can be especially uncomfortable when your baby's digestive system is still developing. Gentle movement may help encourage normal bowel activity.
Place your baby on their back in a warm, comfortable room. With gentle pressure, move your fingertips in a clockwise circle around the belly button.
You can then try the "bicycle legs" technique. Hold your baby's calves and slowly move their legs in an alternating pedaling motion.
Keep the movements gentle. Stop if your baby seems uncomfortable or distressed.
Try Tummy-Down Positioning and a Warm Bath
Gentle tummy-down positioning across your lap can provide comforting pressure against your baby's abdomen.
Keep your baby's head turned safely to the side. Always make sure their airway stays clear, and stay right beside them.
Slowly rub or pat their back. A warm bath may also help relax tense muscles and create a calmer transition into bedtime.
These techniques are for supervised soothing while your baby is awake. Always place your baby on their back for sleep.
Be Very Careful With Rectal Gas Relief
Rectal gas-relief tools should not become a routine treatment for colic. They can irritate delicate tissue and should only be considered with appropriate medical guidance.
Some parents search for a windi gas and colic reliever for babies when their baby's belly seems very uncomfortable. These products are designed to release trapped gas through the rectum.
If a pediatrician recommends one, follow the product instructions carefully. Do not use rectal tools repeatedly or forcefully.
When severe abdominal swelling, persistent vomiting, blood in the stool, fever, or unusual lethargy occurs, contact your pediatrician promptly.
How to Prevent Colic in Babies: Simple Habits That May Help
You cannot always prevent colic, but reducing swallowed air and late-day overstimulation may help. Small feeding and routine changes can make evenings easier for some families.
- Try an anti-colic bottle: Vented designs may help reduce swallowed air during bottle feeds.
- Pace the feed: Let your baby pause every 3 to 5 minutes rather than encouraging fast feeding.
- Burp during and after feeds: Burp halfway through a feed and again when it ends.
- Keep baby upright: Hold your baby upright for 20 to 30 minutes after feeding.
- Keep evenings calmer: Limit long visits and highly stimulating environments later in the day.
There is no perfect routine for colic. Some babies respond quickly to one change, while others need several calming cues together.
The important thing is to find what helps your baby feel safe and settled without putting pressure on yourself to fix everything at once.
Conclusion: Supporting Yourself Through the Colic Phase
Taking a short break is okay when crying becomes overwhelming. If your baby is fed, clean, and safely placed, put them on their back in a bare bassinet. And step away for 5 to 10 minutes to breathe and reset.
Ask someone you trust for help when you need baby colic treatments. Colic is exhausting, but this phase is temporary. As your baby's nervous and digestive systems mature, the difficult crying spells will gradually fade.
You are not failing your baby. You are getting through a hard phase together.
