Massage for Colicky Babies? Maybe, Maybe Not

It's 2 am, and you're awakened by the sound of your baby crying. You feed, burp, and change the baby. An hour goes by, then two, and then three, but the crying doesn't stop. You've discovered every parent's nightmare-a colicky baby. What can you do?

Basic information about colic
Physicians have come up with a definition of colic, which is "crying for at least three hours a day, three days a week, during the first three months." That at least puts a label on the problem. Unfortunately, no one can agree on a cause.

There are many theories, though. Most of them seem to involve abdominal pain or distress of some kind-for example, gas, lactose intolerance, acid reflux, and even spasm of immature abdominal muscles. But other ideas include being overly sensitive to stimulation, general stress, and even hormonal changes (really).

And the suggestions for how to deal with colic are just as varied. They include dietary changes (for the baby or the mother, if the baby is being breastfed), swaddling, baby swings, and even white noise like that produced by the fan over the stove. Part of the problem is that what works with one baby won't work with another. I don't know about you, but that makes me wonder if there's more than one cause.

About the only thing physicians agree on beside the definition of colic is that it goes away on its own-in other words, the baby grows out of it-by about four months of age. That's good to know, but it isn't very comforting to the exhausted parents of a two-month-old.

What about massage?
Infant massage has been suggested as one way to help calm a colicky baby. Certainly massage can be very effective in calming a grownup, so why not a baby too?

A recent study in Sweden, though, has cast some doubt on this theory. This study showed that massage was only slightly more effective than a crib vibrator at helping babies with colic relax and stop crying. The physicians who conducted the study felt that it was possible that the crying may have stopped because the babies were growing out of their colicky period, rather than because they'd been massaged. As a result, they couldn't recommend massage for this problem.

As a massage client I've experienced firsthand the relaxing effects of massage. As a massage therapist I've seen this benefit in my own clients. So I can definitely say that massage can be very relaxing. But in certain circumstances (for example, before athletic events) it can also be very energizing-or in other words, stimulating. It may be that this same effect, however unintentional, is occurring when babies with colic are massaged. (Doctors recommend keeping environmental stimulation to a minimum with a baby who has colic.)

Or maybe it's the parents who should be getting the massage! After all, massage is known for its stress-relieving qualities, and most new parents experience stress just in adapting to the arrival of this new person in their lives. Doctors do suggest that parents take periodic breaks from child care to take care of themselves. And since babies pick up on the moods and emotions of their caregivers, being around a parent who is calm and happy should have a positive effect on a newborn.

My feeling is, massage is certainly worth trying-as are the other ideas suggested by doctors and other health care providers. If massage-or for that matter, anything you try-doesn't help, or if it makes the problem worse, stop doing it and try something else. And if the crying goes on for longer than longer than usual, or if the baby has other symptoms that concern you, please contact your doctor. There may be a physical reason why the baby is crying so much.

Here are sites with information about colic and some good suggestions for how to deal with it:
Your Baby's Crying: Could It Be Colic?
Surviving Colic

And remember-colic is just a phase that your baby is going through, and will grow out of. If you can find a way to endure it, eventually it will be just a memory.