Colic is one of the most frustrating challenges for new parents. Endless crying, sleepless nights, and a worried feeling that something is wrong can make it feel overwhelming. But not everything you’ve heard about colic is true. Let’s bust the top four myths that often confuse parents—and point toward what’s really happening.

Myth 1: Colic Starts at Three Weeks
Many people believe colic begins around three weeks of age, but our research has shown that it often starts at birth. Babies don’t suddenly develop colic—they may show signs from their first days. The severity can vary, which is why some infants cry a lot while others show other less severe symptoms.

Myth 2: Colic Means Three Hours of Crying
Colic is often defined as three or more hours of crying per day. However, in over 40 years of treating Colicky babies, I have found that not every baby cries for hours. Some may show discomfort in subtle ways, like fussiness, tension, or difficulty sleeping. Crying is just one symptom, and the absence of prolonged crying doesn’t mean your baby isn’t experiencing colic. Many of the babies I’ve treated for colic don’t cry constantly, but they often show other signs of discomfort, such as:

• Pulling their legs up to their chest
  
• Sleeping only for short stretches
  
• Refusing to lie on their back
  
• Being especially uncomfortable on their back
  
• Waking from sleep screaming and hard to console
• Scratching their face or pulling their hair
• Eating only briefly at a time
• Having a red face and tightly closed eyes
• Experiencing constipation
• Having a hard, bloated belly

Myth 3: Colic Stops Automatically at Three Months
The “rule” that colic magically ends at three months is misleading. While symptoms may change over time, I have observed that the underlying cause doesn’t just disappear. Some babies continue to experience digestive discomfort well beyond the first few months, though it may present differently as they grow. I have noticed that the following symptoms are present in young children with colic:

•  Behavioral Issues
• Fussy
• Restless
• Resists Sleep
• Distended Abdomen

(Older babies and children with colic may not have a hard distended abdomen)

• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Irregularity
• Attachment Issues
• Crying
• Low Appetite, Picky Eater
• Waking Up Throughout the Night, Night Terrors 

Myth 4: Colic Is Caused by Dairy or Allergies
A common belief is that colic stems from a dairy allergy or other food sensitivities. While diet can sometimes play a role, my research and experience show that the real cause is often related to a tiny muscle in the digestive system called the ileocecal valve. When this muscle is weak, it can leak digestive material back into the small intestine, causing gas, bloating, and pain—leading to many of the symptoms parents recognize as colic.

The Real Solution
Understanding the true cause of colic changes everything. Strengthening the ileocecal valve is key to addressing the root of the problem. With the right guidance, parents can help their babies experience greater comfort and fewer symptoms.
To learn more about this approach and how you can help your baby, visit StoppingColic.com.

One Doctor’s Opinion – Colic According to D.R. Scharenberg, D.C. 

The first thing we have to address is that the medical diagnosis of colic is wrong—it has never been correct. Colic does not start at three weeks; it starts at birth. Colic is not three hours of crying—some babies hardly cry at all. It really depends on how severe their colic symptoms are. Colic does not automatically stop at three months—it can last a lifetime. It just keeps changing, but it doesn’t go away.

Medicine says that no one knows the cause, but it must be an allergic response to dairy. My experience is that this is not true. So what is it?

Redefining Colic
My research and experience show that the cause of colic is the result of leakage through the ileocecal valve. Let’s describe the anatomy and explain what is truly happening to this valve.
The muscle is a smooth muscle, not a striated muscle like an arm or leg muscle. It’s more like a heart valve. It is cone-shaped and it opens and expands to let digested fecal matter pass through the valve into the large intestine. Then this muscle contracts to shut the opening from the small intestine to the large intestine, keeping fecal chemicals and other materials from going back into the small intestine where they would likely be re-digested.
The problem is that this small cone-shaped muscle, for some reason, is not strong enough to close itself. The valve allows leakage back into the small intestine, which then tries to re-digest the material.
This action causes a large amount of intestinal gas to build back up into the small intestine, expanding it and creating a large distended bowel. This leads to severe abdominal bloating and extensive pain.

The Pain Results in a Variety of Colic Symptoms—34 in total—That I Have Identified:

1.     Grunting
2.     Fussing
3.     Crying
4.     Kicking of the legs
5.     Flaring of the arms
6.     Arching of the back
7.     Distention of the abdomen
8.     Developing umbilical hernia
9.     Continually wanting to suck
10.  Rooting and sucking
11.  Inability to stay latched on the breast or the bottle
12.  Decreased bowel motion
13.  Pain or passing flatulence and stool (liquid or formed)
14.  Scratching of the face, ears, head, and pulling their hair.
15.  Inability to lie flat on back without crying
16.  Not wanted to take a pacifier
17.Vomiting, either projectile or just spitting up usually frequently. Usually diagnosed as acid reflux or silent reflux
18.  Crying with eyes closed
19.  Not sleeping except for short periods
20.  Sleeping at odd hours, usually described as having days and nights mixed up
21.  Crying sounds mostly high pitch and variable with high and lows
22.  Always wanting to be have motion such as swings, or bouncing
23.  Always wanting to be held in an upright position
24.  When being held, always trying to crawl up over the adults shoulder
25.  Always wanting to be taken for a ride. Calming down with motion and crying when the vehicle stops
26.  Kicking the legs most frequently the left leg. This is an attempt to help move the descending colon.
27.  Always stiff and rigid body with clenched hands and contracted arms and legs.
28.  Usually diagnosed as Lactose intolerant
29.  Starts at variety of times from birth to 6 weeks
30.  Can last for months and years and after 1 year is usually diagnosed as something other than colic such as colitis, irritable bowel, indigestion, heart burn, gastritis, Chron’s, chronic constipation, chronic diarrhea.
31.  Decreased weight gain- underfed because of pain
32.  Increased weight gain- overfed because of pain
33.  Negative upper and lower GI Studies
34.  Eventually hemorrhoids or rectal fissures


So, What Is the Cause of Colic?
The answer is leakage from the ileocecal valve back into the small intestine. This leakage creates gas, distention, and pain—which can lead to the long list of symptoms often grouped under “colic.”

The big question: How do you fix this problem?
When you understand the real cause of colic, you can take steps to address it at its source. The solution is to strengthen the ileocecal valve muscle so it can function properly—and that’s exactly what my treatment method does.  Learn more about colic and how you can help your baby by visiting StoppingColic.com.

If your baby is crying often and spitting up after most feedings, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Many parents are told it’s “just colic” or suspect acid reflux, but the answers—and relief—often feel out of reach.
While spitting up is common in infants, excessive spit-up combined with colic symptoms can be a sign that your baby’s digestive system is struggling.  Babies suffering from colic often want to feed more frequently, as sucking helps soothe their tummies. However, gas and bloating—combined with overfeeding—can lead to increased spitting up. Here are some simple, effective tips to help reduce spitting up in your journey to helping your colicky baby:

1. Burp Frequently—Not Just at the End
Burping during and after feeds helps release trapped air before it builds pressure and causes spit-up. Try burping every few minutes during feeding, not just after.

2. Feed in a More Upright Position
Hold your baby at a 45-degree angle or higher while feeding. Gravity helps milk go down more smoothly and reduces the chance of it coming back up.

3. Try Smaller, More Frequent Feedings
Large feeds can overwhelm your baby’s tummy. Instead, try offering smaller amounts more often throughout the day.

4. Keep Baby Upright After Feeding
Hold your baby upright for 20–30 minutes after each feeding. Avoid bouncing or laying them flat right away.

5. Be Cautious with Antacids
Acid reflux medications are often prescribed but may only offer short-term relief—and usually don’t address the real cause of the spit-up. In most healthy babies, spitting up is not related to excess acid.

6. Understand the Root Cause
Colic is one of the most misunderstood conditions in infants. While most people define colic simply as excessive crying, its true origin lies in the digestive system. The term colic comes from the word colon and often results from a weak valve between the small and large intestines. When this valve doesn’t close properly, digestion can repeat in the small intestines, causing gas buildup and sharp abdominal pain.
Spitting up frequently can be one of the many signs of this digestive disturbance. In fact, not all colicky babies cry for hours—some may just grunt, squirm, arch their backs, or have difficulty sleeping. These subtle signs often go unnoticed or are dismissed as normal.
Understanding what’s really behind your baby’s discomfort is the first step toward finding relief. For a full list of symptoms and more helpful guidance on Acid Reflux and Colic, visit StoppingColic.com.

Crying is a baby’s only way to communicate, and it’s never just “fussiness.” Based on decades of experience and research, we know that babies cry for a reason—usually hunger or physical discomfort.
Since babies can’t use words, they rely entirely on body language and tone of voice to express their needs. Learning to read these signals can help you understand what your baby is trying to tell you—and bring comfort faster.
Here are 6 practical tips to help you decode your baby’s crying and respond with confidence:

1. Pay Attention to Body Language
Fast kicking, arched backs, clenched fists, or a red face often signal pain. Slower, upper-body motion with rooting may mean hunger.

2. Listen to the Cry
A steady, single-pitch cry usually means hunger. A shrill cry that rises and falls--Varying in Volume and Pitch is a sign of pain or discomfort.

3. Watch Closely while Feeding
If your baby latches, sucks well, and stays latched, they’re likely hungry. If they latch briefly, pull away, and cry, they may be in pain, not just hungry.

4. Burp Often and Gently
Trapped gas and bloating can cause discomfort or even projectile vomiting. Frequent burping relieves pressure and prevents painful build-up.

5. Don’t Stick to a Strict Schedule
It is VITAL to remember that every baby’s needs vary day to day. Instead of fixed ounces or feeding times, follow your baby’s cues. Hunger and fullness change with activity, growth, and blood sugar levels.

6. Know When to Stop Feeding
Once your baby slows down and stops sucking or turns away, stop feeding—even if the bottle isn’t empty. Overfeeding can lead to gas, pain, and spit-up.

The more you understand your baby’s body language and tone of voice, the more confident and calm you’ll feel as a parent. With time and practice, you’ll be able to meet their needs before the crying escalates.

​Visit StoppingColic.com for more guidance on colic and infant care.

When our babies seem fussy, grunty, gassy, tense, don’t sleep well, nurse well, or act uncomfortable in general, as parents, we often wonder if something is wrong. When we go online to check whether this is normal, we find that unless our babies are crying for a VERY LONG TIME—like more than three hours at a time, for more than three days a week, for more than three weeks in a row—they do NOT HAVE COLIC.
That leads us to believe that all the fussy, grunty, gassy, tense, sleepless symptoms are just normal, and that our baby will outgrow whatever they are going through. We sign ourselves up for months and months of rocking, bouncing, pacing, and doing whatever it takes to keep our sweet little one comfortable and “content.”
But what if all these symptoms really were optional? What if it isn’t normal for your baby to cry every time you lay them down on their back, or to constantly be spitting up?


A Doctor’s Journey to Find the Cause of a Fussy Baby
In Wichita, Kansas, D.R. Scharenberg, D.C., a chiropractic physician, has been dedicated to researching and treating babies with these exact symptoms for over 40 years. When his chiropractic practice was in its infancy, he began having mothers bring him their crying babies. When he realized that spinal manipulation was having a very minimal effect on their fussiness, he began to think outside the box.
He began to wonder what was actually CAUSING these babies to be fussy. His digging led him to discover that these babies were suffering from colic pain. From years of treating babies, he discovered that colic symptoms would disappear when he focused on treating the cause of colic.


The Ileocecal Valve: A Hidden Key
He developed a gentle technique that focused on strengthening a tiny valve between the small and large intestine, called the ileocecal valve. If the valve is too weak and does not close properly, digestion repeats itself in the small intestine, and gas builds up, creating sharp pains. He found that when he strengthened this valve, most babies had a  huge decrease of all colic symptoms.


Why the Medical Definition Falls Short
The unfortunate truth is that even though the medical community thinks they have the definition of colic pegged, they certainly don’t seem to have much of an idea of what may cause it. There are some theories out there—for example, that babies are sensitive and have trouble adjusting to the world, or are just born unable to calm themselves. Medical practice suggests that treating excess gas in infants will have no effect on colic pain.
All of these theories leave us helpless as parents because they offer no SOLUTION to the colic problem.


Colic Is More Than Crying
Most parents don’t realize that their babies are actually showing signs of colic. They believe that the only symptom of colic is endless crying, but D.R. Scharenberg, D.C. has found that this is not true. He has discovered 34 symptoms that babies suffering from colic often exhibit.
If your baby has more than two or three symptoms on the following list, they may be suffering from colic.
Extensive Colic Symptom lisT

• Grunting
• Fussing
• Crying
• Kicking of the legs
• Flaring of the arms
• Arching of the back
• Distention of the abdomen
• Developing umbilical hernia
• Continually wanting to suck
• Rooting and sucking
• Inability to stay latched on the breast or the bottle
• Decreased bowel motion
• Pain or passing flatulence and stool (liquid or formed)
• Scratching of the face, ears, head, and pulling their hair.
• Inability to lie flat on back without crying
• Does not want to take a pacifier
• Vomiting, either projectile or just spitting up usually frequently. Usually diagnosed as acid reflux or silent reflux
• Crying with eyes closed
• Not sleeping except for short periods
• Sleeping at odd hours, usually described as having days and nights mixed up
• Crying sounds mostly high pitch and variable with high and lows
• Always wanting to be have motion such as swings, or bouncing
• Always wanting to be held in an upright position
• When being held, always trying to crawl up over the adults shoulder
• Always wanting to be taken for a ride. Calming down with motion and crying when the vehicle stops
• Kicking the legs most frequently the left leg. This is an attempt to help move the descending colon.
• Always stiff and rigid body with clenched hands and contracted arms and legs.
• Usually diagnosed as Lactose intolerant
• Starts at variety of times from birth to 6 weeks
• Decreased weight gain- underfed because of pain
• Increased weight gain- overfed because of pain
• Negative upper and lower GI Studies
• Eventually hemorrhoids or rectal fissures
• Can last for months and years and after 1 year is usually diagnosed as something other than colic such as colitis, irritable bowel, indigestion, heart burn, gastritis, Chron’s, chronic constipation, chronic diarrhea.

Want to Learn More?
If you are concerned that your baby may be suffering from colic symptoms, you can learn more about colic symptoms, and what your baby may be trying to tell you with their body language at www.StoppingColic.com. 

If you’re in the thick of those exhausting early days and your baby seems constantly uncomfortable—fussy, gassy, crying for hours, or struggling to sleep—you may have been told, “Don’t worry, it’s just colic. They’ll grow out of it.”
But here’s the truth no one likes to say out loud:
Colic is miserable—for your baby, and for you.
And while it may eventually change, that doesn’t always mean it goes away. So let’s talk about what’s really going on—and whether “waiting it out” is the best we can do.


What We’re Told About Colic
Most medical definitions describe colic as uncontrollable crying for more than 3 hours a day, 3 days a week, for 3 weeks or longer in an otherwise healthy baby. Parents are often reassured that it's harmless and temporary, usually resolving by the 3-month mark.
So we try to comfort our baby, keep them fed, burp them, rock them, walk laps around the house, and wait for that magic day when the crying is supposed to stop.
But what if it doesn’t?


What If It’s Not Something They Just “Outgrow”?
Many parents notice that while their baby’s intense crying may lessen, other issues often remain, such as:

• Trouble sleeping
• Constant squirming
• Frequent spit-up or reflux
• Nursing or bottle struggles
• Restlessness, especially when laid down

These are the lingering signs of a baby who is still uncomfortable. And these issues don’t always disappear at 3 months—they often evolve into new challenges as your baby grows.
So the question becomes: Is colic really something babies “grow out of,” or is it something we’ve simply been told to tolerate?


A Closer Look at the Root Cause
D.R. Scharenberg, D.C., a chiropractic physician in Wichita, Kansas, has spent over 40 years treating babies with colic symptoms. What he has discovered might surprise you: babies don’t just outgrow colic, the symptoms only change as they get older.
Through years of hands-on experience and research, D.R. Scharenberg, D.C. has identified a key issue in many colicky babies—a small valve called the ileocecal valve, which connects the small and large intestines. If this valve is too weak or doesn't close properly, gas can build up, causing digestion to repeat, resulting in sharp intestinal pains.
In other words: there’s a physical reason your baby is in distress. And the good news? It can be gently treated— by strengthening the weak ileocecal valve.  If this valve is not treated, it usually does not strengthen on it’s own. Your baby may cry less as he gets older, but he often will develop other symptoms as a result of the gas pains in his tummy. 


Why “Just Wait It Out” Isn’t Always the Best Advice
D.R.Scharenberg,D.C. has found that that although many babies do improve without colic treatment, the condition of poor digestion and abnormal bowel function is still present in some form.  Some signs that suggest an older child is suffering from colic pain include:

• Behavioral Issues
• Fussy
• Restless
• Resists Sleep
• Distended Abdomen
• Constipation or Diarrhea
• Irregularity
• Attachment Issues
• Pulling of their Hair
• Crying
  
• Low Appetite or Picky Eater
• Walking up throughout the night, Night Terrors

You Don’t Have to Just Survive This
If your baby seems constantly uncomfortable, if you’re feeling overwhelmed and out of options, please know--you are not alone, and there is help. D.R. Scharenberg,D.C.'s gentle technique has helped thousands of babies and their families find relief. His approach addresses the true cause of colic and teaches parents how to recognize the signs their baby is giving them. To learn more about colic symptoms and Doc's proven treatment approach, visit www.StoppingColic.com.

Don’t wait and hope it gets better. Help your baby feel better now. Visit www.StoppingColic.com to learn how you can begin the journey to relief today.