Colic Clues: Not Just Fussy -Is Your Baby Trying to Tell You Something?

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.