Colic: Routine Checkups

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Routine Checkups

You can ask your health professional about your concerns regarding your baby's crying during regularly scheduled well-baby visits, but don't hesitate to call and discuss them at any time. This is especially true if comfort measures continually fail or you notice other symptoms along with the excessive crying.

At the checkup, your health professional will want to determine whether your baby has colic or whether crying is possibly related to an illness, an injury, or a medical condition. To find out, your health professional:

• Will take a medical history.
• Will perform a physical examination of your baby.
• Will ask if your baby has other symptoms besides crying.
• May ask you to keep a diary of your baby's activities.
• May ask you to show how you feed and burp the baby.
• May ask how your baby's crying affects you.

If the baby cries excessively and has other worrisome symptoms (such as vomiting, diarrhea, blood or mucus in the stool, or fever), lab tests or X-rays may be done to help identify whether a condition other than colic is responsible.

Medicines are sometimes prescribed for a baby who has colic and also develops a temporary health problem, such as intestinal discomfort. Medicines should be used exactly as prescribed and with close monitoring.

Last updated:	June 19, 2007
Author:	Debby Golonka, MPH
Reviewed By:	Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics, Thomas Emmett Francoeur, MDCM, CSPQ, FRCPC - Pediatrics
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC