What causes colic?

If your baby has colic, you may be wondering: "Why me?" And you're not alone - colic affects as many as one in four babies.

We don't know exactly what causes colic, but experts have a number of theories that include the following.

Food allergies and gas: Some babies may be lactose intolerant, or have an allergy to certain foods such as cow's milk. This can cause gas and bloating, which may lead to the frequent crying and fussing seen with colicky babies.

Imbalance of good and bad bacteria in the digestive system: Infants with lower levels of certain "good" bacteria in the digestive system may be more prone to colic.

Cigarette smoke: Being exposed to cigarette smoke during pregnancy or after birth may increase a baby's risk of colic. Cigarette smoke is believed to increase the levels of certain chemicals in the baby's body. These chemicals increase the risk of colic.

Other factors: Colic may also be related to differences in a baby's environment, how they react to things, and whether they need attention. How you feed your child and your level of anxiety or stress are also considered possible causes.

Any of these factors may be involved in causing colic. But further research is needed to find out more about how these factors are related to colic and whether other factors may also be involved. It's important to remember that colic is not a disease, and having colic does not mean your baby is sick or that you are a bad parent. Talk to your pharmacist or your baby's paediatrician about how to deal with your baby's colic.

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Caring for Your Preemie

Preemies: special babies with special needs

Premature babies, particularly those born before 35 weeks in the womb or those who are very small, need extra help to survive outside the protective environment of their mother's womb. Some parts of their bodies have not had time to fully develop, and so they may have special needs.

Premature babies often have difficulties breathing, feeding, and controlling their internal body temperature:

• Temperature: Placing babies in an incubator, or hot-cot, will maintain their temperature.
• Breathing: Preemies may have breathing problems because their lungs are not fully developed. Babies with breathing problems often need to receive extra oxygen. Using an oxygen hood, a ventilator or respirator, and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) are ways of ensuring the baby receives enough oxygen.
• Feeding: Very tiny premature babies cannot suck, swallow, and breathe well enough in the beginning to meet their needs. Many of them would use more energy trying to suck and swallow than they would get from the milk. This is why your baby's first calories will be given through an intravenous line (also called an IV line) or a fine tube through the nose or mouth into the stomach (also called a feeding tube).

Because of these special needs, many preemies may need to be admitted to a special care baby unit (SCBU), a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), or a premature infant care unit (PICU)

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