Coping with a Fussy Baby

Monica is beside herself. For weeks now, her three-month-old son, Bradley, has been having daily crying spells that last up to five or six hours. The first-time mother has tried many remedies including cuddling, singing and long walks around the neighborhood. Nothing seems to work and Bradley's still raising the roof.

Neither Bradley's nor Monica's experiences are unusual. Approximately 25 per cent of all babies cry excessively -- that is, more than four hours a day. What's more, research indicates that even model parents can feel anxious, even out of control after hours spent tending to an inconsolable child.

What to do? The first thing a parent of a child with colic -- the term for excessive crying -- should understand is that they are not at fault. Although once attributed to digestive disorders, current wisdom suggests that some babies simply cry more than others. And no one understands why.

Which doesn't mean beleaguered parents have no choice but to grin and bear the hollering. According to childcare professionals, caregivers have any number of options for soothing a fretting child. For instance, some colicky children respond to swaddling or quick but gentle rocking. Other little ones find a pacifier or being in a slightly warmer room brings relief. Still other babies are quieted by the sound of a vacuum cleaner or radio static.

While searching for ways to help their infants, experts advise parents to also help themselves. It's particularly crucial that the parent who is the primary caregiver of a fussy child gets a break each day. That solitary walk or half-hour spent having coffee with a friend can mean the difference between coping and disaster at home.

Parents of temperamental babies can also take comfort in the one irrefutable fact of colic: One day, more than likely before a child reaches his or her first birthday, the crying will stop.