What causes Colic?
   
              The cause of colic is not known.
   
               COLIC IS PROBABLY CAUSED BY A NUMBER OF THINGS.
   
              Colic is a symptom that comes from discomfort.
   
                Many things going on in a young child can be
               the source of discomfort that results in colic.



              Even medical research has failed to reveal a
                single cause for colic.
   
              Everyone agrees that something causes it in
                a child but no one knows for sure which of
                many causes are responsible for colic in a
                particular child.



              The problems that result in COLIC are usually
                NOT serious and the child will outgrow them.
   
              Therefore, many pediatricians do not get overly
              upset about a child that has colic.  They may
              offer some support and suggestions but say there
              is little that can be done about it.



              Since it appears to be associated with eating
              and with the process of digesting food, most
              research has focused on things that interfere with
              this process.
   
              Many physicians feel that the problem rests with
              what and how a child eats and that colic is
              cured by changing the diet or how a child eats.




              Other physicians believe that colic results
              from the immature digestive systems of some
              children.
   
                 They believe that with more research, a
                 medicine may be developed that will make up
                 for what the child lacks in the system.




              A few doctors believe that some children are
                    born with a predisposition to colic.
   
              That the parents pass it on to the child thru
                the genes and the result is a high-strung
                   child born to high-strung parents.
   
              The result is a combination resulting in Colic.




              Still others believe that the environment that
              a child lives in may be too much for him/her to
              handle and that the over stimulation can result
                                in Colic.
   
              They feel that the best way to handle it would
                   be to insure a stable, calm environment.
   



              Almost everyone agrees that colic can not be
                  cured but that it can be managed.
   
                 Things can be done to enable a child to
                   be more comfortable until the child
                   outgrows the stage when colic occurs.
   
               Most are things parents can do with support.




              The medical treatments available treat only the
                             symptoms.
   
              They do not cure anything but help a child to
              digest food and make it less likely to cry.
   
              Many of these medicines are used only as a last
                resort or for particularly serious cases.




              Colic is likely to have a number of causes, in
                general, but a single cause in a particular
                child.
   
              The most likely sources of the discomfort are:
   
              DIET  FEEDING PRACTICES  ENVIRONMENT  TENSION
                 BIOLOGICAL PREDISPOSTION  IMMATURITY