All babies cry — it's one of the main ways they communicate. But some babies cry more than others do. And some, although they're healthy, well-fed and well cared for, seem to cry inconsolably. If your baby cries about the same time each day and nothing you do seems to comfort him or her, your baby may have colic.
Colic is not a disease, but a pattern of excessive crying with no apparent cause. This frustrating and largely unexplained condition affects about 10 percent of infants. Colic usually starts a few weeks after birth, peaks at about 6 weeks of age and usually improves markedly by your baby's third to fifth month.
Although colic can be extremely distressing for both you and your child, you can take comfort in the fact that it's not permanent. In fact, in a matter of weeks, when your baby is happier and sleeping better, you'll have weathered one of the first major challenges of parenthood.
