diagnosis, they are related symptomatically through crying and spitting
up. The three conditions are:
1 . colic
2 . gastroesophageal reflux (GER)
3 . gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)It is our hope that by alerting you to these conditions, you will
become more proactive in seeking immediate medical attention if your
baby demonstrates any of the above signs of distress. As was the case
with Asher, Micah, Ross, and Caleb, all four were gaining weight but that
did not mean everything was medically okay with them. No one knows a
baby like his parents, and if you sense something is not right, for your
own peace of mind and for your baby’s health, pursue medical advice
until you are satisfied your baby’s condition is understood.
Crying and colic
There is a big difference between a fussy baby and a colicky baby. Fussy
babies have fussy times followed by relative peace and calm the rest of
the day or night. The colicky baby seems irritable nearly all the time, day
and night. Symptoms of colic include: piercing cries combined with
physical symptoms such as acute tummy distress, folding of the legs,
flailing arms, inconsolable crying, and passing gas. Although this list of
symptoms makes colic sound like a digestive disorder, it’s not. GER and
GERD are digestive disorders that share some common symptoms with
colic, but these conditions are not the same as colic.
Most theorists suggest that colic is related to an immaturity of the
nervous system or the infant’s inability to process the full range of
stimuli common among newborns at birth. The condition affects about
20% of the infant population showing up usually between the second and