How to determine if a baby has colic or is just gassy

Written by Wu Ben Rong
Pediatrics
Updated on January 28, 2025
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It is very easy to distinguish whether a child has intestinal colic or bloating, although both are gastrointestinal diseases. With intestinal colic, children usually experience high levels of abdominal pain, while bloating generally does not involve pain, with children typically only showing signs of abdominal distension. Additionally, children with bloating often burp, and these burps can have a sour smell; they may also experience decreased appetite, and possibly symptoms like nausea and vomiting, making it easy to differentiate the two conditions. When a child has intestinal colic, it can be alleviated by applying heat to the abdomen or gently massaging the child's stomach. For bloating, relief can be found through taking medication that promotes digestion.

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Can you breastfeed during intestinal colic?

If an infant experiences colic, during an episode, the child will exhibit localized pain causing crying and irritability, generally making it difficult to feed. Firstly, it is necessary to alleviate the symptoms of colic. This can be done by choosing to massage the abdomen clockwise to promote intestinal gas expulsion. Additionally, it is appropriate to orally administer probiotics or simethicone to aid intestinal motility. Applying heat to the infant’s abdomen and ensuring it is kept warm are also beneficial. As colic episodes usually involve severe crying, using the "airplane hold" can help alleviate localized symptoms. Once the child's symptoms subside, feeding can then be resumed, ensuring the quality of feeding is not compromised by pain, which could otherwise lead to insufficient feeding and consequently cause the next hunger episode to occur sooner.

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Written by Wu Ben Rong
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Infantile colic generally occurs at what time?

Infantile colic usually occurs in infants within the first three months of birth, and typically manifests at night. Some children may experience brief episodes of colic, but for others, the episodes can be relatively prolonged, possibly lasting several hours. When colic occurs, the infant may exhibit symptoms such as facial flushing, pale lips, abdominal distension, clenched fists, cold feet, and crying. Colic may subside after the infant passes gas or has a bowel movement. During a colic episode, parents should hold the child upright, allowing the child to lie on the adult's shoulder. The parent's hand should be hollow, gently patting the baby's back to help expel excess air from the stomach.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Wu Ben Rong
Pediatrics
47sec home-news-image

How to determine if a baby has colic or is just gassy

It is very easy to distinguish whether a child has intestinal colic or bloating, although both are gastrointestinal diseases. With intestinal colic, children usually experience high levels of abdominal pain, while bloating generally does not involve pain, with children typically only showing signs of abdominal distension. Additionally, children with bloating often burp, and these burps can have a sour smell; they may also experience decreased appetite, and possibly symptoms like nausea and vomiting, making it easy to differentiate the two conditions. When a child has intestinal colic, it can be alleviated by applying heat to the abdomen or gently massaging the child's stomach. For bloating, relief can be found through taking medication that promotes digestion.

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Written by Wang Lin Zhong
Pediatrics
1min 1sec home-news-image

How to determine if a baby has colic

Intestinal colic is a very common symptom in babies. It can be caused by both physiological and pathological reasons. Physiological reasons generally include improper feeding, a cold stomach, or excessive hunger. Pathological reasons typically involve acute gastroenteritis, indigestion, and so on. Intestinal colic usually occurs in the evening or at night and has a sudden onset. Mild cases may present with loss of appetite, incessant crying, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Severe cases can exhibit symptoms such as high fever, bloody stools, and even confusion. Therefore, when diagnosing intestinal colic, it is necessary to go to the hospital for relevant examinations to rule out surgical conditions. Intestinal colic is generally manageable and can be relieved with appropriate treatment. It is important to keep the baby's stomach warm, avoid overeating and binge eating, and maintain cleanliness and hygiene in their diet.

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Written by Wu Ben Rong
Pediatrics
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Will a baby's stomach make noises if they have colic?

When a child experiences intestinal colic, they often experience severe abdominal pain, and may exhibit behaviors like crying or discomfort. They might also kick around, but usually, there will not be noises of rumbling in the stomach. The rumbling sounds in a child's stomach are usually due to reasons like indigestion which cause the sounds of gastrointestinal motility. When a child eats too quickly and a large amount of air enters the stomach, it can lead to this phenomenon. If the child has started on solid foods, consuming foods that produce a lot of gas can also cause these symptoms. If the child does not show other symptoms such as diarrhea, special treatment is generally not necessary.