Colic: Why Your Baby Cries for Hours, and How to Soothe Them
Baby cries for hours every evening? What colic is, a step-by-step soothing plan, why gripe water and ghutti aren't needed, and signs it's not colic.
Every evening around the same time, your healthy, well-fed baby starts crying and won't stop. They pull up their legs, go red in the face, and nothing seems to help for hours. Grandparents suggest ghutti, neighbours suggest "nazar". This is very likely colic, and it is common, temporary and not a sign that you're doing anything wrong. Here's how to get through it, and how to spot when crying means something else.
Is It Colic? The Pattern
- Crying spells at about the same time daily, often late afternoon or evening
- Intense crying that can look like pain: fists clenched, legs pulled up, red face
- Hard to soothe, but the baby feeds well, gains weight, and is calm at other times
- No fever, no vomiting of green fluid, no blood in stool
A Step-by-Step Soothing Plan
- Check the basics: hungry? Wet nappy? Too hot or cold? (One more layer than you're wearing is enough)
- Burp during and after feeds, and keep the baby upright for 10–15 minutes after
- Hold close, skin to skin if you can, and gently sway or rock
- Shush and white noise: a fan, a "shhh" sound close to the ear, or soft repetitive sounds
- Swaddle snugly around the arms but loose at the hips, and only until the baby starts trying to roll
- Motion: a slow walk with the baby in a pram or carrier, or a gentle car ride
- Warm bath or a gentle tummy massage (clockwise) when the baby is calm
- If nothing works, it's okay to put the baby down safely in the cot and take a 10-minute break
About Ghutti, Gripe Water and Home Remedies
| Common advice | What we know |
|---|---|
| Janam ghutti or gripe water | There's no good evidence they help colic, and under 6 months babies should get only breast milk or formula, not other liquids |
| Honey on the tongue (gutti) | Never under 1 year. Honey can cause infant botulism, a serious illness |
| Water or tea for "gas" | Not needed under 6 months. It can fill the tummy and reduce feeding |
| Hing (asafoetida) paste on the tummy | Unproven, and it can irritate delicate skin. Don't put anything in the baby's mouth |
| Stop breastfeeding | Don't. Colic isn't caused by breast milk. Only change your diet or the formula on a doctor's advice |
How Worried Should I Be?
| What you notice | What to do | |
|---|---|---|
| 🟢 Likely colic | Evening crying spells, but feeding, weeing and gaining weight well | Soothing plan, and mention it at the next check-up |
| 🟡 See a doctor | Crying is getting worse, frequent vomiting after feeds, poor weight gain, or you're struggling to cope | Book a consultation. Reflux or feeding issues can be checked |
| 🔴 Urgent | Fever 38°C or more under 3 months, green or forceful vomit, blood in stool, swollen hard tummy | Go to a doctor or emergency now |
| 🔴 Urgent | Weak, high-pitched or moaning cry, floppy or very sleepy, breathing fast or with effort, fewer wet nappies | Go to a doctor or emergency now |
Before You Consult, Note These
- Baby's age and birth weight, and any recent weight
- When the crying happens, and how long it lasts
- Feeds: breast or formula, how often, and whether there is vomiting
- Wet nappies per day and what the stool looks like
- A short video of a crying spell can help the doctor a lot
An online consultation with a pediatrician is a good way to rule out other causes and get a plan, without taking a crying baby out. The doctor will tell you if the baby needs to be examined. And remember: colic passes. (See our guides on newborn concerns, your baby's first year, and fever in children.)