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What is the difference between a “fussy baby” and a “colicky baby?”

What is the difference between a “fussy baby” and a “colicky baby?”

The term “colic” is often discussed, but rarely understood. Parents can often mistake colic for general fussiness or high needs. If you’re a new parent with an infant that seems to cry non-stop, navigating their needs can be overwhelming. Understanding the difference between a fussy baby and a colicky baby can help ease this phase of life.

Colic typically starts around two to three weeks of age, lasts three to four weeks and is gone by four months of age. An infant suffering from colic will tend of have a daily period of inconsolable crying that usually presents in the late afternoon or evening. Accompanying the crying, babies with colic may clench their fists, arch their back or tense their abdomen. According to Dr. Sears, “a colicky baby is one who hurts a lot.” While we don’t know what specifically causes colic, it has been shown to be linked to digestive discomfort and a developmental stage in infants.

In comparison to a baby suffering from colic, a fussy infant tends to come out of the womb with heightened needs. Parents with high needs babies report that the fussiness starts from birth and is unpredictable. Crying, fussing or sleeping issues can happen at any time of day or night. Often fussy babies will remain calm as long as they’re being held, or attended too, while colicky babies are hard to console during their crying bouts.

For more information on the difference between a high needs and colicky baby, go here.