Most parents are lucky to have calm, content babies. Wee ones who sleep through the night from the day they are brought home from the hospital. However, a small minority are unfortunate enough to bear children who are ill-tempered and seemingly mad at the world from the get-go.
These extremely fussy babies have a condition that is commonly known as colic, an all-encompassing term that describes a variety of conditions that effect newborns. All colicky babies share one common trait: they are able to drive even the most patient of new parents to the brink of insanity thanks to their ceaseless wailing and bewildering stamina.
Why some babies are born with the dreaded colic while others are born happy remains an area of contention among experts. What most doctors do agree on is that there is virtually nothing to be done about colic until the baby reaches the three to four-month mark, at which point the fussiness simply disappears. It is hypothesized that at this time, the infant's brain matures enough to realize that there are other forms of communication besides incessant screaming.
There is at least one pediatrician who will tell you that it is possible to render even the fussiest of babies into a calm state of being. In his book, Happiest Baby on the Block [Bantam, 2003], Dr. Harvey Karp explains with wisdom and humor how he came to develop a system of calming, called “the Cuddle Cure.”
The Cuddle Cure
The Cuddle Cure is essentially a recipe of soothing techniques he calls the 5 S's:
- Swaddling
- Side/Stomach
- Shushing
- Swinging
- Sucking
The 5 S's are designed to re-create womb-like conditions, triggering a beneficial neurological response from your baby called the calming reflex. And like any recipe, it is essential to follow the Cuddle Cure in chronological order to ensure greater success.
The 5 S's
Swaddling – or tightly wrapping your baby up in a blanket like a burrito – is the first step because it keeps the baby from flailing or overstimulating himself, while also recreating that sense of safety he was so used to in the tight quarters of the womb.
Because babies are never flat on their backs while in the uterus, it is logical then that they feel more comfortable on their stomachs or side because it more closely resembles the position they were accustomed to for so many months. Also, when babies are on their backs, they may get the terrifying sensation known as the Moro reflex, which can produce the same sensation as falling. So, once your baby is wrapped up in a neat little bundle, turn him over onto his side or stomach to trigger that familiar sensation.
Both the swaddling and the side/stomach techniques are the key initial steps to activating his innate calming reflex.
The third “S” is the shushing, a loud SHHHH sound made directly into his ear. The reasoning being that tests results show that it is not merely noisy in the womb, it actually sounds as loud as a vacuum in there. Babies, therefore, are used to this constantly loud, white noise, so the volume level of the “shhh” should be raised until it matches that of the baby's crying. And if the loud shushing is ineffective, household appliances such as hairdryers or vacuums have been known to successfully calm even the most intensely colicky babies.
The next S in the recipe is swinging. The side to side motion replicates the feeling the baby experienced in the womb, where he jiggled happily from side to side whenever his mother walked. A successful swing starts out fast with small, trembly movements, “like someone with the world's biggest case of the shivers” as Dr. Karp puts it. Like the shushing, the jiggling should also match the level of agitation the baby is experiencing. In other words, the more wound up and intense he is, the faster the jiggling should be.
The final S is sucking. Sucking works best after all the others because it helps put the baby into a deeper state of relaxation. Insert fingers or a soother into his mouth and let him suck away until he is in a state of deep relaxation.
Putting the Cuddle Cure to Practice
It is now time to apply and practice the Cuddle Cure. While it is important for the 5 S's to be followed in order, parents can determine which step, or steps, to prolong or shorten by using their baby's reactions as clues. As all babies have different temperaments, they will also respond differently to the five S's. Some may only need one “S” to be soothed, but most require a combination of several of the “S's” to be calmed. Practicing and learning to be precise with your technique and reading the baby's cues are essential steps for perfecting the Cuddle Cure.
Dealing with a colicky baby is quite likely the toughest mental and physical test a new set of parents must face. However, armed with the knowledge of Dr. Karp's Cuddle Cure, there can be hope for the most stressed and sleep-deprived of parents.
