Wind and cholic

All babies cry. It's a simple and effective way of communicating: it's your baby's way of letting you know they're hungry, tired, cold or need a nappy change.

Babies sometimes cry for no obvious reason even though they're well-fed, clean, warm and well cared for. If your baby has repeated episodes of excessive and inconsolable crying and they otherwise appear to be thriving and healthy, they probably have colic.

Colic is very common in newborn babies and is thought to affect around 20% of them. The condition normally starts a few weeks after birth, and continues for the first three to four months of life. Although it may appear that your baby is in distress, colic is not harmful. Your baby will continue to feed and gain weight normally. There's no evidence that colic has any long-term effects.

Colic can be very upsetting for parents. You may feel like you're letting your baby down or that you're doing something wrong. However, although colic can be distressing at the time, it is a common phase which will pass in a few weeks or months.