My baby is only one month old and cries incessantly throughout the evening.

Get your health care practitioner to check your baby for any medical conditions. If none are present, rest assured that nothing serious is wrong. It is extremely common for young babies to cry a lot. It is usually referred to as colic. Colic is usually worse with bottle fed babies than breast-fed.

There is no commonly accepted explanation for colic. The traditional explanation is that it is caused by trapped gas in the digestive tract. There is mounting evidence suggesting that the cause is related to gut flora, especially a lack of lactobacillus acidophilus. Ask your health care practitioner about administering an appropriate probiotic. If you are breast-feeding, introduce them into your own diet as well. Probiotics may also help with other causes of colic, such as lactose intolerance and gastric inflammation.

Some babies are extremely sensitive and their immature nervous systems find it difficult to cope with new and strange environments. There are some links between prenatal stress, birth trauma, maternal stress etc and colic. It has been suggested by some health professionals that some cases of colic, or excessive crying, may actually be a healthy stress release.

Breast-feeding mothers should eliminate any foods that may be aggravating a colicky reaction, after consulting their medical practitioner, such as spicy foods, dairy products and caffeine. Drink plenty of water. Try to create a relaxing bedtime routine by playing gentle music and using dim lighting. Make sure that you are getting plenty of rest and nourishment yourself because a stressed mum will result in a stressed baby. The good news is that colic will eventually pass.

Always consult your GP before starting any new regime or self treatment. The contents of this article are for information purposes only and are not intended to prevent, diagnose or cure any medical conditions. If you would like a question covered, contact The Clinic of Complementary and Natural Medicine, Kiltartan House, Forster St., Galway on 091- 568804.

Dr H Bhatti is the President of the Association of Naturopathic Practitioners and can be contacted at his clinics at Kiltartan House, Forster Street, Galway on 091-568804 or at The Village Nursing Care Centre, Ballygarriff, Craughwell on 091-777700.

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