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The main idea behind the popular book _The Happiest Baby on the Block_ is that true cause of colic (inconsolable crying by newborns) is "The Missing Fourth Trim

by jlhawn 2y ago

The main idea behind the popular book _The Happiest Baby on the Block_ is that true cause of colic (inconsolable crying by newborns) is "The Missing Fourth Trimester". During the first 3-4 months after full term, the best methods for soothing an infant are recreating the conditions it experienced in the uterus. Humans evolved to "evict" their babies earlier due to the species' growing head sizes necessary for larger brains. After the infant's first 100 days, they are better able to self-sooth and can explore their environment (with help and supervision) to best continue brain development.

acyou 2y ago
I think I read that colic has to do with formula feeding? Apparently this sort of crying is not present in breastfed babies, it has to do with discomfort due to excessive gas generated when digesting the infant formula. Babies certainly did not evolve to waste valuable time and resources on crying nonstop for no good reason, they likely do so only because something is not quite right. A more optimistic take is that they do it to develop the pipes, and the nonstop crying will pay off later with a great voice.
- thecyborganizer 2y ago
  Total nonsense, there are no studies that link colic to formula feeding. Some newborns have digestive problems with formula; some newborns have digestive problems with breast milk. Formula digestive problems can sometimes be helped by switching to a different formulation, while breast milk digestive problems can sometimes be helped by changing the diet of the breastfeeding parent. And there are sources of colic that have nothing to do with digestion - a quick perusal of WebMD lists noise/light sensitivity, nervous system misfires, and baby migraines (poor babies)! Colic certainly might be an indicator that something is not quite right, but that doesn't mean there's always something you can do about it. As I write this with my exhausted newborn son sleeping in my arms, sometimes you just have to wait for them to grow out of it. EDIT: I looked into this a little more since I'm pinned by a sleepy baby and as with everything with babies it's complicated. Here's a study that shows that formula-fed babies cry more at 2 weeks than breast-fed babies, but less at 6 weeks: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10193923/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10193923/ This is probably also hindered by the fact that "colic" is an imprecise term - all babies cry, but at a certain point if they cry enough you call it "colic".
ip26 2y ago
Colic is medical shorthand for “we have no idea”. Which inherently means there are many, many different & completely unrelated causes of colic.
M95D 2y ago
I read somewhere (and I can't find it now because google is so bad at searching non-mainstream topics) that labor is triggered when the placenta can no longer supply enough oxygen to the growing fetus, not because of head size.

by jlhawn 2y ago

acyou 2y ago

I think I read that colic has to do with formula feeding? Apparently this sort of crying is not present in breastfed babies, it has to do with discomfort due to excessive gas generated when digesting the infant formula. Babies certainly did not evolve to waste valuable time and resources on crying nonstop for no good reason, they likely do so only because something is not quite right. A more optimistic take is that they do it to develop the pipes, and the nonstop crying will pay off later with a great voice.

thecyborganizer 2y ago
Total nonsense, there are no studies that link colic to formula feeding. Some newborns have digestive problems with formula; some newborns have digestive problems with breast milk. Formula digestive problems can sometimes be helped by switching to a different formulation, while breast milk digestive problems can sometimes be helped by changing the diet of the breastfeeding parent. And there are sources of colic that have nothing to do with digestion - a quick perusal of WebMD lists noise/light sensitivity, nervous system misfires, and baby migraines (poor babies)! Colic certainly might be an indicator that something is not quite right, but that doesn't mean there's always something you can do about it. As I write this with my exhausted newborn son sleeping in my arms, sometimes you just have to wait for them to grow out of it. EDIT: I looked into this a little more since I'm pinned by a sleepy baby and as with everything with babies it's complicated. Here's a study that shows that formula-fed babies cry more at 2 weeks than breast-fed babies, but less at 6 weeks: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10193923/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10193923/ This is probably also hindered by the fact that "colic" is an imprecise term - all babies cry, but at a certain point if they cry enough you call it "colic".

ip26 2y ago

Colic is medical shorthand for “we have no idea”. Which inherently means there are many, many different & completely unrelated causes of colic.

M95D 2y ago

I read somewhere (and I can't find it now because google is so bad at searching non-mainstream topics) that labor is triggered when the placenta can no longer supply enough oxygen to the growing fetus, not because of head size.