For Patients/Families  Glossary of Terms  Technically, this is
any crampy, sharp abdominal pain caused by intestinal
contractions. It is also the name of a common problem seen 6% to
13% of all infants. Colicky infants cry for an average of four
hours a day! This is enough to drive any parent nearly to
distraction. Evaluating this problem requires that the child's
doctor make sure that there is no medical reason for the colic,
although identified medical causes of colic are rare. However,
if they are present, they should be treated. You should answer
the following questions:  1. Is there a hernia or evidence of
some other medical problem on exam?  2. Is your child stooling
too much or too little? Is there any blood or mucous in the
stool?  3. Is your child eating too much or too little?  4. Are
the stools abnormally colored (clay-colored, frothy or very
green)?  5. Is weight gain below what would be expected?  If the
answer to any of these questions is yes, further medical
investigation is required. If no medi