What is the Colic "Rule of 3s?"

Caring for a newborn can be an exciting and sometimes challenging experience. After all, babies don’t come with manuals, and since they can’t speak, understanding what they’re feeling can be problematic, especially when excessive crying is involved.

While all babies cry, there’s a difference between normal fussiness and prolonged crying that might be a sign of an underlying problem called colic. Determining when colic is to blame isn’t always straightforward, but knowing the “rule of 3s” can help.

As a leading provider of newborn care, One World Pediatrics is skilled at diagnosing colic and finding strategies that help your infant (and you) feel better. In this post, learn why colic happens and how the rule of 3s can help identify this common but distressing problem.

The ABCs of colic

All babies cry. In early life before language develops, it’s your baby’s primary means of communication. Usually, crying indicates something specific, like being hungry, gassy, or tired out. Sometimes, babies cry simply because they want close contact and cuddling.

Colic crying is different. While those other types of crying can typically be calmed through specific actions, like feeding or changing, colic crying often resists soothing. It’s more persistent and it can seem more intense, especially when it goes on and on.

While researchers don't know why colic happens or why it affects some babies more than others, they suspect it involves gastric distress that causes cramping or other tummy discomfort. They also know it’s very common, with some studies indicating it affects 28%-40% of babies. 

Colic isn’t a disease, and there’s no medical test that can diagnose it. Instead, colic is a diagnosis of exclusion. Most providers diagnose colic only after other issues have been ruled out. That’s where the rule of 3s comes in.

Identifying colic with the rule of 3s

First, it’s important to understand that the rule of 3s isn’t intended to definitively diagnose a medical problem, but to identify a pattern typically associated with colic during the first few months of life. The rule itself is simple: Colic is suspected if your baby cries:

• For at least three hours each day
• At least three days per week
• For three weeks or longer

This 3-3-3 pattern typically starts within the first month of a baby’s life, but it can begin later, too.

Colic-related crying isn’t just about fussing at bedtime or when your baby is hungry. It involves consistent, prolonged crying that typically doesn’t improve with feeding, rocking, or other soothing activities. 

It’s also important for parents to know that while colic can definitely be distressing, it doesn’t interfere with normal growth and development, and it will subside over time, usually once your baby reaches a few months of age. In the meantime, though, there are some things you can do to help ease your baby’s crying.

Help for colic

Colic may be a common reason for persistent or recurrent crying, but there are some serious medical issues that can cause similar symptoms. While using the rule of 3s can identify patterns associated with colic, it’s still vitally important to schedule a visit with our team so we can rule out other potential causes and provide your baby with the care they need to grow and thrive now and  in the future.

To find out why your baby is crying or to learn more about colic and how we can help, request an appointment online or over the phone with the team at One World Pediatrics in Longwood and Apopka, Florida, today.