Infant colic affects up to 25% of babies. Intense, unexplained crying — often in the late afternoon or evening — drains parents and causes real worry. Osteopathy offers a gentle, effective way to ease this discomfort.
Understanding colic
Infant colic is defined as inconsolable crying lasting more than 3 hours a day, more than 3 days a week, for over 3 weeks, in an otherwise healthy baby.
Several factors may be involved:
- Diaphragmatic tension — after a long or difficult delivery
- An immature digestive system — gut transit is still poorly regulated
- Vagal tension — compression of the vagus nerve can disrupt digestion
- Maternal stress passed on to the baby (particularly in breastfed infants)
How osteopathy helps
I work on:
- The diaphragm — to release tension between the thorax and abdomen
- The liver and colon — using very gentle visceral techniques
- The jugular foramen — to decompress the vagus nerve, which regulates digestion
- The sacrum — connected to the solar plexus via the craniosacral system
Sleep disturbance in infants
A baby who struggles to sleep often carries tension at the base of the skull, which can compress the structures involved in the sleep-wake cycle. Once these areas are released, many parents notice a significant improvement in sleep within a few days.
How often should you come in?
For colic, 1 to 3 sessions a week apart are usually enough. If the crying persists despite treatment, a paediatrician should be consulted to rule out any medical cause.