Recently, while I was browsing through some DVDs at a DVD outlet, I noticed the above poster on the wall. It is a Thai horror movie made in 2006 about the how an evil spirit threatened the life of a baby. The movie was COLIC.
Why was colic used as the subject in the above movie? What is colic? Is it that terrifying and mystical that the movie producer would associate it somehow to something evil?
For mommies who have infants with colic, I am sure that they will testify that it is indeed a nightmare and trying times for them as well as the baby. I have a friend whose son suffered from colic. It was a total nightmare for her. She said that she almost had a nervous breakdown going through the experience and lost so much weigh during the ordeal.
Firstly, what is colic? Colic is a condition where a seemingly healthy baby will frequently cry or scream uncontrollably for extended period with no apparent discernible reason. It is reported to appear during the first two weeks of live and will disappear just as suddenly when the baby reaches three to four months. The sudden frequent crying will appear at a specific period in the day, often in the early evenings. However, the mystifying fact is that with the current advancement in science and medicine, the cause of colic has yet to be established and proven.
Colic is traditionally explained as abdominal pain as a result of trapped gas in the digestive tract. Other explanation include the composition of gut flora where there is a lack of Lactobacillus acidophilus, a probiotic or friendly bacteria, that commonly occurred in breast milk. There have also been studies that linked food to colic, specifically what the mother consumed that is being passed on to the baby. To-date, there have not been one conclusive study that can accurately identified the cause of colic.
Just as the cause of colic, there is no absolute treatment for colic. Recommended treatment includes drugs (Simethicone) which treats trapped gas. Other methods recommended include soothing measures such as pacifiers, listening to white noise, rocking, swaddling, swinging, placing the baby on his side or stomach and making the Shhh sound. An experienced massage lady placed a warm handkerchief over my friend’s baby stomach and provided massage to the baby to soothe him and it apparently worked.
Having a colicky infant will drive tremendous stress and strain to the parents. Low self esteem and confidence and feeling completely helpless in watching the infant cry uncontrollably, coupled with post-natal depression can be devastating. Spouse and family support and understanding are extremely important at this stage, with the knowledge that colic will eventually go away just as suddenly when the child reaches 3 or 4 months old.
Why was colic used as the subject in the above movie? What is colic? Is it that terrifying and mystical that the movie producer would associate it somehow to something evil?
For mommies who have infants with colic, I am sure that they will testify that it is indeed a nightmare and trying times for them as well as the baby. I have a friend whose son suffered from colic. It was a total nightmare for her. She said that she almost had a nervous breakdown going through the experience and lost so much weigh during the ordeal.
Firstly, what is colic? Colic is a condition where a seemingly healthy baby will frequently cry or scream uncontrollably for extended period with no apparent discernible reason. It is reported to appear during the first two weeks of live and will disappear just as suddenly when the baby reaches three to four months. The sudden frequent crying will appear at a specific period in the day, often in the early evenings. However, the mystifying fact is that with the current advancement in science and medicine, the cause of colic has yet to be established and proven.
Colic is traditionally explained as abdominal pain as a result of trapped gas in the digestive tract. Other explanation include the composition of gut flora where there is a lack of Lactobacillus acidophilus, a probiotic or friendly bacteria, that commonly occurred in breast milk. There have also been studies that linked food to colic, specifically what the mother consumed that is being passed on to the baby. To-date, there have not been one conclusive study that can accurately identified the cause of colic.
Just as the cause of colic, there is no absolute treatment for colic. Recommended treatment includes drugs (Simethicone) which treats trapped gas. Other methods recommended include soothing measures such as pacifiers, listening to white noise, rocking, swaddling, swinging, placing the baby on his side or stomach and making the Shhh sound. An experienced massage lady placed a warm handkerchief over my friend’s baby stomach and provided massage to the baby to soothe him and it apparently worked.
Having a colicky infant will drive tremendous stress and strain to the parents. Low self esteem and confidence and feeling completely helpless in watching the infant cry uncontrollably, coupled with post-natal depression can be devastating. Spouse and family support and understanding are extremely important at this stage, with the knowledge that colic will eventually go away just as suddenly when the child reaches 3 or 4 months old.
7 comments:
yes, my elder did have Colic... its definitely a nightmare.... but that photo in your post.... hmmmm.... gives me the chills! too scary, too scary ....
I am so thankful that my two lil ones did not have colic... it is definitely a stressful situation esp. for the mom..
thanks for visiting my boat..
I couldn't imagine how hard it is for the parents to endure having a baby with colic.
My boy had colic from 3 weeks to 2.5 mths old. It was really tough but I survived...phew! Whenever I see the word colic...I cringe...he he.
oh,it's scary..better be careful
Hi. Maybe Angeline and Olive could write about your experience and ordeal in your blog so that we too can have a better understanding of what a real life colic situation is.
i dont like that photo too... eerie...
luckily jayden didnt have colic... thank God!
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