If you've ever raised or are raising a colicky baby - you understand what an ordeal that is for the child and the parents. Exhausting is one word that comes to mind. Exasperating is another. Though colic is as old as mankind, in 1954, Dr. Morris Wessel, a well-known New Haven, Connecticut pediatrician, defined an infant with colic as "one who, otherwise healthy and well-fed, had paroxysms of irritability, fussing, or crying lasting for a total of three hours a day and occurring on more than three days in any one week for a period of three weeks."

Well - homeopathy can help. The correct homeopathic remedy will relieve the child quickly, and permanently, in a safe, effective and GENTLE fashion.

The key to getting a great outcome with homeopathy is matching the characteristic symptoms of the patient to those of the remedy. Characteristic symptoms are often the ones that are particularly intense or peculiar - not common. Be a good detective and you can often do much for your colicky little one and for yourself.

There are a large number of remedies that can relieve a child with colic. Here are a few to consider:

Chamomilla: Child is very irritable and fretful and only carrying the child around the room seems to bring relief. Distress after nursing is common. Sleepless is also common. When they do sleep, they start and jerk the limbs. Very thirsty and moody, hard to satisfy.

Colocynth: The child writhes in every possible direction, doubles itself up and seems in great distress. It cries very hard.

Ipecacuanha: There is much “sickness” of the stomach. The more constant the nausea, the more certainty Ipecac is the remedy.

Magnesia carb: Much colic, which is finally relieved by a green, liquid stool. This occurs many times day and night.

Nux vomica: Much colic with constipation. The child cries much, draws its feet up and kicks them out again, or arches backward. May be indicated if mother eats lots of spicy and stimulating food. Child is very irritable and often has cold hands and feet.

Podophyllum: An attack of colic at daylight every morning. Severe colic, causing tensing of abdominal muscles.

Stannum: The child's colic is relieved by pressing firmly upon its abdomen. When it is crying with colic, relief is at once obtained by carrying it with its abdomen resting on the point of the parent's shoulder.

Once you have chosen a remedy that appears to match your child's symptoms, dose with a 30C or 200C to start by placing one pellet under the tongue or one pellet in water, stirring vigorously and then giving a teaspoon dose as needed. Always cease dosing when relief begins and only redose if symptoms again worsen. As with any medical condition, consult with your physician if you have any concerns about the severity of the problem as it may first require medical diagnosis and/or intervention and monitoring.

Dr. Lisa Samet::

Dr. Lisa Samet N.D. provides Washington Homeopathic Products with a weekly column on using homeopathy for the family. She's a naturopathic physician who specializes in homeopathic medicine. Dr. Samet graduated from the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in 1998 and has been practicing in Montreal since then. She was born and raised in New York.

Dr. Samet has chosen to focus on homeopathy because in her experience it is the deepest healing modality available in that it does not just soothe or palliate symptoms but can actually stimulate the body to start to heal itself. Dr. Samet sees patients in her Montreal office as well as remotely using Skype. Learn more here: Dr. Lisa Samet