Colic, a condition that affects otherwise healthy infants, involves repeated, prolonged episodes of intense crying for no apparent reason. The crying may last for three or more hours, and usually occurs in the late afternoon or evening. It is estimated that up to 25 percent of all infants get colic, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. Efforts to console a colicky child are usually unsuccessful.

Colic usually occurs in infants under 3 months of age. Most cases normally begin at about 3 weeks of age, peak at around 6 weeks of age and clear by the time a child is 3 months old. In some cases, colic may last until the fourth or fifth month of an infant’s life. Colic is rare after the age of 6 months. 

Newborns spend a lot of time crying. The amount of time an infant spends crying begins to decrease at approximately 6 weeks of age. According to some studies, the average amount of time spent crying in early life is:

Colic comes from the Greek word for colon (kolikos) because it was originally believed to be of gastrointestinal origin, although this has never been proven. Colic is neither a symptom of a medical illness, nor is it an illness itself. Infants with colic are well-fed and show no signs of physical illness.