My four month old won't stop screaming.

Kay - posted on 12/11/2012

Hello Everyone



I have a question more then an answer. Our sons partner has a baby girl 6 months old, she screams all day and at least 2-4 times a night. Its a high pitch scream and very ear piercing. She will laugh then scream for no apparent reason. We have had four children and none of them behaved like this. She has been to the doctor, nothing to report there, tried the warm bath, gripe water, cuddling, temperature changes, swaddling even panadol but nothing seems to help any advice is welcomed. Its like dealing with a split personality child that blows hot and cold. Merry christmas everyone and safe holidays.

Me - posted on 01/23/2010

Keep off the solids for a while and if she keeps screaming try raising the end of the bed and laying her on her side and giving her a pacifyer which will help her digestion system to bring up the gas she may have 4 month old colic or be suffering from gastric reflux, if it does keep on take her to the dr and have him test for the acid reflux, good luck.

Samantha - posted on 01/19/2010

she may have just been colicy. If you continue to have that problem try using Gripe Water. Sometimes just holding them real close and rocking back and forth helps.

America - posted on 01/18/2010

are you still having crying problems...with my daughter we used the sound of the vacuum..we even made a cd of the vacuum running and just looped it over and over...I would just turn it on and let it play...I took the cd with us where ever we went...it was a life saver....

SARAH - posted on 01/18/2010

My four month has had some scream tantrums too. I was breastfeeding too. Mine has a reflux issue which she is on Zantac. Mylicon didn't work for her...at all. I haven't tried Gripe Water yet. I wasn't a fan a doing a schedule but I made one because the screaming fits were interfering with day care. She's been on the schedule for 2 weeks and its really helped. It turns out that our day care lady wasn't feeding her in time. If my daughter realizes how hungry she is and if the food isn't there, she gets overworked and its really hard to calm her down.



I'm glad to hear the car ride worked for you! It puts mine to sleep too.

Connie - posted on 01/18/2010

HER EAR MIGHT BE HURTING

Dani - posted on 01/16/2010

Greetings from the Medical Assistant! Everyone is giving such lovely advice, and for many, I can see it has worked....for them. A Pediatrician isn't going to recommend that to try initially though, and the general rule for feeding a child who is fussy, as seems to be the case here, would be more likely to switch to formula if using breast milk. If formula is already being used, or causes problems once changed over to it, then a change needs to be considered through the different types of the formulas available until something works for the child. There have been times when breast milk and even formulas don't work, and yet, goat milk did. It isn't anything to be shocked over or find unacceptable. It feeds the child, and in the end, that is the goal.

As far as any form of solids, at four months, infants are NOT supposed to be introduced to regular baby food. Pediatricians may recommend small amounts of the infant cereal in a bottle with a nipple that has a larger opening to compensate for the thicker substance, but the general rule is no cereal until six months. At that point, mix the cereal with water, or formula or breast milk, whatever has been used up to this point. depending on how the child is eating, and the growth of the child, the pediatrician may recommend the slow attempt for watery cereal with small amounts of first stage baby food, a few spoonfuls to get them started. Too much and their stomachs will have to produce a lot of acid to digest. That is hard on a new system that isn't used to all those new things. Slow and steady folks. They are going to be eating you out of house and home soon enough....enough the little things now, when they can still eat little things.

Cheryl - posted on 01/16/2010

Take a pillow lay it across your legs and lay her across yor legs with belly on your just above the and bouch.. sounds like gas

Terri - posted on 01/15/2010

I used to baby sit a baby that would cry like that when he would get constipated and it would hurt or be impossible for him to go #2. You may want to watch her Diapers for little,No,or hard stool. My youngest daughter was premature and had medical issues.She would Scream for 16-18 hours a day.If she was awake she was Screaming.

My pediatrician would tell me

#1First things First "Remain Calm" A screaming baby makes you tense and upset and sometimes they can feed into your stress and continue being worked up. #2 Check all obvious causes and then any other possibilities

#3 If you can't find any problems and soothing is not working,put baby in crib or playpen and let them cry a little while(No more than 10 minutes).He said letting them cry does them no harm and sometimes they just need to cry it out.He also said an overstressed mom does the baby no good,So take a break,don't go far,just enough that the screams aern't going through you,step onto the porch and take some deep breathes of fresh air.Hopefuly in that time baby may have calmed itself some and even if not you are slightly refreshed for another go round.

#4 If it seems out of the Norm,doesn't let up after an appropriate amount of time or there is a high fever or baby seems in extreme pain,then contact Dr.

Brandi - posted on 01/15/2010

I have 4 children and I had 2 of them like that. If the fussing is really bad I woud get her checked for an ear infection. Other than that, I would check my baby and make sure she is fed, changed, see if she is too hot or too cold, and if all is well I would give her some tylonal put her in he crib and just let her cry. At the present I have a very fussy 2 month old, I discovered the only way to settle her down is to put her in her crib and let her cry, the first time she cried for an hour or more then the more I stayed consistant with it she would cry less and less now when I put her in her crib her crying is down to only a few minutes then she goes to sleep.

Jac - posted on 01/14/2010

warm water

Michelle - posted on 01/14/2010

Sorry Laura I know how bad that can be. My youngest son cried for two years and slept all night for the first time at age two. When they realized what the problem was he was two months old. He saw pediatric gastro Drs. one was an actual surgeon. The stomach muscle was for some reason extremely tight. They were considering doing surgery. But as time went by he started getting better. The surgeon explained that the tightness of his stomach muscle was like us having a cramp in our calf. He took medications to relax the stomach muscle. I did not like him being on so much meds. especially at that age. And they didnt seem to do anything except put him to sleep. He would cry out in his sleep. He could only eat baby foods that were smooth and mashed potatoes until he was eighteen months old. He is fine now although a very picky eater. It was a long tough road but we made it. He is now 11 yrs. old.

I hope that this is not the problem and wish you all well.

Deb - posted on 01/14/2010

If you are breast feeding on demand rather than on a schedule of every 4 to 5 hours, a four month old needs nothing else. Breast milk is custom made for your baby at whatever stage the child is. This means that it totally meets the nutritional requirements of your child up to the completion of year one. Plus it provides immunities, jaw muscle development, and prepares the lining of the digestive tract (first line of immunity defense) for the process of digestion necessary for solids. Can you beat that with formulas, and solid foods? Wow! what a start out for a life of good health. Only thing? Mom watch out for some of the gassy and spicy foods you eat.......this CAN pass into the baby and cause gassy stomach......all of the above on the gassy stomach were good, warm oil or lotion rub on the belly after the leg rocking is good too. Think this is bad? Try dealing w/a child that has Hirschbrungs disease. No bowel movement for 6-7 days and then 3 hours of screeeaming! Do this for 6 months when the docs don't have a clue. I just read that the little one went to sleep on a car ride.......bundled, vibrating, motor noise, semi upright w/legs up......that will do it for her. Probably was the pears if this is the first time she's been like this. As she teeths, swallowing all the saliva from this process will cause gas bubbles.........Bless you both.

Rayna - posted on 01/14/2010

The being on their stomach across the legs with the movement makes the bubble work itself to where it will come out and relieve the stomach upset. also i started my son when he was an infant on rice cereal and that is what most dr.s will tell you to start them on rice cereal because it is bland. but my son was not getting full and at 3 months he was eating cereal.

Katie - posted on 01/14/2010

Our oldest son, now 16, was the crankiest infant on the planet. Upset stomach was a big part of that. One thing that worked for him was to lay him on his stomach, across my legs, with his head hanging over the side of my thighs. I'd then rock my legs back and forth, leaving my feet in place, while rubbing his back a little. I think just sloshing things around helps move the problem around enough, whether it's stomach or intestinal, to give some relief.

Katy - posted on 01/14/2010

Two of my children were colicky kids, especially my youngest one (who is now 13). What worked for me, once I ruled out teething, diaper, hunger, and knowing it was really his time to be sleeping, I learned that bundling him helped. Infants who are colicky tend to be easily startled or feel vulnerable & have problems settling down. Bundling them in a blanket (or swaddling) makes them feel warm, protected and secure. Often that, and rocking him, was all it took until eventually he was older and could just be laid down with his pacifier. Also, I agree that introducing pears might be too early for a four month old. Usually if anything, you'd start with baby rice cereal, made very thin with some formula or breast milk.

Sara - posted on 01/14/2010

i would hold off the food right now, the newest suggestion for babies is not to feed them any kind of foods til around 6 onths or older becuase their poor little tummies can't handle it right now. i know with my oldest daughter who is now almost 3 she was like that around 3 motnhs til about 7 months old. she would cry non stop for a few hours at a time and there was nothign i could do except swaddle her tight and bounce her in my arms while listening to her favorite cd (the one i listened to all throughout my pregnancy) and after about 1/2 hour she calmeed down. the diaper rash thing, have you tried using canestin or vagisil - i learned from my health nurse baby girls can be prone to baby yeast infections, it sounds gross but using a little bit of that kind of stuff in rotation with regular butt cream (i prefer penatin in the tube) works fantastic and really fast.

but all in all trust what your instincts tell you, there are usually right everytime

Rayna - posted on 01/13/2010

I did when my son was little for his ears. but it didnt help. he has the type of ear that he needed tubes for years because his ears would not drain right when he had an ear infection.

Lisa - posted on 01/13/2010

Have you tried seeing a Pediatric Chiropractor? they can be great.

Rayna - posted on 01/13/2010

My son now a teenager. He has periodic gas. The best thing we found for him was to have him on his tummy weather on your legs or on your forearm face down rubbing the back. also i did lay him on his back and push his legs up to his tummy. But car rides do also work as well as the washer or dryer. but my son got teeth at 3 months old also and was sleeping through the night at 2 weeks.

Fredia - posted on 01/13/2010

HELLO LAURA
AT THAT MONTH IT MIGHT BE A FEW THINGS SHE HAS GAS FROM THE PEARS OR SHE IS TEETHING.... IN FEEDING OUR CHILD A MEAL ON ANY FOOD ISN'T GOOD.. TRIED DO VEG AND FRUIT ...SHE COULD BE CONSTIPATED. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME SHE HAD BOWLED MOVEMENT. I AM SURE IT MUST BE THAT
I HOPE EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE. LOVE FREDIA.......

Bonny - posted on 01/13/2010

Quoting sheena:

Try Mylacon for upset stomach. you can use it at every feeding. Or try Baby Bliss it's organic it's called Gripe Water. You can give it upto 6 times a day. Hope it works. Let me know please.

Who ever invented Mylicon needs a Nobel Peace Prize. I used to add 1/4 dose to all of his bottles, and even put a little in his cereals and baby foods when he started the solids. It helps with gas, burping, and is wonderful. It's not expensive, and you can get it at Target. VERY worth it!

Sheena - posted on 01/13/2010

Try Mylacon for upset stomach. you can use it at every feeding. Or try Baby Bliss it's organic it's called Gripe Water. You can give it upto 6 times a day. Hope it works. Let me know please.

Sheena - posted on 01/13/2010

Hey girl I feel for you really. My name is Sheena. I have a 2 month old and he has his moments as well. I found out it is a slight case of Colic. Where his intestants arent fully developed yet. they grow out of it though eventually. Around 3 to 6 months. Have you asked your doctor/ does he draw his legs up and kick real hard?

Laura - posted on 01/02/2010

You said 4 months. It's not beyond the relm your tikes teeth are forming, rub some oragel on the babes gums and see what happens. If that doesn't work try Fennel tea purchase you can get it at health food stores or herbal green markets such as earthfare. It calms the tummy of colic babes. Just put some tea watered down 1 part tea 3 parts water. Or you can also try coke. 1 part coke 3 parts water. It also calms the tummy. My first was born with a hyeital hernia and it was torture. These are some of the things that the doctor said to try and they all worked. Also I had to give him cereal at 4 months (Very watery of course)

Cardrian - posted on 01/02/2010

sounds like collic. car rides, worked best for my son when he had colic.. that n the vaccum cleaner... did a lot of sight seeing.. lol.. hang in there.. never did any of those other things either...

Nelri - posted on 01/02/2010

Hi Laura, your baby may be OVER-STIMULATED. The easier alternative to taking her for for a drive is the Instant Baby Sleep sound track. Here is a good article about what is going through your baby's mind: http://www.instantbabysleep.com/?page_id...
I hope it helps for you. It works well for me.

Linda-lyall - posted on 01/02/2010

Gripe water worked well for my daughter but not for my son.I found out that he had Colic(trapped gas pain) . We tried every thing we could think of for him.Gripe water, warm towels out of the dryer, laying him on his tummy and rubbing his back, cumin mixed with water but nothing was working. He was 4 months old too. I phoned my mom and she said to give him half a tsp. of baby pablum. It worked. I guess I had colic when I was a baby and so did my brother. I was so relieved. :)

Lequita - posted on 01/02/2010

when my son gets that way i generally hold him close and talk to him. i act as if he can tell me what is wring i make eye contact. this gets him quiet enough for me to take his temp. if that does not work look at her eyes. if the whites of her eyes seem purplish or slightly blue then take her to the hospital. this is a sign something is seriously wrong with her.

Kate - posted on 01/02/2010

When my babes had gas i used to rub thier tummies in a counter clockwise motion. Warm baths helped, laying them on their backs bounce the legs and do a curl. Is she eating? Maybe colic.

Elisabete - posted on 01/02/2010

Pcheck if your baby may be colic my first child when when he was born wouldent stop screaming ,no matter what i did ,it lasted till he was 6 mths till i found "colic care" which can be given to them in their bottle or prior to their meals adn it helps them burp.he was a happy baby after that.

Laura - posted on 01/02/2010

Ladies, thank you so much for all of the good advice! The car ride did the trick this time, but I will definitely keep all of these suggestions in mind for next time! I think we'll take a break from the solids for a few days and give her only breast milk to let her little system get regulated again.

Lisa - posted on 01/02/2010

If there is no other signs of illness or injury then you can keep trying different things to help her calm down. Try holding her w/her tummy resting on your forearm, head would be facing away from you more towards the floor, & nestled close to the inside of your elbow area. While holding her this way you can sway back & forth. Gas can be very painful, I finally realized how painful after having a c-section & now getting it quite often. The mylecon drops can give pretty quick relief, once it's gone it should be over with. If she continues w/no relief I would call the pediatrician. Maybe she is having some kind of reaction to the pears. Make sure she is breathing normally. There should be some information under infant massage that may help w/the gas also. Oh yeah, one more thing, try swaddling her up tight, not only does it help w/feeling secure, but it can also help w/gas and you can hold her in the same position as I explained. Stick w/it as if she is not used to it she will try to fight it at first, but then she might like it. Too many parents give up on swaddling too fast because they think their babies don't like it as soon as they squirm, but they haven't given it a fair chance. Try doing the shhhh sound loudly by her ear while holding her in that position while swaddled & swaying. Best wishes you find something that works quickly.
You might want to hold off on the foods for a little while, her little tummy may not be ready for them quite yet.

Lise - posted on 01/02/2010

We also bicycle our daughter's legs, but when she's really gassy nothing works better than pacing the living room with her over one shoulder patting/rubbing her back while bouncing her. (I've never used gripe water, etc. - the only thing she's had is breast milk - but I've heard from other moms it works. I just prefer to only give her my milk right now, personally.)

Megan - posted on 01/01/2010

Just hang in there! You are probably right that she has tummy ache! Not much you can do, you can try some of the suggestions but my son did this a month ago and he cried almost all day on and off for hours on end. He was very gassy too. eventually he felt better and was a totally different baby the next day! It is horrible seeing them cry and stressful on the parents but just stick it out. Just make sure she doesn't have a high fever...

Jeanna - posted on 01/01/2010

Sometimes if you lay a baby with a tummy ache crossways on your legs (left to right over your thighs) and pat their back you can move some of the gas out with the pressure of laying on their tummy. I always swayed my legs left to right and it seemed to calm my babies down after a couple of minutes. As long as there is no fever, rash or anything else that looks suspicious then I wouldn't think there is anything a ped would be worried about but you are the mommy and know best. Rely on your instincts but her tummy is probably keeping her from sleeping and she is very tired.

Love Boudreaux's Butt Paste!!

Good luck, we all have been there!! :-(

Melissa - posted on 01/01/2010

Try a pepermint stick... The pepermint oil in a candycane will soothe the tummy. You can also dilute it in a bit of warm water. It will also help to pass gas if that is the problem.

Lindsay - posted on 01/01/2010

If you would prefer something natural Little Tummies makes "Gripe Water" for gas. For the diaper rash the best thing is Boudreaux's Butt Paste.My son had a Horrible rash on his behind and it was gone in one night.

Angela - posted on 01/01/2010

If it's her tummy, you can hold her facing away from you and fold her legs so that her knees touch her tummy. That will sometimes open her up to let gas out and relive the pressure that may be causing the painI hope this helps!

Amanda - posted on 01/01/2010

with an upset tummy comes gas if you havent already give her some mylicon a couple drops, then sit on the couch or chair wherever and put your feet flat on the floor knees touching eachother side by side lay the baby on her stomach across your thighs to where her head is just resting on your leg not dangling there. start moving your legs back and forth to rock her and rub her back and if she starts to get quiet keep doing it and you can also rub her back from the bottom all the way up to work up the gas bubble that may be in her. hopefully that helps good luck