Why Your Colicky Baby May Be Struggling with More Than Just Gas
Few things are more exhausting and heartbreaking than holding a baby who will not stop crying. You have fed them, changed them, rocked them, bounced them, driven around the block, and tried every white noise machine on the market. Nothing seems to work, and the crying continues for hours. If this is your reality, you are likely dealing with colic, and you are probably being told to simply wait it out.
Colic is typically defined as inconsolable crying in an otherwise healthy infant for more than three hours a day, more than three days a week, for at least three weeks. It affects an estimated one in four newborns, usually beginning around two to three weeks of age and often lasting until three to four months. The conventional explanation is that it is caused by gas, an immature digestive system, or overstimulation. But for many babies, something deeper is going on, and it starts with the connection between their gut and their brain.
The Gut-Brain Connection in Infants
Your baby’s digestive system does not operate independently. It is controlled and coordinated by the nervous system through a pathway known as the gut-brain axis. The vagus nerve, the longest cranial nerve in the body, runs from the brainstem down through the neck and into the chest and abdomen, connecting the brain directly to the stomach, intestines, and the rest of the digestive tract.
This nerve is responsible for regulating some of the most essential functions of your baby’s digestive system: the muscular contractions that move food through the stomach and intestines, the secretion of digestive enzymes, the balance of gut bacteria, and the coordination of the entire digestive process from start to finish. When the vagus nerve is functioning properly, these processes work smoothly and your baby feeds comfortably, digests efficiently, and passes gas and stool without distress.
But when something interferes with the vagus nerve’s ability to communicate clearly with the digestive system, the entire process can become disorganized. Digestion slows or becomes irregular, gas builds up because the intestines are not moving it through efficiently, the baby experiences cramping and bloating, and the result is exactly what colic looks like: a baby in visible discomfort who cannot be soothed because the source of their distress is internal and ongoing.
How Birth Stress Affects the Vagus Nerve
The vagus nerve originates in the brainstem and exits through the upper cervical spine, the same region of the neck that is most vulnerable to stress during the birth process. Whether your baby was born through a long labor, a quick delivery, a vacuum-assisted birth, a forceps delivery, or a cesarean section, the physical forces involved can create subluxation in the upper cervical spine that directly affects vagus nerve function.
This is one of the reasons colic tends to appear so early in life. The nervous system interference is not something that developed over time. It was likely present from birth. The baby’s digestive system has been struggling to function properly from the very beginning because the nerve that coordinates it has been compromised from the start.
For some babies, the effects go beyond colic. When vagus nerve function is disrupted, it can also contribute to frequent spitting up, difficulty with breastfeeding or bottle feeding, constipation, restless sleep, and a general state of discomfort that makes the baby difficult to settle. Parents often describe these babies as being tense, arching their backs, drawing their knees to their chest, and seeming unable to relax even when they are not actively crying.
Why “Waiting It Out” May Not Be the Best Answer
The most common advice parents of colicky babies receive is that colic is a phase and it will resolve on its own, usually by three to four months. And for many babies, the intense crying does eventually decrease. But the underlying question remains: if a subluxation in the upper cervical spine was interfering with vagus nerve function and causing the digestive distress, did it truly resolve, or did the baby simply learn to compensate?
Uncorrected subluxation does not disappear on its own. If the nerve interference that contributed to colic is still present after the crying phase ends, it can continue to affect the child’s digestive function, immune response, sleep patterns, and nervous system development in subtler ways as they grow. This is part of the pattern our team calls the Perfect Storm, where early nervous system stress compounds over time and shows up later as chronic ear infections, constipation, behavioral challenges, or difficulty focusing.
Addressing the subluxation early, during the colic phase, does not just help with the immediate symptoms. It gives the baby’s nervous system the best possible chance to develop without that interference shaping the trajectory of their health.
How We Help Colicky Babies at Highest Health Chiropractic
When parents bring their colicky baby to Highest Health Chiropractic in Sioux Falls, we begin with a thorough evaluation. We take a detailed history of the pregnancy and birth, because the specific stressors that occurred during those events help us understand where to look for subluxation. We then use our Insight Millennium scanning technology to measure the baby’s nervous system function and identify exactly where interference exists along the spine.
The adjustment itself is remarkably gentle. All four of our doctors hold Advanced Proficiency Certification in the Torque Release Technique, and every adjustment is delivered using the Integrator instrument. For a newborn, the impulse is incredibly light, comparable to the pressure you would use to test whether a tomato is ripe. There is no twisting, no cracking, and no discomfort. Many babies remain calm or even fall asleep during their adjustment.
The goal is to correct the subluxation in the upper cervical spine that is interfering with vagus nerve communication. As the interference is removed, the gut-brain connection can begin to function more effectively. Digestion improves, gas and bloating decrease, and the baby becomes noticeably more comfortable and settled.
What Parents Tell Us
Every baby responds to care in their own way and on their own timeline. But the changes that parents of colicky babies share with us most often include:
- A significant reduction in inconsolable crying, often within the first few visits
- Less visible discomfort after feedings, with reduced arching, straining, and drawing up of the knees
- More consistent and restful sleep for both baby and parents
- Improved feeding experiences, whether breast or bottle
- Less gassiness and more regular bowel movements
- A calmer, more relaxed overall demeanor
For exhausted parents who have tried everything, these changes can feel transformative. And the relief extends to the whole family. When the baby is sleeping better and crying less, everyone in the household has the space to breathe, recover, and enjoy the early days of parenthood the way they were meant to.
Your Baby Was Not Designed to Suffer
Colic is not a character trait and it is not something your baby should simply have to endure. If your baby is struggling with persistent crying, digestive distress, or an inability to settle, there may be a nervous system reason that has not yet been explored. At Highest Health Chiropractic in Sioux Falls, Dr. Nate, Dr. Bailee, Dr. Dave, and Dr. Sarah are here to help your baby find relief and to give your family the peace you deserve.
Struggling with a colicky baby? You are not alone. Call Highest Health Chiropractic at (605) 610-8801 or book your appointment today.
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