As a new parent, a baby's cry can cause a great deal stress particularly when the cause is unknown! Keep in mind that babies can cry anywhere between 1 and 4 hours during a single day. Crying is a young baby's only means of communicating physical discomfort or emotional distress and babies can cry for many reasons; they cry when they are hungry, wet, cold, tired, upset or in pain.

You can differentiate a cry that indicates pain, from other cries, when your baby's cry comes on suddenly or sounds panicky. The FLACC Pain Scale is a useful tool that can be used to assess the level or severity of pain that your baby may be experiencing. Click here to download and save it now.

There are many factors that can cause pain in babies. Typical causes include:

• Colic
• Infection
• Teething
• Vaccine or immunisation shots

If your baby cries most evenings for 2 or 3 hours, he or she may have colic. Further symptoms of colic include stiffness in the body and pulling the knees up. Colic commonly starts at 3 weeks, and will usually disappear when your baby is between 3 and 4 months. Speak to your doctor if you suspect colic. A colicky baby is stressful for everyone in the household so ensure that you have a good support structure! Over-the-counter colic remedies can be very helpful. Infection may be another factor responsible for causing your baby's pain. Check your baby's temperature and if it is higher than 38 °C, call your doctor. Teething is the discomfort that a baby or small child experiences between the age of 6 months and 3 years, when the primary teeth erupt. The eruption of a tooth can be uncomfortable and may cause your baby to be irritable and restless. Over-the-counter anaesthetic gels, like Teejel^® and liquid paracetamol, such as Panado^® Infant Drops or Syrup may also be administered to babies older than 3 months for pain relief. Most routine immunisations are given during infancy and childhood according to an immunisation schedule which starts shortly after birth. Not being able to keep your baby from inevitable hurt must be one of the worst experiences but it's for your baby's good health now and in the future!

Rely on Adcock Ingram's range of pain relief solutions to relieve your baby or infant's pain safely and effectively! Access information about each of these products now.