If your baby is crying all the time you may want to look at how happy you are in your relationship.
A new study has linked colic in kids to a mum's happiness in her relationship and a the amount of support she gets from family and friends.
A team of researchers from Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) also found that mother's who had more support from family and friends were less likely to have a baby with colic.
Colic is a poorly understood condition but put simply is excessive, frequent crying in a baby that otherwise seems healthy.
According to the NHS it is a common problem that affects one in five babies.
It often begins when a baby is a few weeks old and stops by the age of six months at the latest.
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The exact cause of colic is unknown but it is thought it could be related to indigestion, trapped wind or a temporary stomach sensitivity.
Kristen Kjerulff, a professor of public health sciences at Penn State, observed 3,006 women aged between 18 and 35 who were part of the university's First Baby study – which looked at the overall experience of pregnancy and childbirth of first-time mums.
WHAT IS COLIC?
Colic is excessive, frequent crying in a baby that otherwise seems healthy.
It is a common problem that affects one in five babies.
It often begins when a baby is a few weeks old and stops by the age of six months at the latest.
The exact cause of colic is not known but it is thought to be related to indigestion, trapped wind or a temporary stomach sensitivity.
Symptoms:
- intense crying bouts
- crying in the late afternoon or evening that lasts several hours
- red and flushed face when they cry
- clenching their fists, drawing their knees up to their tummy, or arching their back while crying
Source: NHS Choices
The study asked mums to report how happy they were with their partner and how much support they felt they were getting from their family and friends.
About 12 per cent of participants reported their baby had colic and these mums were not as happy in their relationship, both during and after pregnancy, as other participants.
Interestingly, babies with the lowest risk of colic were those with single mums.
Researchers believe this is because single mums reported high levels of social support.
They concluded that father's role during and after pregnancy makes a difference in a baby's overall risk of colic.
So if a mum wants to stop her baby crying all the time she may need to look at her own happiness and support network.
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