My 8 mo. old son has cried literally about 23 hours a day everyday since the day we brought him home. He never sleeps more than 30 min. at one time. At first he had a hard time eating, he would throw up nearly anything we fed him. Now, we have changed his formula.

He has been given tagament for reflux, to no avail. It does not help him he still cries. I have medicine for his gums that numbs them, I know he will be whiney from cutting teeth, but not for 8 months. My pediatrician just says he has colic. I have tried every little piece of advise from everyone who knows what we are going through. I would be happy to help him through his crying spells and help a colicky whiney baby to sleep, but I feel something is wrong with him, and no one is looking closely enough, what do you suggest I do? I have had him in children's hospital 3 times since he was born. No one will listen to me that something is wrong. They just think I can't handle the crying. That isn't it.

Please help if you can. Give me a direction to go in. I don't want anything to happen to him, and if something is wrong, I want to help him get better. Thank you. Kellie

First of all, a baby should not cry for 23 hours a day. Even the shortest naps generally last from 30 minutes to 4 hours. So, that doesn't seem right.

I am glad he is eating better. Does that mean he is gaining weight and height normally? I hope so.

I agree with you also that cutting teeth should not explain your little boy's constant crying episodes. And, colic generally resolves by 3-4 months of age.

I don't know if you have already been through this, but this is what I would suggest:

1. Make sure that his development is normal, i.e. he can do things than other 8 month olds can do. This is called a developmental test, which can be performed by your doctor.

2. I would check an upper GI study (your baby drinks a fluid, and then xrays are taken of his belly), which makes sure that your baby's bowels are where they should be. Sometimes, a condition called malrotation causes intermittent bowel pain.

3. If reflux is truly present, then I would emphasize feeding him with his head up in a 30 degree angle during and 30 minutes after feeding. Rice cereal added to the formula should help also. Reglan is a medicine which decreases the reflux effect (in addition to tagamet), and may be beneficial.

4. Another possible test would be an MRI of your baby's brain to make sure that there is no abnormality up there aggravating him.

5. Lastly, if you are unhappy with your pediatrician, then I would suggest you find a new one. Find someone who will listen to you, has a good reputation (with people you know) and is board certified.

If I can answer more questions, please feel free to E mail me back.

I hope your little boy gets better soon. Dr. Mike

This article was reviewed 04/23/2010 07:24 AM

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