ColicMedical Author:
Michael A Woo-Ming, MD
Medical Editor:
Scott H Plantz, MD, FAAEM
Medical Editor:
Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD
Medical Editor:
Steven L Bernstein, MD
Colic OverviewDoctors have yet to discover the causes of infant colic, described as excessive crying in an otherwise healthy baby. A fussy, crying, colicky baby is inconsolable, and the crying is not due to hunger or pain. Medical experts define colic as crying lasting more than 3 hours a day, 3 times a week. A baby may establish a daily pattern of crying, such as early morning or evening. For new parents, this situation can be extremely frustrating. The condition affects up to 20% of newborns. |
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Gallstones Overview
Gallstones (commonly misspelled gall stones or gall stone) are solid particles that form from bile in the gallbladder.
- The gallbladder is a small saclike organ in the upper
right part of the abdomen. It is located under the liver, just below the front rib cage on the right side.
- The gallbladder is part of the biliary system, which includes the liver and the pancreas.
- The biliary system, among other functions, produces bile and digestive enzymes.
Bile is a fluid made by the liver to help in the digestion of fats.
- It contains several different substances, including
cholesterol and bilirubin, a waste product of normal breakdown of blood cells in the liver.
- Bile is stored in the gallbladder until needed.
- When we eat a high-fat, high-cholesterol meal, the gallbladder contracts and injects bile into the small i...
Read What Your Physician is Reading on Medscape
Colic »
Colic is commonly described as a behavioral syndrome characterized by excessive, paroxysmal crying. Colic is most likely to occur in the evenings, and it occurs without any identifiable cause.
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