In most cases, colic begins within the first three weeks of life and can continue up to 12 weeks or longer. It usually erupts at the same time each day, commonly in the late afternoon or early evening. No amount of handling, cuddling, or soothing seems to calm a baby with colic. There is no real treatment for colic, although physicians may recommend supportive therapies for parents. The AAP notes that other than the obvious distress they're in, colicky babies are otherwise happy and healthy.
Researchers note that they often eat more and grow faster than noncolicky babies.
They were also asked questions about complaints such as stomachaches, headaches, and bed-wetting, and about the family environment. The researchers also noted how long the mother breastfed. The researchers determined that the family environments were about the same for all the children. They did discover that the excolicky children seemed to enjoy their meals less, were a little pickier about what they ate, and averaged slightly less sleep per night, but they found these differences to be insignificant. The researchers did note, however, that the group of children that had not suffered from colic had fewer complaints of stomachaches later.