7 Signs Your Baby May Need Help with Colic, Reflux, or Torticol

If you're reading this at 2 AM with a baby who won't settle, you're not alone. A lot of the parents who walk into my office look exactly how you probably feel right now. They've tried the swaddle, the shushing, the bouncing on the exercise ball, the drives around the block at midnight. And sooner or later they ask me some version of the same question: is this just a baby being a baby, or is something going on?

Honestly, it can be hard to tell. Colic, reflux, and torticollis tend to blur together in the first few months. I go into how they differ, and why they so often show up together, in a longer piece on colic, reflux, and torticollis. This list is the shorter, practical version. It's pretty much what I'd tell a friend who called me worried about her newborn.

One thing before we start. None of these signs mean you've done anything wrong, and on its own, none of them means something serious. Think of them as clues worth mentioning to your pediatrician.

1. The crying seems to run on a schedule

All babies cry. Colicky crying feels different, and most parents recognize it straight away. It tends to show up around the same time each day, usually late afternoon or evening, and nothing you do seems to make a dent. Doctors often describe it with a rough rule of thumb: three hours a day, three days a week, for three weeks or more.

If that sounds familiar, start noting on your phone when the crying starts and stops. I know it feels small. But patterns jump out on paper that you'd never spot in the moment, and it's one of the most useful things a parent can bring to an appointment.

2. Your baby arches backward during feeds

You'll know this one if you've seen it. Halfway through a feed, your baby stiffens, throws their head back, and pulls away from the breast or bottle crying. Reflux is often part of the picture. I also see it in babies who are carrying a lot of tension through the neck and upper back, and when a baby always arches toward the same side, that tells me where to look first.

3. They spit up, and it clearly bothers them

Plenty of babies spit up all day long and couldn't care less. We call them happy spitters, and if they're gaining weight well, there usually isn't much to worry about. The babies I watch more closely are the ones who squirm and cry around feeds, or who act hungry and then give up after a couple of minutes. If that's your little one, bring it up with your pediatrician so they can check for reflux and rule out anything else.

4. They always look the same way

This is often how torticollis shows itself, and I see it in infants all the time. Your baby might always gaze toward the same shoulder, tilt their head slightly to one side, or get upset when you try to turn them the other way. Many parents only notice when they scroll back through their photos and see their baby facing the same direction in almost every one.

Torticollis simply means the neck muscles on one side are tight. It often comes from how the baby was lying in the womb, or from a long or assisted delivery. The encouraging part is that it usually responds well when you catch it early.

5. You've noticed a flat spot on their head

A baby's skull is soft, so when they rest on the same spot day after day, it can start to flatten. You may hear your doctor call this positional plagiocephaly. It often goes hand in hand with sign number four, since a baby who always turns one way always lies on the same part of their head. Supervised tummy time helps a lot. So does switching which end of the crib their head goes at, so they have a reason to look the other way. Your doctor will monitor head shape at regular checkups.

6. Feeding goes well on one side and badly on the other

When a mom tells me her baby latches beautifully on the left and fights her on the right, I don't always think about the latch. Sometimes the baby just finds it uncomfortable to turn their head that way. That's a big reason I like working with lactation consultants. What looks like a feeding problem and what looks like a neck problem can be the same thing.

7. Sleep is short and tummy time is a fight

Some babies wake every forty minutes, seem miserable lying on their backs, and scream the second they're put on their tummies. That could mean your baby is sore or tight somewhere. But please don't change how they sleep to get around it. Put them back to sleep on a firm, flat surface, with nothing else in the crib, every single time. The goal is to work out why they're uncomfortable.

Please don't wait on these.

Some symptoms need a doctor before anything else. Call your doctor, or head to the nearest emergency department, if your baby has any of the following:

• 
  

  Green, yellow, bloody, or very forceful (projectile) vomiting

  
  


• 
  

  A fever, especially if they're under 3 months old

  
  


• 
  

  Blood in their stool

  
  


• 
  

  Poor weight gain, or noticeably fewer wet diapers

  
  


• 
  

  Unusual sleepiness, floppiness, or a weak or high-pitched cry

  
  


• 
  

  Trouble breathing, or choking and changing color during feeds

  
  


• 
  

  A lump in the neck, or a head tilt that came on suddenly

  
  

None of these are typical of colic or reflux. If I see any of them in my office, I send the family to their doctor that same day.

What actually happens at a chiropractic visit for a baby

Parents are often nervous the first time, which makes complete sense. Most of the first visit is me asking questions. How did the pregnancy go? What was the birth like? How are feeding and sleep going? After that, I watch how your baby moves and gently check how their head and neck turn.

Infant care looks nothing like what you've seen with adults. I use roughly the pressure you'd use to check whether a tomato is ripe, and it's pretty common for babies to doze off partway through. I'll also show you a few things to try at home, like how to position them during feeds and ways to make tummy time a little less of a fight.

I'll be upfront with you about the research, too. Studies on chiropractic care for kids with colic and reflux are still limited, and the results are mixed. What I can offer is a careful look at how your baby is moving, gentle support for the neck and spine, and a real willingness to work with your pediatrician, lactation consultant, or physiotherapist.

Questions parents often ask me.

Is chiropractic care safe for a newborn?

When it comes from a chiropractor with proper pediatric training, infant care is very gentle. It's completely fair to ask about someone's pediatric certification and how many babies they see before you book.

When does colic usually get better?

For most babies, it peaks somewhere around six weeks and eases off by three or four months. I know that can feel like forever when you're living it.

Will torticollis go away by itself?

Mild cases sometimes do. Still, I'd rather see it early, because working on neck movement and positioning sooner usually means better results and less chance of a flat spot forming.

Do I need a referral?

Not in Ontario. You can book directly with a chiropractor. I do encourage parents to keep their pediatrician in the loop.

One last thing

You know your baby better than anyone. If your gut tells you something is off, listen. Write down what you're seeing, take it to your pediatrician, and ask about anything that might help your little one get more comfortable. The early months are hard enough without second-guessing yourself.

Dr. Clarise Chan has been in practice for more than 13 years and is certified by the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA). She runs a female-led clinic in Etobicoke, Ontario, where much of her work involves caring for moms during pregnancy and for babies and young children. You can read more about her work as a pediatric chiropractor in Etobicoke.