When is inconsolable crying a sign of something worse? Parents aren’t getting the advice they need | Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett

Too many are dismissed, while others are overdiagnosed. And the catch-all diagnosis of colic' isn't helping

Babies cry. This we know. But some cry dramatically more than others. Many parents have the experience of being told their inconsolable child has colic". They assume it's a real, diagnosable medical condition, when really it is a catch-all term for excessive, unexplained crying, and even though it can dramatically affect the experience of early parenthood, they might never understand why it's happening.

Several friends with colicky" babies had infants who seemed to be screaming in extreme pain, were impossible to put down, and never slept. Several would spit up milk after every feed, but not all of them. It turned out that these babies actually had reflux. While all of us new parents were in the trenches, these parents had it far worse. They were exhausted, distressed, and felt powerless to soothe their children. Reflux - when milk, food and stomach acid flow from the stomach into the oesophagus - is very common in babies, and doesn't usually require treatment. Yet for some, there are complications.

Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett is a Guardian columnist and author