What is the diagnosis for excessive crying in a healthy baby for more than 3 hours a day?

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Excessive crying in a healthy baby for more than three hours a day is typically indicative of infantile colic, a common condition in infants. This diagnosis is characterized by an otherwise healthy baby who exhibits inconsolable crying, often occurring in the late afternoon or evening, and is not due to any identifiable medical problem.

Infantile colic usually presents between the age of a few weeks to about three months and tends to resolve by six months of age. The crying is often intense and may be accompanied by signs of distress, but the baby remains physically healthy and is growing normally.

While other conditions like gastroesophageal reflux or allergic colitis can cause discomfort and crying in infants, they would usually present with additional symptoms that would indicate a medical issue, such as feeding difficulties, vomiting, diarrhea, or failure to thrive. Neurological disorders would typically exhibit other signs beyond excessive crying, such as developmental delays or abnormal movements. Therefore, given the specifications of the excessive crying scenario you provided, infantile colic is the most accurate diagnosis.

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