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Infantile colic and food hypersensitivity
1Department of Allergy, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
Insights
Infantile colic, characterized by excessive crying, may be linked to food allergies. Dietary and behavioral interventions show varied outcomes for managing colic in infants.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neonatology
- Allergy and Immunology
Background:
- Infantile colic is a common condition in early infancy, presenting as prolonged, unexplained crying and fussing.
- Distinguishing colic from normal infant behavior is crucial for appropriate management and parental support.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the evidence linking infantile colic to food allergy.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of various interventions, including dietary changes and behavioral modification, for managing colic.
- To synthesize findings from a systematic review of colic treatments.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on infantile colic and its association with food allergy.
- Analysis of trials investigating dietary management, including maternal diet modification.
- Examination of studies on behavioral modification techniques for colic.
- Inclusion of findings from a systematic review of different colic treatments.
Main Results:
- Infants with colic exhibit distinct distressed behavior patterns compared to noncolicky infants.
- Evidence suggests a connection between colic and diagnosed food allergy in some children.
- Dietary interventions and behavioral modifications yield mixed results in managing colic.
- Maternal dietary changes show preliminary promise in specific cases.
Conclusions:
- Infantile colic may be associated with underlying food allergies, necessitating further investigation.
- A multimodal approach, potentially including dietary adjustments and behavioral support, is often required for colic management.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the complex interplay between diet, behavior, and colic in infants.
Abstract:
In this article, some aspects of the phenomenon of infantile colic or fussing and crying behavior in early infancy are reviewed. The major points addressed are as follows: 1) evidence that infants with colic differ significantly in their pattern of distressed behavior from noncolicky infants; 2) the evidence of colic in children with known food allergy; 3) the incidence of food allergy in children with colic; 4) the outcome of trials focusing on the dietary management of colic; 5) the outcome of studies involving behavior modification in colic; 6) the outcome of a preliminary trial of modification of maternal diet in very young infants with colic; and 7) findings of a systematic review of different treatments for colic.