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[Infantile colic--an assessment of possible risk factors]
C Søndergaard1, J Olsen, M Dirdal
1Den Medicinske Forskningsenhed i Ringkjøbing Amt, Aarhus Universitet, Center for Epidemiologisk Grundforskning. cos@dadlnet.dk
Insights
Infantile colic, characterized by excessive crying, has an unknown cause despite various investigated factors. Parental education and advice proved more effective than dietary changes for managing colic.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neonatal Health
- Gastroenterology
Context:
- Infantile colic affects 8-40% of infants in industrialized nations.
- The exact cause of infantile colic remains elusive.
- Previous research explored various hypotheses including allergies, feeding types, and infant development.
Purpose:
- To review studies defining infantile colic quantitatively.
- To identify risk factors and effective management strategies for infantile colic.
Summary:
- This review analyzed studies with quantitative definitions of infantile colic.
- Key findings indicate that parental education and advice are more effective than dietary interventions.
- While cow's milk elimination and maternal diet changes showed some effect, no single cause or definitive risk factor was identified, suggesting a multifactorial etiology.
Impact:
- Highlights the importance of parental support and education in managing infantile colic.
- Suggests that current understanding of infantile colic etiology is incomplete.
- Informs clinical practice regarding the most effective, non-invasive strategies for colic management.
Abstract:
Infantile colic is defined as crying or fussing for more than three hours a day for more than three days a week. The aetiology is unknown, although many hypotheses have been examined: allergy, type of feeding, the development of the gastrointestinal tract, the development of the central nervous system, and the mother/infant relationship. The frequency varies between 8% and 40% in industrialised countries. We found that education, parity, age, obstetric factors, and gender were not important risk factors. There are no unambiguous results on psychosocial risk factors and infantile colic. Giving parents advice and education in parenting were more effective than changing diets. Elimination of cow's milk or the diet of the mother had some effect. This review comprises studies where infantile colic is defined quantitatively. Despite this, no unambiguous results, which are consistent with a multifactorial aetiology were found.