Related Experiment Videos
A prospective 10-year study on children who had severe infantile colic
Francesco Savino1, Emanuele Castagno, Roberta Bretto
1Department of Paediatrics, University of Turin, Turin, Italy. francesco.savino@unito.it
Insights
Infantile colic may increase a child's susceptibility to recurrent abdominal pain and allergic conditions. Severe colic in infancy could be an early sign of common childhood disorders.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Gastroenterology
- Allergology
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Infantile colic is a common condition in early infancy.
- The long-term implications of infantile colic are not fully understood.
- Potential links between colic and later childhood disorders warrant investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between infantile colic and subsequent gastrointestinal, allergic, and psychological disorders in childhood.
- To determine if severe infantile colic is an early indicator of common childhood conditions.
Main Methods:
- A prospective cohort study involving 103 infants aged 31-87 days.
- Children were followed up after 10 years for evaluation of specific disorders.
- Assessments included medical history, physical examination, laboratory tests, and parental interviews.
Main Results:
- A significant association was found between infantile colic and recurrent abdominal pain (p=0.001).
- Infantile colic was linked to various allergic disorders, including allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis, asthmatic bronchitis, pollenosis, atopic eczema, and food allergy (p<0.05).
- Children with a history of colic exhibited higher frequencies of sleep disturbances, fussiness, aggressiveness, and feelings of supremacy (p<0.05).
Conclusions:
- Infantile colic may predispose children to recurrent abdominal pain, allergic conditions, and psychological issues later in life.
- Severe infantile colic could represent an early manifestation of prevalent childhood disorders.
- Findings suggest a need for early identification and management of infants with severe colic.
Aim:
To evaluate the association between infantile colic and gastrointestinal, allergic and psychological disorders in childhood.
Methods:
A prospective study was conducted on 103 infants aged 31-87 d. After 10 y, between 2001 and 2003, the children were recalled and a paediatrician evaluated the selected disorders by anamnesis, medical examination, laboratory tests and parent interviews.
Results:
Of the 103 infants enrolled, 96 completed the study. There was an association between infantile colic and recurrent abdominal pain (p=0.001) and allergic disorders: allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis, asthmatic bronchitis, pollenosis, atopic eczema and food allergy (p<0.05). Sleep disorders, fussiness, aggressiveness and feelings of supremacy are more frequent in children who suffered from colic during early infancy (p<0.05). A family history of gastrointestinal diseases and atopic diseases was significantly higher in infants with colic than in controls (p<0.05).
Conclusion:
Susceptibility to recurrent abdominal pain, allergic and psychological disorders in childhood may be increased by infantile colic. Our findings confirm that severe infantile colic might be the early expression of some of the most common disorders in childhood.
