Oral hypertonic glucose solution in the treatment of infantile colic

Mustafa Akçam1, Aygen Yilmaz

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Süleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey.

Insights

A 30% glucose solution effectively treated infantile colic (IC) in a study. This safe, cheap, and natural oral glucose therapy may offer a new treatment option for colicky infants.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Neonatology
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Infantile colic (IC) lacks a definitively safe and effective treatment.
  • Investigating novel therapeutic approaches for IC is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of a 30% glucose solution for treating infantile colic.
  • To determine if oral glucose offers a viable alternative therapy for IC.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized, double-blind, crossover trial involving 25 infants diagnosed with typical IC.
  • Infants received either 1 mL of 30% glucose solution or sterile water placebo for four consecutive days.
  • Treatment effectiveness was assessed via parental scoring.

Main Results:

  • A statistically significant improvement was observed in infants treated with the 30% glucose solution compared to placebo (P = 0.031).
  • Sixty-four percent of infants showed improvement with glucose, versus 48% with placebo.
  • No adverse side effects were reported during the study.

Conclusions:

  • The 30% glucose solution demonstrated effectiveness in managing infantile colic.
  • Oral glucose is a natural, safe, inexpensive, and accessible option for IC treatment.
  • Glucose solution presents a potential alternative therapy for infantile colic.
Abstract

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