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Infantile colic: is a pain syndrome

Gardar Gudmundsson1

  • 1Private Praxis, Kjalarland 30, Neurosurgeon, Reykjavik, Iceland. gardar@me.com

Medical Hypotheses
|August 24, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Infantile colic may be a muscular pain syndrome. Excessive crying in infants could stem from pain in the digastricus muscle during feeding, which resolves as the infant develops.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Pain Medicine
  • Anatomy

Background:

  • Infantile colic is characterized by excessive crying and abdominal discomfort.
  • Aerophagia is a common consequence of excessive crying in infants.
  • The digastricus muscle plays a crucial role in infant feeding mechanics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a novel hypothesis for infantile colic.
  • To explain excessive crying as a symptom of muscular pain.
  • To link feeding mechanics to infant discomfort.

Main Methods:

  • The study presents a hypothesis based on anatomical and physiological principles.
  • It reviews the known functions of the digastricus muscle in infants.
  • It draws parallels with documented pain syndromes in adult populations.

Main Results:

  • The hypothesis posits that infantile colic is a pain syndrome originating from the digastricus muscle.
  • Feeding, involving sucking and jaw movements, is identified as the source of muscular strain.
  • Pain is attributed to muscle exertion and later to its origins and insertions.

Conclusions:

  • Infantile colic may be understood as a muscular pain syndrome in infants.
  • The pain experienced by the infant during feeding is hypothesized to cause excessive crying.
  • Resolution of colic symptoms with age is linked to increased muscular strength and development.

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