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Published on: July 28, 2022
New treatments for infant colic
Francesco Savino1, Valentina Tarasco
1Department of Pediatrics, Regina Margherita Children Hospital, University of Turin, Turin, Italy. francesco.savino@unito.it
Insights
Infantile colic, a common issue in newborns, may be linked to gut bacteria imbalances. Supplementing with Lactobacillus reuteri shows promise in reducing crying and abdominal pain in infants.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Gastroenterology
- Microbiology
Background:
- Infantile colic affects 3-month-old infants, causing parental distress.
- Pathogenesis and treatment of infantile colic remain challenging despite extensive research.
Purpose of the Study:
- Review recent studies on infantile colic interventions.
- Explore new perspectives in infantile colic management.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of recent studies on infantile colic interventions.
- Analysis of research on the role of intestinal microbiota.
Main Results:
- Infantile colic may be linked to intestinal microbiota composition, specifically low lactobacilli and high coliforms.
- Lactobacillus reuteri supplementation shows benefits, potentially by influencing gut motility and pain perception.
Conclusions:
- Infantile colic has varied presentations; rule out underlying conditions first.
- Well-tolerated strategies are recommended, with potential for new research and treatments targeting abdominal pain.
Purpose Of Review:
Infantile colic is a common problem within the first 3 months of life and causes considerable distress for parents and paediatricians. Despite 40 years of research, its pathogenesis is incompletely understood and treatment remains an open issue. This review will describe recent studies that have examined different kinds of interventions.
Recent Findings:
Important advances in understanding the aetiopathogenesis of infantile colic have been recently proposed and opened new perspectives in its management.The composition of intestinal microbiota, specially an inadequate amount of lactobacilli and an increased concentration of coliforms, might influence the pathogenesis of infantile colic. The benefit of supplementation with Lactobacillus reuteri has been recently reported and experimental data showed the effect of probiotics may be related to the influence on gut motility and pain perception.
Summary:
Infantile colic is a clinical entity with a wide range of clinical presentations and outcome. Firstly, paediatricians have to exclude other underlying diseases with a medical examination and prevent feeding disorders. Then, considering the favourable clinical course of the disturbance, well tolerated strategies should be adopted. The findings highlighted in this review may promote the implementation of new researches and treatments to reduce abdominal pain related to infantile colic.
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