Infant Colic

Amy A Gelfand1

  • 1Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA.

Insights

Infant colic, characterized by excessive crying, is linked to migraine. Research suggests a connection, prompting a review of migraine-oriented treatments for colicky infants.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Pediatrics
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Infant colic affects 5%-19% of infants and is often attributed to gastrointestinal issues.
  • Previous treatments targeting gastrointestinal causes for infant colic have yielded negative results.
  • Parental education on managing inconsolable crying is crucial for preventing shaken baby syndrome.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the evidence associating infant colic with migraine.
  • To explore potential migraine-specific mechanisms and treatments for infant colic.

Main Methods:

  • Review of multiple case-control studies.
  • Inclusion of a cross-sectional study.
  • Analysis of a prospective cohort study.

Main Results:

  • Consistent evidence across study types indicates an association between infant colic and migraine.
  • The gastrointestinal etiology assumption for infant colic is challenged by negative treatment trial outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • Accumulating evidence supports a link between infant colic and pediatric migraine.
  • Future research should investigate migraine-oriented treatments for infant colic.
  • Infant colic may warrant classification as an "Episodic syndrome that may be associated with migraine" in ICHD-III beta.

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