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Electrophysiological Measurements and Analysis of Nociception in Human Infants
Published on: December 20, 2011
Infant Colic
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.
Abstract:
This article reviews the evidence for an association between infant colic and migraine. Infant colic, or excessive crying in an otherwise healthy and well-fed infant, affects approximately 5%-19% of infants. Multiple case-control studies, a cross-sectional study, and a prospective cohort study have all found an association between infant colic and migraine. Although infant colic is often assumed to have a gastrointestinal cause, several treatment trials aimed at gastrointestinal etiologies have been negative. Teaching parents how to respond best to inconsolable crying may be helpful and important for preventing shaken baby syndrome. Given accumulating evidence for a connection between infant colic and pediatric migraine, future studies should examine migraine-oriented treatments for infant colic. Infant colic should be moved into the main body of International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-III beta) as one of the "Episodic syndromes that may be associated with migraine."
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