Retrospective Study on the Association Between Climate Factors and Infant Colic in Beijing (2021-2022)

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Environmental Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Infant colic (IC) is a common condition affecting newborns.
• Understanding factors influencing IC prevalence is crucial for parental support and clinical guidance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate seasonal patterns in infant colic (IC) prevalence.
• To explore the association between climate factors (temperature, air pollutants) and IC.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of medical records for 1955 infants (0-3 months) diagnosed with IC using Rome IV criteria.
• Collected weekly climate data (temperature, PM2.5, PM10, NO2, CO, O3, AQI) with lags.
• Employed chi-square tests, Pearson correlation, and Generalized Additive Models (GAM) to assess associations.

Main Results:

• Overall IC prevalence was 38.62%, with significantly higher rates in winter and spring.
• Weak linear associations (correlation coefficients: -0.05 to 0.03) were observed between climate factors and IC.
• Generalized Additive Models (GAM) indicated that climate factors and their interactions explained minimal variance in IC.

Conclusions:

• Significant seasonal variation in infant colic (IC) prevalence exists, peaking in winter.
• No significant linear or non-linear relationships were found between IC and environmental climate factors.
• Future research should investigate non-climatic factors contributing to infant colic.