A prospective 10‐year study on children who had severe infantile colic

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate the association between infantile colic and gastrointestinal, allergic and psychological disorders in childhood. Methods: A prospective study was conducted on 103 infants aged 31–87 d. After 10 y, between 2001 and 2003, the children were recalled and a paediatrician evaluated the selected disorders by anamnesis, medical examination, laboratory tests and parent interviews. Results: Of the 103 infants enrolled, 96 completed the study. There was an association between infantile colic and recurrent abdominal pain (p=0.001) and allergic disorders: allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis, asthmatic bronchitis, pollenosis, atopic eczema and food allergy (p<0.05). Sleep disorders, fussiness, aggressiveness and feelings of supremacy are more frequent in children who suffered from colic during early infancy (p<0.05). A family history of gastrointestinal diseases and atopic diseases was significantly higher in infants with colic than in controls (p<0.05). Conclusion: Susceptibility to recurrent abdominal pain, allergic and psychological disorders in childhood may be increased by infantile colic. Our findings confirm that severe infantile colic might be the early expression of some of the most common disorders in childhood.

A neurobiological model for cry-fuss problems in the first three to four months of life

“…Another longitudinal birth cohort study of 1327 infants links regulatory problems between 2 and 10 months of age with a nearly threefold risk of functional somatic symptoms at school-age [84]. A retrospective study of 1467 children with sensory processing and autistic spectrum disorders found an increased rate of early regulatory problems [85]; a prospective study of 96 infants diagnosed with excessive crying in the first twelve weeks demonstrated an increased incidence of allergy and behavioural problems at ten years of age [86]; and a retrospective study of 208 children older than six years presenting with migraines showed they were more likely to have cried excessively in the first few months of life [87]. Widespread unnecessary medicalization of cry-fuss problems in the first three to four months predisposes to allergy and GORD in later infancy; allergy is associated with poorer neurodevelopmental outcomes [88], and GORD is associated with maternal psychological disturbance and persistent infant feeding problems [89].…”

Efficacy of Chiropractic Manual Therapy on Infant Colic: A Pragmatic Single-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Notwithstanding, what is clear is that underlying disease is rare in the excessively crying baby 4 and that half of those affected recover by 6 months of age, 5 with a small proportion at risk of injury 6 or long-term developmental problems. [7][8][9] In an effort to help their child with what appears to be a painful condition, some parents choose complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), including chiropractic manual therapy. [9][10][11][12] To date, several randomized trials have been reported, [13][14][15][16][17][18][19] and although these trials demonstrate some reduction in crying, weaknesses in study methodologies have compromised their contribution to the evidence base.…”

Long-Term Effects of Infant Colic: A Survey Comparison of Chiropractic Treatment and Nontreatment Groups

“…16 Some research studies have shown these traits affect the child until he is 8 to 10 years of age. 17 Further rigorous research is required to determine whether chiropractic treatment of infant colic can reduce the longterm effects on other behavior problems for a larger sample as well as for older age groups.…”