EsoTensive Colic: The Screaming Infant

Abstract

Background: Infantile Colic is considered a benign process in which an infant has paroxysms of inconsolable crying for more than three hours per day, more than three days per week, for longer than three weeks. It affects approximately 10% to 40% of infants worldwide and peaks at around six weeks of age, with symptoms resolving by three to six months of age. The incidence is equal between the sexes, and there is no correlation with the type of feeding (breast vs. bottle), gestational age, or socio-economic status. Some colicky infants have attacks of screaming with associated motor behaviours such as flushed face, furrowed brow, clenched fists and legs pulled up to the abdomen. Crying occurs in prolonged bouts. The infants do not respond to normal comforting techniques. Crying onset is unpredictable, spontaneous and unrelated to environmental events. The cause of infantile colic is unknown. It is proposed that there is a form of infant colic, resulting from Mallory Weiss tears near the esophageousstomach junction, caused by distension of the stomach cardiac orifice during vomiting.

Pseudo-Shaken-Baby-Syndrome: A Re-assessment of Shaken-Baby-Syndrome Features

“…Such joins of materials of different elasticities are known to produce stress concentrations when stretched. When the Z-line region is excessively stretched by the lumen pressure the mucosa may tear, Mallory-Weiss tears [15][16][17]. Once the mucosa is torn it will heal in a few days if undisturbed, but if another surge occurs the wound will be re-opened.…”