Infant colic is characterized on e...

Infant colic is characterized on excessive and inconsolable crying, hypertonicity, and wakefulness, mainly in the evening. An estimated 5 to 28 percent of infants have colic during the first not many months of life. The widely cited "rule of threes" defines a colicky infant as individual who is healthy and well-fed if it be not that cries for a total of at least three hours for day, more than three days in any single week. Onset is usually between the secondary and sixth weeks of life, and remission of symptoms generally offers by three months of age. Although colic is conception to be a self-limited condition, it can be overwhelming to parents athwart a substantial number of weeks. single concern, moreover, is the potential lasting impact of colic in succession maternal mental health. Clifford and colleagues studied the prevalence of colic in infants three month of age and the proportion of infants identified with colic at six weeks of age who had symptom resolution on three months of age. They also studied factors that predicted which infants would have resolution of colic by dint of the age of three month and observ the impact of colic in succession maternal mental health.

The investigation was a prospective cohort cogitation of mother-infant dyads. A questionnaire was mailed to mothers approximately undivided week after they were discharged from the postpartum ward of a London hospital. The questionnaire asked information about the source of infant nutrition, prenatal and postnatal health behaviors, demographics, and biologic factors. It also included standardized instruments to assess maternal anxiety, postnatal depression, and social support. Another questionnaire, which did not include the anxiety, depression, and social support assessments, was mailed to the mothers at six weeks and three month after delivery. At these times, the mothers also were asked to thorough the Barr Baby's Day Diary or the Ames cry out Score. A follow-up questionnaire that included standardized measures of anxiety and depression was sent to the mothers at six month postpartum.

In the 547 mother-infant dyads participating in the contemplation at three months, 35 infants (64 percent) had colic at three month of age, compared with 131 infants (239 percent) who had colic at six weeks of age. The distribution of crying or fussing (see the accompanying figure) was determined in succession the basis of information from 320 diaries that were replyed after the infants were three month ancient Girls were more likely to have colic that resolv by dint of three months, and the mothers of infants with colic that remitted by the agency of three months of age were more likely to have been applyed outside the home during pregnancy, to have received pain medication during labor or delivery, and to have consum caffeine or alcohol during the postpartum period. The mothers of infants who had colic at six weeks of age did not have significant differences in rates of anxiety and depression, compared with the mothers of infants who did not have colic.

The authors bring to an end that colic usually is a self-limited condition that does not spring in long-lasting negative effects onward maternal mental health. They add that physicians should educate parents about colic and put forward support during what can be a difficult period. Continued research is lacked to determine the cause of colic.

KARL E MILLER, MD

Clifford TJ et al. Sequelae of infant colic. Evidence of transient infant distress and absence of lasting results on maternal mental health. Arch Pediatr Adolesc M December 2002;156:1183-8

COPYRIGHT 2003 American Academy of Family Physicians

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