The effectiveness of interventions for infant colic

Many parents, caregivers and health professionals are faced with caring for an unhappy infant displaying symptoms associated with colic. Food allergies, gastrointestinal and behavioural factors have been suggested as possible causes. Infantile colic usually affects infants in the first few weeks of life and resolves itself before six months of age. It has been estimated that colic is prevalent in 40% of male and female infants. In the United Kingdom alone, up to one in six families consult their doctor or community nurse about symptoms of colic in their child. Although transient, colic creates considerable distress in infants and caregivers. Inconsolable, unexplained and incessant crying in a seemingly healthy infant leads to exhausted, frustrated and concerned parents seeking to comfort their child. In many cases interventions make little impact and it is simply a matter of waiting for the infant to ‘grow out’ of colicky symptoms. The argument that colic does not exist suggests that it is normal for infants to have increasingly longer bouts of crying from birth to about six weeks, after which the crying decreases. Others have suggested that many infants thought to have colic are in fact hungry. Assessment of excessive and inconsolable crying