Clinical picture typical in the first months of life characterised by an intense and unconsolable wipping. It tipically appears in the afternoon-night and it lasts for at least three hours a day, 3 days a week for more than three weeks.
The cause is unknown but its relationship with an allergy to cow's milk proteins is being studied. It has been described a higher incidence in first-born children, in children of smoking parents and in environments of family stress.
During seizures, infants assume a characteristic posture with their legs bent over the abdomen (foetal position), clenched fists, tense abdomen and red face.
It is diagnosed by clinical questioning and a physical examination of the infant, which is normal.
There is no specific treatment to it. Relaxation techniques are used, as well as osteopathy, which has sometimes been shown to be effective in reducing the number of episodes.
It is a benign disorder that disappears spontaneously by three months of age.
Consult urgently if your baby loses the sucking reflex and does not feed properly, if he does not comfort himself even with belly rubs, if he vomits just after feeding or has diarrhoea or blood in the stools.
- Teri Lee Turner, MD, MPH, MEd. Shea Palamountain, MD. Infantile colic: Clinical features and diagnosis. UpToDate. May 31, 2016.
- Teri Lee Turner, MD, MPH, MEd. Shea Palamountain, MD. Infantile colic: Management and outcome. UpToDate. Oct 18, 2016.
- Douglas P, Hill P. Managing infants who cry excessively in the first few months of life. BMJ 2011; 343:d7772.
- Benninga MA, Faure C, Hyman PE, et al. Childhood Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders: Neonate/Toddler. Gastroenterology 2016.
