Colic in infants

Alternative names:

infantile colic

Definition:

A symptom complex of early infancy characterized by loud and excessive crying, apparent abdominal pain, and irritability.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Colic in infants is common, occurring in about 1 out of 10 babies. First-born infants are affected with colic more often than later children. Often it begins within 10 days to three weeks after birth, lasting until three to four months of age when it generally disappears on its own. In spite of apparent abdominal pain, colicky infants eat well and gain weight normally. The crying episodes may tend to occur around the same time each day, but a few infants will cry almost constantly.

The specific causes of infant colic are not known, but the following factors may play a role:

• air swallowed during the process of crying, feeding, or sucking on hands or fingers
• overfeeding with large amounts of formula or breast milk
• family tension and parental anxiety
• intestinal allergies to cow's milk
• esophageal reflux;

Recent research suggests that colic may be related to reflux esophagitis, which is a condition that occurs when the esophagus becomes irritated when acid backs-up from the stomach into the esophagus.