Infantile colic and food hypersensitivity

Abstract

In this article, some aspects of the phenomenon of infantile colic or fussing and crying behavior in early infancy are reviewed. The major points addressed are as follows: 1) evidence that infants with colic differ significantly in their pattern of distressed behavior from noncolicky infants; 2) the evidence of colic in children with known food allergy; 3) the incidence of food allergy in children with colic; 4) the outcome of trials focusing on the dietary management of colic; 5) the outcome of studies involving behavior modification in colic; 6) the outcome of a preliminary trial of modification of maternal diet in very young infants with colic; and 7) findings of a systematic review of different treatments for colic.