Living with a colicky infant

Abstract

Infant colic is prolonged hard crying for no apparent reason in an otherwise healthy infant. The purpose of this study was to describe the parents' experiences of caring for their infants with colic. This qualitative study employed a multiple case study design using a descriptive approach through indepth interviews. Five of the interviews were conducted in person, and 10 were conducted via e-mail. One or both parents of 15 colicky infants were interviewed about their recent experiences of living with colicky infants. Three themes--crying, emotions (anger, frustration, worry, and guilt), and feelings (hopeless, helpless, isolated, and unloved) were identified. This study adds the rich description that was missing from the previous two qualitative studies of infant colic. It also adds fathers' perspectives of the experience of living with a colicky infant. Lastly, this study demonstrates that indepth interviews can be conducted via e-mail as well as in person.