Colic in infants

Abstract

Introduction: Colic in infants leads one in six families (17%) with children to consult a health professional. One systematic review of 15 community-based studies found a wide variation in prevalence, which depended on study design and method of recording.

Methods and outcomes: We conducted a systematic overview, aiming to answer the following clinical question: What are the effects of treatments for colic in infants? We searched: Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and other important databases up to February 2014 (Clinical Evidence overviews are updated periodically; please check our website for the most up-to-date version of this overview).

Results: At this update, searching of electronic databases retrieved 47 studies. After deduplication and removal of conference abstracts, 22 records were screened for inclusion in the overview. Appraisal of titles and abstracts led to the exclusion of 10 studies and the further review of 12 full publications. Of the 12 full articles evaluated, three systematic reviews and four RCTs were added at this update. We performed a GRADE evaluation for six PICO combinations.

Conclusions: In this systematic overview, we categorise the efficacy for seven interventions based on information relating to the effectiveness and safety of casein hydrolysate milk, cranial osteopathy, Lactobacillus reuteri (probiotic), low-lactose milk, soya-based infant feeds, spinal manipulation, and whey hydrolysate milk.