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. 2025 Aug:283:114623.
doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2025.114623. Epub 2025 Apr 23.

Associations of Infant Colic and Excessive Crying With Atopic Outcomes in Childhood and Adolescence

Karen M Switkowski  1 , Emily Oken  2 , Elisabeth M Simonin  3 , Kari C Nadeau  3 , Sheryl L Rifas-Shiman  4 , Jenifer R Lightdale  5
Affiliations

Associations of Infant Colic and Excessive Crying With Atopic Outcomes in Childhood and Adolescence

Karen M Switkowski et al. J Pediatr. 2025 Aug.

Abstract

Objective: To assess the extent to which risks of atopic and respiratory conditions throughout childhood and adolescence differ by history of (1) infant colic, characterized by apparent abdominal discomfort and unsoothable crying, (2) excessive crying without colic, or (3) neither condition.

Study design: Among 1249 children participating in the prospective, unselected Project Viva cohort, we examined associations of history of infant colic or excessive crying without colic with risks of eczema, allergic rhinitis, asthma, and respiratory infections, measured in toddlerhood, early childhood, mid-childhood, early adolescence, and mid-adolescence using multinomial logistic regression models.

Results: The study sample was 50% female and 71% non-Hispanic White; 26% had colic and 9% excessive crying. Children with colic (vs no colic or excessive crying) had higher risk of eczema (relative risk ratio [RRR], 2.1; 95% CI, 1.2-3.8), allergic rhinitis (RRR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.1-2.4), and asthma (RRR, 1.6; 95% CI,1.1-2.4) in mid-childhood, and a higher risk of respiratory infections in toddlerhood (RRR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.2-2.2) and mid-adolescence (RRR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.2, 3.7). The risk of 2-3 concurrent atopic conditions (eczema, allergic rhinitis, and/or asthma) was nearly twice that among the colic group (vs unaffected) at all life stages. The group with excessive crying without colic did not have increased risk of atopic and respiratory outcomes.

Conclusions: Colic characterized by unsoothable crying and parent perceptions of abdominal distress may be an early marker of atopic susceptibility.

Keywords: Project Viva; allergic rhinitis; asthma; cohort study; eczema; respiratory infection.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest J.R.L. serves as a consultant to Reckitt Mead-Johnson, Perrigo and ByHeart and has received research funding from AbbVie. Supported by the US National Institutes of Health (grants R01 HD034568, UH3 OD023286, R24 ES030894). Sources of support had no involvement in the study design; collection, analysis or interpretation of data; or writing of the manuscript.

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