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Infant Colic

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Pediatric Neurogastroenterology

Part of the book series: Clinical Gastroenterology ((CG))

Abstract

Infant colic has been defined heuristically as crying during the first 3 months for 3 or more hours a day on 3 or more days a week by infants who have no organic cause for crying. Colic has characteristic features, e.g., it subsides spontaneously by 3 or 4 months of age, the crying bouts tend to occur late in the day, and the crying can be quieted, at least temporarily, by maneuvers that would not be expected to soothe an infant crying from pain or hunger. Research on infant colic has pursued two main paths. One is based on the assumption that colicky crying is due to abdominal pain; the other is based on a neurodevelopmental hypothesis, namely, difficulties in the infant’s ability to make smooth transitions of state. Neither research path has as yet produced proof of the cause of colic or a cure. Nevertheless, clinicians are called upon for help by families severely stressed by an infant who cries incessantly. This chapter addresses the challenges of how to diagnose and how to manage infant colic until it resolves.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pediatric Gastroenterology Division, Department of Child Health, University of Missouri School of Medicine, 705 Centennial Court, Columbia, MO, 65203-2993, USA

    David R. Fleisher M.D.

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  1. David R. Fleisher M.D.
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Correspondence to David R. Fleisher M.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Sainte-Justine Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, H3T 1C5, Québec, Canada

    Christophe Faure

  2. Nationwide Children's Hospital, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, 43205, Ohio, USA

    Carlo Di Lorenzo

  3. Gastroenterology and Neural Development, University College London, Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, WC1N 1EH, United Kingdom

    Nikhil Thapar

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Fleisher, D.R. (2013). Infant Colic. In: Faure, C., Di Lorenzo, C., Thapar, N. (eds) Pediatric Neurogastroenterology. Clinical Gastroenterology. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60761-709-9_31

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60761-709-9_31

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