Colic is a condition in infants that can be extremely distressing for parents because there's often nothing mum or dad can do to console their youngster, but researchers in Italy have found that a daily dose of a probiotic could help ease the symptoms significantly.
Scientists at the University of Turin studied 90 colicky babies between April 2004 and May 2005 and found crying times decreased in children who received a daily dose of a particular probiotic - a substance that promotes the growth of microorganisms.
Their findings were published in the January issue of the Journal for the American Academy of Pediatrics.
What makes colic even more distressing for parents is the fact that colicky babies appear to be in pain when they're crying out, drawing their arms and legs into their bodies, or they may stretch out their limbs and stiffen them. Many infants cry so hard they go red in the face.
Colic affects up to a quarter of all newborn children up to three months of age.
The children involved in the Italian study were given a daily dose of the probiotic lactobacillus reuteri or simethicone, a drug used to ease gas pains, every day for 28 days. Parents were asked to take note of the children's responses.
Researchers said crying times in the probiotic kids decreased by 21 percent, from 197 minutes a day to 159 a day, while the crying times in the simethicone kids only went down by 10 percent.
After 28 days the probiotic infants were only crying for 51 minutes a day - a 75 percent drop - compared to crying times in the simethicone group, which only decreased 26 percent.
"Our results suggest the potential role of lactobacillus reuteri as a new therapeutic approach to infantile colic," says lead researcher, Dr. Francesco Savino. "The long-time safety profile of probiotics makes them a favourable alternative to all other therapeutic options for infants with colic."
While these findings are promising, parents can also take heart in the fact that nothing they've done has contributed to their child's colic. Experts still aren't sure what causes it and according to the College of Family Physicians of Canada, it isn't caused by the way a child is handled or treated.
And there's another reason mums and dads can breathe easier - colic is temporary and the distressing crying patterns should end about three months after birth.
Health Specialist Laura DiBattista will have more on this study on
CityNews at Six. Until then, here's a brief primer on colic:
What Is Colic?
It's a pattern of excessive crying in infants with no apparent cause.
What Are The Signs & Symptoms?
Predictable, recurrent crying episodes
Colicky babies usually cry around the same time every day, usually in the afternoon and evening. The episodes can last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours.
Activity
Many children pull their limbs in towards their bodies as they're crying, clench their fists and thrash around as they're crying
Intense or inconsolable crying
Mum and dad will probably be unable to comfort a colicky baby when they're crying. The crying is intense and the child's face may be flushed.
What Causes It?
Experts aren't sure but they have speculated that colic could be the result of allergies to cow's milk, an immature digestive system, increased intestinal gas and a number of others. For more, click here.
Care & Coping
For a list of things you can do that could possibly help to ease your child's crying,
click here.
Information taken from the Mayo Clinic