Define the term infant colic and explain what can be done to alleviate the condition.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Infant colic is defined as crying for more than three hours a day when the cause is not a medical problem. It is widely believed that components of maternal diet are related to infant colic. An observational trial suggested that a mother's consumption of cow's milk, onions, cabbage, broccoli, and chocolate were associated with greater likelihood of colic in the infant. A randomized trial assessing maternal avoidance of cow's milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, and fish resulted in a reduction in colic symptoms of their infants in the first six weeks of life. Women should be encouraged to exclude only those foods that seem to cause problems and to be careful to replace nutrients that might be lost by avoiding classes of foods. For example, excluding dairy foods may limit calcium and vitamin D intake.