Excessive crying in infants
Journal Title: Jornal de Pediatria - Year 2016, Vol 92, Issue 0
Abstract
Objective Review the literature on excessive crying in young infants, also known as infantile colic, and its effects on family dynamics, its pathophysiology, and new treatment interventions. Data source The literature review was carried out in the Medline, PsycINFO, LILACS, SciELO, and Cochrane Library databases, using the terms “excessive crying,” and “infantile colic,” as well technical books and technical reports on child development, selecting the most relevant articles on the subject, with emphasis on recent literature published in the last five years. Summary of the findings Excessive crying is a common symptom in the first 3 months of life and leads to approximately 20% of pediatric consultations. Different prevalence rates of excessive crying have been reported, ranging from 14% to approximately 30% in infants up to 3 months of age. There is evidence linking excessive crying early in life with adaptive problems in the preschool period, as well as with early weaning, maternal anxiety and depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and other behavioral problems. Several pathophysiological mechanisms can explain these symptoms, such as circadian rhythm alterations, central nervous system immaturity, and alterations in the intestinal microbiota. Several treatment alternatives have been described, including behavioral measures, manipulation techniques, use of medication, and acupuncture, with controversial results and effectiveness. Conclusion Excessive crying in the early months is a prevalent symptom; the pediatrician's attention is necessary to understand and adequately manage the problem and offer support to exhausted parents. The prescription of drugs of questionable action and with potential side effects is not a recommended treatment, except in extreme situations. The effectiveness of dietary treatments and use of probiotics still require confirmation. There is incomplete evidence regarding alternative treatments such as manipulation techniques, acupuncture, and use of the herbal supplements and behavioral interventions.
Authors and Affiliations
Ricardo Halpern
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP503508
- DOI 10.1016/j.jped.2016.01.004
- Views 59
- Downloads 0
Some flaws that could change the effect sizes and limit the extrapolation of these results
Dear Editor, We have carefully read the article published by de Mello et al.,1 and we have found several important issues to discuss.
Temporal and spatial evolution of maternal and neonatal mortality rates in Brazil, 1997–2012
Objective Maternal and neonatal mortality are important public health issues in low-income countries. This study evaluated spatial and temporal maternal and neonatal mortality trends in Brazil between 1997 and 2012. Met...
Erythrocyte oxidative stress markers in children with sickle cell disease
Objective To determine eight parameters of oxidative stress markers in erythrocytes from children with sickle cell disease and compare with the same parameters in erythrocytes from healthy children, since oxidative stres...
Vascular endothelial growth factor and pulmonary hypertension in children with beta thalassemia major
Objective The purpose of this study was to illustrate the association between vascular endothelial growth factor level and pulmonary artery hypertension in children with β-thalassemia major. Method This case–control stu...
Early amplitude-integrated electroencephalography for monitoring neonates at high risk for brain injury
Article informationAbstract Full Text Bibliography Download PDF Statistics ABSTRACT Objective This study aimed to correlate amplitude-integrated electroencephalography findings with early outcomes, measured by mortality...