Assessment of the severity of infant crying and its impact on parents: Development and validation of the ColiQ Questionnaire in France

Infant formulas for the treatment of functional gastrointestinal disorders: A position paper of the ESPGHAN Nutrition Committee

Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID), such as infant regurgitation, infant colic, and functional constipation, are common and typically physiological phenomena during the early months of an infant's life and account for frequent consultations with pediatricians. Various infant formulas are marketed for their management and are frequently given by parents to infants before a medical consultation. However, the evidence supporting their effectiveness is limited and some have altered nutritional compositions when compared to standard formulas. Thus, these products should only be used under medical supervision and upon medical advice. Marketing and over-the-counter sales do not ensure proper medical guidance and supervision. The aim of this position paper is to review the current evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of formulas specifically formulated for addressing regurgitation, colic, and constipation, recognized as FGID. The objective is to provide guidance for clinical management based on the highest quality of available evidence. A wide search using Pubmed, MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews was performed including the MESH terms infant formula, colic, constipation, regurgitation, reflux, palmitate, lactase, lactose, magnesium, hydrolyzed protein, prebiotics or probiotics. 752 papers were identified and screened. Finally, 72 papers were included in the paper. In the absence of evidence, recommendations reflect the authors' combined expert opinion. Final consensus was obtained by multiple e-mail exchange and meetings of the Nutrition Committee. (1) For breastfed infants experiencing FGID such as regurgitation, colic, or constipation, transitioning from breastfeeding to commercial formulas is not recommended. (2) In general, whether an infant is breastfed or formula-fed, it's crucial to reassure parents that FGIDs are normal and typically do not necessitate treatment or change to a special formula. (3) Thickened formulas, often termed anti-reflux formulas, may be considered in specific cases of regurgitation. (4) The usage of specialized formulas for infants with colic is not advised due to a lack of clinical evidence. (5) In the case of constipation in infants, the use of formulas enriched with high β-palmitate and increased magnesium content may be considered to soften the stool. Generally, there is limited evidence supporting the use of specialized formulas for FGID. Breastfeeding should never be discontinued in favor of formula feeding.

Treatment of infant colic with craniosacral therapy. A randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the number of craniosacral therapy sessions that can be helpful to obtain a resolution of the symptoms of infantile colic and to observe if there are any differences in the evolution obtained by the groups that received a different number of Craniosacral Therapy sessions at 24 days of treatment, compared with the control group which did not received any treatment.

METHODS

Fifty-eight infants with colic were randomized into two groups of which 29 babies in the control group received no treatment and those in the experimental group received 1-3 sessions of craniosacral therapy (CST) until symptoms were resolved. Evaluations were performed until day 24 of the study. In this study crying hours served as primary outcome. The secondary outcome were the hours of sleep and the severity, measured by an Infantile Colic Severity Questionnaire (ICSQ).

RESULTS

Significant statistical differences were observed in favor of experimental group compared to the control group on day 24 in crying hours (mean difference = 2.94, at 95 %CI = 2.30-3.58; p < 0.001) primary outcome, and also in hours of sleep (mean difference = 2.80; at 95 %CI = - 3.85 to - 1.73; p < 0.001) and colic severity (mean difference = 17.24; at 95 %CI = 14.42-20.05; p < 0.001) secondary outcomes. Also, the differences between the groups ≤ 2 CST sessions (n = 19), 3 CST sessions (n = 10) and control (n = 25) were statistically significant on day 24 of the treatment for crying, sleep and colic severity outcomes (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Babies with infantile colic may obtain a complete resolution of symptoms on day 24 by receiving 2 or 3 CST sessions compared to the control group, which did not receive any treatment.