Sequelae of infant colic: evidence of transient infant distress and absence of lasting effects on maternal mental health.
BACKGROUND
Colic is widely believed to remit by 3 months of age, with little lasting effect on the infant or the family.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of colic at 3 months and the proportion of cases of colic (identified at 6 weeks) that remitted by 3 months; to identify the factors predictive of colic's remission; and to explore the potential lasting effects of colic on maternal mental health.


METHODS
Prospective cohort study of 856 mother-infant dyads. Self-administered questionnaires were mailed to mothers at 1 and 6 weeks and 3 and 6 months post partum. Standardized instruments were incorporated into the first and last questionnaires to assess maternal anxiety, postnatal depression, and social support. At 6 weeks and at 3 months, mothers completed the Barr diary and/or the Ames Cry Score.


RESULTS
Data from 547 dyads were available for analysis. The prevalence of colic at 3 months was 6.4%. More than 85% of cases of colic had remitted by 3 months of age. These infants were more likely to be female, whereas the mothers of these infants were more likely to have received pain relief during labor/delivery and to have been employed during pregnancy. Reductions in scores for trait anxiety and postnatal depression, although smaller for mothers whose infants were colicky at 6 weeks of age, were not significantly different from those of mothers whose infants were never colicky.


CONCLUSIONS
This study provides support for the belief that, in most cases, colic is self-limiting and does not result in lasting effects to maternal mental health.
Clifford
Tammy J
TJ
Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, 401 Smyth Rd, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1H 8L1. tclifford@cheo.on.ca
Campbell
M Karen
MK
Speechley
Kathy N
KN
Gorodzinsky
Fabian
F
D003085:Colic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003448:Crying / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008603:Mental Health; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires