Ante partum bed rest and unexplained infantile crying.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to assess whether bed rest during pregnancy is a risk factor for infantile colics.


METHODS
In a previous paper a questionnaire was administered to 86 women (43 of whom had stayed in bed during pregnancy for a mean of 3.4+/-1.2 months, and 43 were controls) about the clinical history and the present state of their 11-15 year old babies. In the present paper we traced these women and assessed the presence/absence of unexplained infant crying (UIC, infantile colic), diagnosed by a physician in the first year of life of these children. Forty mothers answered the inquiry, and we compared their answers with 40 control mothers.


RESULTS
Babies born after maternal bed rest during pregnancy had a higher incidence of UIC than the control group (26/40 vs 11/40; P=0.0015). No significant correlation was found between UIC and allergies or between UIC and maternal or artificial breast feeding.


CONCLUSIONS
Our retrospective study shows a possible association between bed rest and UIC: further studies, including other important variables (stress, drugs, smoking) are needed.
Bellieni
C V
CV
Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy. bellieni@iol.it
Odent
M
M
Cordelli
F M
FM
Cordelli
D M
DM
Bagnoli
F
F
Perrone
S
S
Buonocore
G
G
D001510:Bed Rest / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003085:Colic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003448:Crying; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018730:Infant Behavior; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third / Q000502:physiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires