| Abstract [eng] |
Introduction. Infantile colic is one of the most common problems in the early period of life of infants, manifested by repeated, strong crying of the baby that is difficult to calm. Usually baby colic begins from a few weeks of age, can last up to several months and occurs in 3 to 40% of infants. Despite the relevance of this problem, the pathogenesis and aetiology of colic are still not completely clear. According to scientific literature, colic can be caused by nutritional and gastrointestinal immaturity, characteristics of the intestinal microbiota, food intolerance, psychosomatic causes. Although infant colic is not a malignant disease, it can cause a lot of anxiety for parents and disrupt family relationships. Various measures are used to alleviate the baby's discomfort, but there is still a lack of a treatment strategy that is suitable for everyone. The aim. To determine the methods used in Lithuania for the treatment of infant colic and to conduct a review of the scientific literature on infant colic. Objectives 1) To conduct a survey of parents about the means used in the treatment of infant colic. 2) To conduct a literature search on the etiology, pathogenesis, and pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment of infant colic. Subjects and methods. The study was conducted using an anonymous survey method. The survey was posted on February 10, 2023 in Facebook groups related to infant feeding, infant raising, and parenthood challenges, and was also shared on Instagram and the website www.tevudarzelis.lt (Appendix 1). Data were collected until April 15, 2023, when the questionnaire was removed. The characteristics of colic, the means used to relieve symptoms, and their effectiveness based on the parents' opinions were analysed. The scientific literature on infantile colic was searched in PubMed, Science Direct Web of Science, and Scopus databases. The literature analysis included publications published between 2001 and 2025. The search used the following keywords in English: "infantile colic", "causes of infantile colic", "infantile colic etiology", "infantile colic treatment", "infantile colic probiotics". Results. The study included 713 responses from parents. Colic occurs equally in boys and girls, born naturally and by caesarean section, in full-term and premature babies. The most commonly used and most successful measures, according to parents, are abdominal massage, exercise, and holding the child in a special position. Simethicone is a frequently used measure, but its effectiveness is questionable. The use of probiotics, an elimination diet, and changing the formula (PM) often had no effect on the symptoms of colic and were evaluated more negatively than positively. The majority of parents experience very strong stress (8-10 points) due to infant colic, and almost half of them seek medical attention for this reason. Conclusions. 1. The occurrence of colic was not influenced by gender, mode of birth, or prematurity. 2. The most effective measures for reducing colic symptoms are individual, combined use of measures. 3. Parents raising babies with colic experience significant stress. |
