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Colic - infantile - Evidence
Evidence for hypoallergenic diet taken by breastfeeding mother
Data regarding the effectiveness of hypoallergenic diets for breastfeeding mothers are inconclusive, but suggest that there may be some benefit.
- One randomized controlled trial of 122 infants comparing hypoallergenic diet (casein hydrolysate formula milk or maternal hypoallergenic diet [free of milk, eggs, wheat, and nuts]) with control diet (standard formula or usual maternal diet) [Hill et al, 1995], found that the hypoallergenic diet reduced infant distress: 61% of babies receiving a hypoallergenic diet (33 out of 54) had reductions in distress (as measured by parents on a validated chart) compared with 43% (26 out of 61) receiving the control diet (odds ratio 2.12; 95% CI 1.00 to 4.46; p = 0.047). However, results for both bottle-fed and breastfed infants were pooled together for analysis by hypoallergenic treatment or control in this study, limiting its usefulness.
- A previous randomized study of 17 infants found that elimination of cow's milk from the mother's diet did not have a significant effect on the symptoms of colic [Evans et al, 1981]. However, this study has several methodological weaknesses (small sample size, inadequate power, very subjective inclusion criteria) that make it difficult to draw firm conclusions [Garrison and Christakis, 2000].
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