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Colic - infantile - Management
When should treatment for infantile colic be considered, and with what?
- The most useful intervention is support for parents and reassurance that infantile colic will resolve.
- Only consider trying medical treatments if parents feel unable to cope despite advice and reassurance. The options for medical treatments are:
- A 1-week trial of simeticone drops (breastfed or bottle-fed).
- A 1-week trial of diet modification to exclude cow's milk protein:
- Breastfed babies: dairy-free diet for the mother.
- Bottle-fed babies: hypoallergenic formula.
- A 1-week trial of lactase drops (breastfed or bottle-fed).
- Only continue treatment if there is a response (i.e. the duration of crying shortens).
- If there is no response to one medical treatment, consider trying another.
- Breastfeeding mothers should take a calcium supplement if they are going to remain on a dairy-free diet long term.
- If the baby does respond to lactase or hypoallergenic diet, reassure the parents that this does not necessarily mean that they are lactose intolerant or allergic to cow's milk. These are rare conditions that affect very few babies with infantile colic.
In depth
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