Infantile colic: Is there a role for dietary interventions?

Infantile colic is a behavioural syndrome of early childhood that is associated with irritability and crying. It self-resolves, but may lead to significant parental strife. The etiology is unknown; however, several investigators have examined the effect of nutrition on infantile colic. For the majority of infants, nutritional interventions appear to have no benefit on infantile colic. However, a minority of infants may display symptoms of infantile colic secondary to a cow’s milk protein allergy. In these cases, a maternal hypoallergenic diet for breastfed infants and an extensively hydrolyzed formula for bottle-fed infants may result in resolution of colic. There is no proven role for the use of soy-based formulas or of lactase therapy in the management of infantile colic, and these interventions are not recommended. Currently, there are insufficient data to make a recommendation on the effect of probiotics for infantile colic. In all cases of infantile colic, it is important to ensure that there is sufficient parental support available.