ICPA - Colic

Colic

Colic: Chiropractic can help

Colic is defined as an unexplainable and uncontrollable crying in babies from 0 to 3 months old, more than 3 hours a day, more than 3 days a week, for 3 weeks or more, usually in the afternoon and evening hours. The incidence is thought to be about 22.5%. Colic places babies at a high risk for child abuse, including CNS damage or death from shaken baby syndrome.

A recent study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiologic Therapeutics ⁽¹⁾ has concluded, "Spinal manipulation is effective in relieving infantile colic". For a period of two weeks, half of the subjects underwent chiropractic spinal manipulation, while the other half received the drug dimethicone. All of the adjusted babies stayed in the study, while only 64% of the dimethicone babies completed the two-week study. In the course of the study, the children being adjusted saw a 67% reduction in crying and the drug therapy group saw only a 38% reduction in crying. The mean number of adjustments given during the two-week study was 3.8.

One might question the effect of the dropouts from the drug group. The authors commented on this as follows: "By excluding data from the dropouts, we are excluding more severe cases from the dimethicone group, and this has the effect of making that group appear better than it actually was. Thus we are introducing a serious bias against showing a positive effect of spinal manipulation, and despite this, the manipulation group did significantly better."

The findings of this report echo the results of another recent report entitled "The efficacy of chiropractic spinal adjustments ments as a treatment protocol in the management of infantile colic" by Mercer and Cook of South Africa.

Thirty infants from the general public between the ages of 0-8 weeks were randomly divided into two treatment groups. All participating infants were diagnosed as suffering from infantile colic by pediatrician before inclusion into the study. The infants were allocated into the placebo or the experimental group according to the random sampling technique.

The results obtained from the study demonstrated a significant difference in the response to treatment by the experimental group as opposed to the control group. Complete resolution of symptoms was found by 93% of the infants within the two-week treatment period with a maximum of six treatments. In addition, no recurrence of the infantile colic was observed in any experimental infant between cessation of treatment and the follow-up interview one month later.

Similar results have also been found in a study of 316 children where a satisfactory result occurred within 2 weeks in 94% of the cases receiving chiropractic care. 51% of these infants had prior, unsuccessful treatment, usually drug therapy (83%). ⁽²⁾ In yet another study of 132 infant's with colic, 91% of the parents reported an improvement, which occurred after an average of two to three manipulations, and one week after the treatment started. ⁽³⁾

References:

1. Wiberg JMM, Nordsteen J, Nilsson N. The Short-Term Effect of Spinal Manipulation in the Treatment of Infantile Colic: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial with a Blinded Observer J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1999 (Oct); 22 (8): 517-522

2. Klougart N, Nilsson N, Jacobsen J Infantile Colic Treated by Chiropractors: A Prospective Study of 316 Cases J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1989 (Aug); 12 (4): 281-8

3. Nilsson N Infant Colic and Chiropractic Eur J Chiropr 1985; 33 (4): 264-265

Colic and Chiropractic

Colic is a disorder in which an infant has episodes of uncontrollable crying, which often occurs at a predictable times of day or night. However, some infants cry almost incessantly. About 10-20% of infants less than 4 months of age suffer from infantile colic. ⁽¹⁾ Although colic is not detrimental to an infant's health, it can place tremendous stress on the family.

While colic has been blamed on too much gas in the intestine, dietary problems and birth trauma ⁽²⁾ the precise cause of colic is not known today. Researchers have investigated a wide variety of therapies, including formula changes, pharmacotherapy and infant positioning maneuvers, but study results have been conflicting, controversial and inconclusive. At present, behavioral management, supportive counseling and parental reassurance are the mainstays of treatment. However, no effective cure for this disorder is known. ⁽³⁾

However, research is showing that chiropractic care can help. Recently a randomized clinical trial (RCT) by Wiberg et al. has concluded "Spinal manipulation is effective in relieving infantile colic." ⁽⁴⁾ The research team enrolled infants who were diagnosed with infantile colic. For a period of 2 weeks, half of the subjects underwent chiropractic spinal manipulation, while the other half received the drug dimethicone. "From trial day 5 onward the manipulation group did significantly better that the dimethicone group," according to the report. Specifically, in the course of the 12 days of the study, the children receiving chiropractic adjustments saw a 67% reduction in crying and the drug group saw a 38% reduction in crying. The mean number of adjustments given during the 2 week study was 3.8.

This report adds to a growing body of scientific research that supports the efficacy of chiropractic care for children with colic. ^(5-9) In a prospective study of 316 children a satisfactory result occurred within 2 weeks in 94% of the cases receiving chiropractic care. 51% of these infants had prior, unsuccessful treatment, usually drug therapy (83%). ⁽¹⁰⁾ In another study of 132 infant's with colic, 91% of the parents reported an improvement, which occurred after an average of two to three manipulations, and one week after the treatment started. ⁽¹¹⁾

As research indicates, chiropractic care for the correction of vertebral subluxation may play an important and effective role in the cessation of infantile colic.

References:

1. Becker K, Pauli-Pott U, Beckmann D Infantile colic as maternal reason of consulting a pediatrician: characteristics of mother and child Prax Kinderpsychol Kinderpsychiatr. 1998 (Nov); 47 (9): 625-40

2. Michailov MK, Akberov RF. X-ray symptomatology and differential diagnosis of functional obstruction of the digestive tract in children induced by birth injuries of the spine and spinal cord Radiol Diagn (Berl) 1989; 30 (6): 669-74

3. Balon AJ Management of infantile colic Am Fam Physician 1997 (Jan); 55 (1): 235-42, 245-6

4. Wiberg JM, Nordsteen J, Nilsson N. The Short-term Effect of Spinal Manipulation in the Treatment of Infantile Colic: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial with a Blinded Observer J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1999 (Oct); 22 (8): 517-522

5. Pluhar GR; Schobert PD; Vertebral subluxation and colic: A case study J Chiro Research and Clin Invest 1991; 7 (3): 75-6

6. Killinger, LZ, Azad A. Chiropractic care of infantile colic: A case study J Clin Chiro Peds 1998; 3 (1): 203-6

7. Van Loon, M. Colic with projectile vomiting: A case study J Clin Chiro Peds 1998; 3 (1): 207-10

8. Sheader, WE Chiropractic management of an infant experiencing breastfeeding difficulties and colic: A case study J Clin Chiro Ped 1999; 4 (1): 245-7

9. Cuhel JM; Powell M. Chiropractic management of an infant patient experiencing colic and difficulty breastfeeding: A case report J Clin Chiro Ped 1997;. 2(2): 150-4

10. Klougart N, Nilsson N, Jacobsen J Infantile Colic Treated by Chiropractors: A Prospective Study of 316 Cases J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1989 (Aug); 12 (4): 281-8

11. Nilsson Infant Colic and Chiropractic Eur J Chiropr 1985; 33 (4): 264-265

Colic Linked With Allergy

A just-published study confirms what many parents and chiropractors have long suspected: colic is associated with allergy. Researchers in Finland tracked 116 infants for one week at seven weeks of age, and for one week at 12 weeks of age. The study revealed that 38% of children who showed signs of allergies at 2 years of age were significantly more fussy during their seventh week and were more likely to have a colic-type cry during their twelfth week, compared with allergy-free babies.

Kalliomäki M, Laippala P, Korvenranta H, Kero P, Isolauri E. Extent of fussing and colic type crying preceding atopic disease Arch Dis Child 2001 (Apr); 84 (4): 349-50

Colicky babies may have trouble digesting juice

This study found that so-called "colicky" infants were more likely to suffer from gas and sleep problems after drinking apple juice, which contains high concentrations of the sugars sorbitol and fructose. Additionally, infants with these digestive difficulties were more likely to have tried fruit juice at an earlier age than other babies who had no digestive problems

Association Between Infantile Colic and Carbohydrate Malabsorption From Fruit Juices in Infancy Pediatrics 2002 (May); 109 (5): 797-805