Screening for infantile colic and parents experiences of simethicone and probiotics: a quantitative, descriptive sub-study.

Background Colic affects at least 10% of newborns and parents seek help. The aim of this study was to present why infants whose parents sought help for colic, where not included in two colic trials and to describe the use and perceived effect of simethicone and probiotics amongst those infants who were included. Method A quantitative, descriptive sub-study based on unpublished data collected in two RCTs, examining the effect of acupuncture in 228 infants with colic. In this sub-study, screening lists and background data from a questionnaire answered by the included infant’s parents was analyzed. Results 636 infants were screened for participation in the two trials. Of these, 389 were not included as they according to the diary cried < 3 hours per day and thereby did not fulfill the criteria for colic. Either parents had overestimated the crying, or the symptoms of colic were reduced when introducing a cow’s milk free diet. Almost every included infant in the first trial (2010) and 76% in the second (2015) had been treated with simethicone but only 2,7 % and 5,4% of the parents reported effect. The use of probiotics increased from 14,8% in the first trial to 86,3% in the second trial. Zero and 3,2% respectively reported effect. Conclusion The use of a diary is valuable to assess the infants crying and can help nurses to adapt their advice and support to these families. Excluding cows milk protein helped many infants with excessive crying. Most parents had tried simethicone and probiotics without experiencing effect.