Abstract
Background: Infant colic is a self-limiting condition reported in the past decade. It is a syndrome distinguished by uncontrollable crying in a healthy baby and begins in the early weeks of life and settles around six months. This study aimed to explore the understanding of infant colic and the cultural practices regarding its management by women in a particular village of Limpopo province in South Africa. Methods: A qualitative phenomenological, exploratory and descriptive design was used to explore cultural practices regarding the management of infant colic by women at the particular village of Vhembe District, Limpopo province. Participants were selected based on their availability or accessibility for study purpose. Data was collected through unstructured interview, observational notes and field notes from 16 participants. The central question was: “What is your understanding of infant colic, and how do you manage it?” Tesch’s eight steps of open-coding was used to analyse data. Ethical clearance to conduct the study was obtained from the University of Venda Research Ethics Committee. The local authorities permitted interaction with the participants in the villages. The trustworthiness of the study was ensured through credibility, dependability, transferability and confirmability. Results: The misconceptions about infant colic, use of self-medication, cultural norms, taking the baby to the traditional and religious practitioners emerged during the analysis. Conclusion: The traditional approach to managing infant colic not be ignored because their forefathers discovered the formula, and it must be included and respected by citizens in the country.
Highlights
Infant colic is a self-limiting condition reported in the past decade
Various literature described Infant colic (IC) as a “syndrome characterised by excessive, unexplained paroxysmal crying in an otherwise healthy baby, which typically starts in the first few weeks of life and naturally resolves between 3-5 months” [2, 5]
At the time of the interviews, two women had matric but could not study further due to financial constraints, and one indicated that there was no one to look after her baby
Summary
Infant colic is a self-limiting condition reported in the past decade. It is a syndrome distinguished by uncontrollable crying in a healthy baby and begins in the early weeks of life and settles around six months. Infant colic (IC) has been defined by Zeevenhooven et al [1] as ‘a commonly reported phenomenon of excessive crying in infancy with an enigmatic and distressing character’. The cry is described as a high-pitched scream, occurring mainly in the late afternoon or worsening in the evening. It can happen at any time of the day [2]. Zeevenhooven et al [1] mention that despite its characteristics, there is little consensus on the definition and the treatment of IC
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