Abstract
The objective of the study was to characterize how infantile colic is perceived and managed by German and Polish pediatricians. Data in both countries were collected by using a paper questionnaire with seven questions and predefined and free text fields for the answers. Answers from 160 German and 133 Polish pediatricians were collected. The average of the occurrence rates estimated by both responder groups were at the higher end of published rates. The majority of pediatricians from both countries rated the parental burden caused by infantile colic to be high or very high. Pediatricians’ awareness about the association between infantile colic and maternal depression and premature termination of breastfeeding is relatively well established in both countries. While more than 90% of German pediatricians stated knowledge of infantile colic being a major risk factor for shaken baby syndrome, this knowledge was only declared by half of the Polish responders. Pharmacological interventions, pro-/synbiotics or simethicone, are part of the treatment repertoire of nearly all responding pediatricians. In addition, non-pharmacological interventions (e.g., change of feeding, change of parental behavior) are also among the employed interventions. Results of this study will allow to better design and prioritize communication about infantile colic directed at pediatricians.
Highlights
Infantile colic is defined by Wessel’s “rule of 3s”, crying or fussing of otherwise healthy newborns for more than three hours per day for more than three days per week for three weeks [1].Published occurrence rates of infantile colic vary widely, from 3 to 40% depending on details of diagnostic criteria [2]
The high occurrence rates and the high parental burden estimated by pediatricians in Germany and Poland confirm that infantile colic is a highly relevant problem in newborns during their first months of life
The sensitivity of individual pediatricians for the problem of infantile colic might result in a bias that is reflected in the stated estimates of the occurrence rate
Summary
Infantile colic is defined by Wessel’s “rule of 3s”, crying or fussing of otherwise healthy newborns for more than three hours per day for more than three days per week for three weeks [1].Published occurrence rates of infantile colic vary widely, from 3 to 40% depending on details of diagnostic criteria [2]. Infantile colic is defined by Wessel’s “rule of 3s”, crying or fussing of otherwise healthy newborns for more than three hours per day for more than three days per week for three weeks [1]. Infantile colic often begins at around 2 weeks of age, peaks at 6–8 weeks and largely subsides by 3–4 months of age [3]. Infantile colic is a self-limiting condition, it is a major burden for the baby, the family, health professionals and the health care system. Due to its stressful nature, infantile colic is among the leading causes why parents consult a health care professional during early infancy [4,5]. Infantile colic has been found to be strongly associated with maternal depression, measured with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) [6]. Longitudinal analyses showed that mothers of infants with colic had increased odds of having high EPDS scores 6 months after delivery even if crying
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