Special Formulas Improve Colicky Babies
Colic is a common symptom "that encompasses a large number of underlying diagnoses," says Clifton Furukawa, MD, head of pediatric allergy at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. He estimates that milk intolerance causes at least 8% of cases, although no one knows for sure.
However, according to Sajjad Yacoob, MD, a pediatrician at Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, milk-protein intolerance by definition is not colic. "Mostly colic is something that we haven't been able to define yet. What [these investigators] may have done is just treated a milk-protein intolerance." Neither Furukawa nor Yacoob were involved in either study.
Yacoob, who is also an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Southern California-Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles, reassures parents that colic, although nerve-racking, does no lasting damage to the baby.
Often children respond well to movement, such as riding in a car or even being placed on top of a washing machine. Nursing mothers might eliminate cow's milk or gassy foods from their diets, since compounds in these products may enter their milk.
Should these measures fail "we know that [these formulas] will work in a defined set of kids, but we recommend that people check with their pediatricians before trying them," says Kulczycki.
All of the products used in these studies are FDA-approved and contain all the nutrition growing babies need, he adds. However, they are expensive: the amino-acid formula, for example, costs approximately $50 for a 14-ounce can of powder, which lasts two to three days for an average infant. On the other hand, "What's the cost of a decent night's sleep and good interaction with your child for a few weeks?"
Alimentum and Nutramigen are available in selected grocery stores, pharmacies or can be ordered from their respective manufacturers. Neocate must be ordered from a pharmacist or directly the manufacturer.
- Two new studies suggest complete proteins given to babies can contribute to colic.
- Colicky babies tolerated formulas of fragmented protein and improved, but feeding them cow's milk led to return of colic symptoms.
- Observers interpret the studies differently, noting either that colic may be due to dietary factors or that the researchers simply treated a milk-protein intolerance.