Investigating Infant colic and Inflammation

Understanding the cause of infant colic can help determine how we approach and treat this condition. For years, the reason behind why infants suffer from colic has not been fully understood although it remains one of the most common problems during the first 4 months of life!

Recent studies have been focused on how the gut flora influences the immune system and the development of immune-mediated diseases.

There are two significant findings from these studies:

The link between colic + inflammation - these studies have been instrumental in showing that infants with colic have a higher degree of inflammation in the intestine (gut) than children without colic.

The anti-inflammatory effect of certain probiotics – selected probiotics have been shown to have an anti-inflammatory action in the gut of children with colic.

Previous studies have shown that a microbial imbalance exists in the gut of infants with colic. Together with the knowledge that inflammation may also be contributing to the onset of colic in infants, this gives us a better understanding in our approach and care of these infants.

(Image: Supplied)

REUTERINA® has strong evidence for use in infants with colic. With just 5 drops-a-day for a period of 28 – 30 days REUTERINA® significantly reduces the daily crying time of infants with colic as compared to infants receiving a placebo drop. Together with this positive clinical response, we now also know that REUTERINA® has an anti-inflammatory effect in the gut of infants with colic.

It should be noted that not all probiotics have shown a similar response in treating colic. This is what is referred to as a ‘species and strain-specific effect’. The use of another probiotic supplement may not have the same effect and therefore warrants checking if your chosen probiotic strain has evidence of effectiveness in treating colic.