Colic

The word colic, which stems from the Greek “kolikos,” the adjective of “kolon,” refers to acute and unexpected abdominal pain, independent of age. Infantile colic is a widespread clinical condition affecting between 5 and 28% of infants in the first 3 months of life. It refers to paroxysms of excessive, high-pitched, inconsolable crying that is frequently accompanied by flushing of the face, tensing of the abdomen, clenching of the fists, drawing up of the legs, and passing of gas in an otherwise healthy infant.

The classical and most often cited definition of infantile colic emerged from a study by Wessel and colleagues in 1954 and is based on the rule of threes: “periods of crying that last for 3 hours or more per day for 3 or more days per week for a minimum of 3 weeks.” This condition generally resolves spontaneously by the age of 3 months.