Infant Colic

Abstract

The term “colic” implies abdominal pain of intestinal origin. However, it has never been proved that colicky crying is caused by pain in the abdomen or anywhere else. The previous edition of the Rome Criteria excluded infant colic from consideration as a functional gastrointestinal disorder. Nevertheless the abdominal pain attribution persists and pediatric gastroenterologists receive referrals of babies with refractory colic or infants who cry excessively due to unsuspected colic. Therefore, familiarity with the “colic syndrome” is necessary for the avoidance of diagnostic and therapeutic misadventures.