Infantile colic is commonly recognized as unexplained paroxysms of excessive crying often associated with marked irritability and abdominal discomfort. The “rule of three” may be used to define infantile colic: crying for more than three hours per day, for more than three days per week, and for longer than three weeks in an infant who is adequately fed and otherwise healthy (Roberts, 2004). Infantile colic develops within few weeks after birth, often peaking around six weeks of age and resolving when the infant is three to four months old. Often, the baby cries at predictable times of the night or day yet in some babies the crying may be constant. Although infantile colic is self-limited with no long-term adverse effects, it can be especially
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The physiological mechanism in which acupuncture reaps its benefits is debatable in the scientific community. A popular theory determined by clinical trials finds acupuncture treatment to result in stimulation and release of neurochemicals, such as beta-endorphins, enkephalins, and serotonin. In addition, acupuncture may stimulate independent, self-regulatory processes and therefore would explain its use in treatment of extremely diverse array of pathologic conditions (Moffett, 2006). Recent evidence shows acupuncture to be a safe, alternative modality for pediatric patients (Birch et al, 2004). In traditional Chinese medicine, the symptoms associated with infantile colic most often reflect the syndromes of “food stagnation” and “Spleen Qi Xu.” (Landgred et al, 2010)
In 2010, a randomized, double blind study in Sweden investigated whether acupuncture reduces the duration and intensity of crying in infants with colic with 81 otherwise healthy infants of two to eight weeks old. Standardized acupuncture was performed on the study group for two seconds in the acupuncture point LI4, in six visits to the acupuncture clinic over the course of three weeks. This minimal acupuncture resulted in shorter duration and reduced intensity of crying in infants with colic (Landgred et al,
The physiological mechanism in which acupuncture reaps its benefits is debatable in the scientific community. A popular theory determined by clinical trials finds acupuncture treatment to result in stimulation and release of neurochemicals, such as beta-endorphins, enkephalins, and serotonin. In addition, acupuncture may stimulate independent, self-regulatory processes and therefore would explain its use in treatment of extremely diverse array of pathologic conditions (Moffett, 2006). Recent evidence shows acupuncture to be a safe, alternative modality for pediatric patients (Birch et al, 2004). In traditional Chinese medicine, the symptoms associated with infantile colic most often reflect the syndromes of “food stagnation” and “Spleen Qi Xu.” (Landgred et al, 2010)
In 2010, a randomized, double blind study in Sweden investigated whether acupuncture reduces the duration and intensity of crying in infants with colic with 81 otherwise healthy infants of two to eight weeks old. Standardized acupuncture was performed on the study group for two seconds in the acupuncture point LI4, in six visits to the acupuncture clinic over the course of three weeks. This minimal acupuncture resulted in shorter duration and reduced intensity of crying in infants with colic (Landgred et al,