A comprehensive definition of infant colic: parents' and nurses' perspectives

Colic is a term that is often used for crying in infancy. There is no unified definition, the aetiology is disputed and there is no effective method of treatment. Therefore, the crying infant constitutes a problem for parents and for nurses in child health clinics. The purpose of the study was to develop a clinically acceptable framework for describing colic. The design is exploratory, and data were collected through qualitative in-depth interviews with nurses and parents of crying babies. The infants identified by parents and nurses had periods of crying or fussing for more than 3 hours a day, the crying occurring on more than 3 days in any 1 week and lasting for more than 3 weeks. Three categories of crying emerged (intense crying, non-specific fussing and crying, feeding-related crying) that presumably differ in aetiology. An overall definition of colic is proposed that incorporates these categories. The proposed definition may function as a diagnostic tool for nurses when they encounter problems of infant crying. The definition provides nurses with clinical criteria that can guide data collection. More specific assessment and categorization of infant crying will be helpful for nurses in addressing problems of colic.