For the parents of a baby with colic, the periods of unbroken crying can drive them to the brink of despair. Being a new parent is difficult enough but the inability to console a baby who appears distressed and in pain can prove too much and lead to a total loss of parental confidence. Now a new review published in the GP’s magazine the Prescriber [1], offers fresh hope to suffering parents.
The review by Dr Dipak Kanabar, consultant paediatric gastroenterologist at Guys Hospital, compared 6 alternative approaches to the treatment of colic symptoms in babies. Findings showed that while other options offered some relief, only preincubation of baby milk with a lactase enzyme such as Colief Infant Drops dramatically reduced the crying time in colicky babies.
Although there is no single cause for colic, undigested lactose in food as a result of Transient Lactase Deficiency has been identified as a causative factor in many babies suffering from colic. Undigested lactose leads to bacteriological and metabolic changes in the gut, which in turn cause pain and distress.
The review published in Prescriber confirms the findings of a double blind, placebo controlled study carried out at the Department of Paediatrics at Guys Hospital in 2001 [2], which showed that pre-treatment of feeds with lactase typically reduces crying time in responders of 45% or more.
