Maternal Anxiety and Infantile Colic

Abstract

Is maternal anxiety a primary cause of in fantile colic, or is it merely a result of the colic? The problem is perplexing because to date all studies but one ¹ have investi gated the situation retrospectively, after the onset of colic. In addition, confusion has re sulted from vague definitions of colic and inadequate assessments of maternal emo tions.

This study carefully defines colic, investi gates maternal anxiety in the immediate postpartum period, and then compares the anxiety with the presence or absence of colic during the first four months. All interviews and examinations and the evaluation of the data were done in the course of a busy prac tice by a pediatrician with a special interest in child behavior.

Forty mothers expressed some anxiety. There was significantly more colic among their babies (27.5%) than among the babies of 63 mothers without anxiety (3.2%).

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