Colic

• May be caused by food allergy.

In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 38 bottle-fed colicky babies were fed either casein hydrolysate or cow's milk formula, and the mothers of 77 breast-fed colicky infants were given either a low-allergen, additive free diet or a control diet. The babies on the active treatment had a significantly greater rate of improvement than those on the control diet, with distress reduced by 39%, compared with only 16% among controls. Hill DJ et al: A low allergen diet is a significant intervention in infantile colic: results of a community-based study. J Allergy Clin Immunol 96(6 Pt 1):886-92, 1995.