If we understood the mechanism of infant colic, life would be so muchueasier for parents and pediatricians. Being a new parent is difficult, but being the parent of a fussy infant is infinitely more challenging. An estimated 1O°/o to 26% of infants experience colic, which was defined by Wessel in his classic 1954 article as occurring in an otherwise healthy infant who cries for >3 hours per day, >3 days per week, for >3 weeks in duration. Colic begins during the second week of life, peaks at 6 weeks, and resolves between 12 and 16 weeks. It is equally common in both breast- and bottle-fed infants. Although crying is normal for all infants, averaging 2.2 hours per day, those with colic cry excessively, are more difficult to console, have disrupted sleep, and are the source of much parental anxiety. Mothers of colicky infants are at higher risk for postpartum depression and are more likely to stop breastfeeding early. Infants who are excessively fussy are at higher risk for child abuse. There is no racial, socioeconomic, or gender prevalence for colic.
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