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AAP News Vol. 14 No. 12 December 1998, p. 2 © 1998 American Academy of Pediatrics
Two recent studies suggest ways for pediatricians to help parents understand and manage infant colic. Colicky infants' crying was reduced from nearly four hours a day to about an hour daily after parents were counseled on how to identify and respond quickly to their babies' needs. In this study of 23 full-term, otherwise healthy infants younger than 3 months old, parents kept a diary of crying times for three days before treatment. Fourteen of the babies who exhibited symptoms associated with colic, including inconsolable crying for an average of at least two hours a day, were then assigned randomly to one of two treatment groups. Nine noncolicky babies made up the nontreated control group.
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