A LOW ALLERGEN DIET IS A SIGNIFICANT INTERVENTION IN INFANTILE COLIC - RESULTS OF A COMMUNITY-BASED STUDY

Background: The effect of diet change in 38 bottle-fed and 77 breast-f ed ''colicky'' infants, referred from community-based pediatric facili ties was studied over a 1-week period in a double-blind (within each f eeding mode), randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Methods: Bottle-fe d infants were assigned to either casein hydrolysate or cow's milk for mula. All mothers of breast-fed infants were started on all artificial color-free, preservative-free, additive-free diet and also randomized to an active low allergen diet (milk-, egg-, wheat-, nut-free) or a c ontrol diet. Results: The response to diet was assessed on day I and d ay 8 with the use of a previously validated infant distress chart on w hich parents recorded distress levels. IS successful outcome was defin ed as a reduction in distress of 25% or more, after adjusting for age and feeding mode, infants on active diet had a significantly higher ra te of improvement than those on the control diet (odds ratio, 2.32; 95 % confidence interval, 1.07-5.0; p = 0.03). Analysis of the day 8 to d ay I distress ratio, again adjusted for age and feeding mode, showed t hat infants on the active diet had distress reduced by 39% (95% confid ence interval, 26-50) compared with 16% (95% confidence interval, 0-30 ) for those on tile control diet (p = 0.012). Conclusion: The results suggest a period of dietary modification with a low allergen diet and appropriate nutritional support should be considered in healthy infant s with colic.