Breastfeeding moms who eliminate certain allergens from their diets may find that their babies' colic lessens in severity, researchers from the University of Melbourne in Australia say.
The moms of 90 colicky, breastfeeding 6-week-old infants were divided into two groups:
- One group, the low-allergen diet group, eliminated all foods containing dairy products, soy, wheat, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, and fish from their diet for a week. The moms in this group ate only vegetables, fruits, cereals, meats, and a rice milk drink.
- The other group, the control group, ate a normal diet for a week, including all of the items that the low-allergen group eliminated.
At the beginning and end of the week, both groups of moms recorded how often their infants cried or fussed over a period of 48 hours. They also recorded everything they ate and drank over the study period and whether they thought their infant responded differently after their diet changes.
At the start of the study, the infants in both groups cried more than 10 hours over a 48-hour period. But by the end of the study, 74% of infants whose mothers were in the low-allergen group had a significant reduction in the amount of time they spent fussing or crying, compared with only 37% of the infants whose mothers were in the control group.
What This Means to You: The results of this study indicate that breastfeeding moms with colicky babies who eliminate certain foods from their diets may see significant improvement in the duration of their babies' colic symptoms. Keep in mind, though, that eliminating foods from your diet may have risks, especially since lactating moms need extra nutrients to provide themselves and their babies with adequate nutrition. If your baby has symptoms of colic, first talk to your child's doctor about what to expect and for advice on strategies to deal with crying. If you do try to eliminate certain foods from your diet to alleviate colic, you should only do so under the close monitoring of a doctor or dietitian.
Source: David J. Hill, FRACP; Neil Roy, FRACP; Ralf G. Heine, MD, FRACP: Clifford S. Hosking, MD, FRACP; Dorothy E. Francis, APD; Jennifer Brown, RN; Bernadette Speirs, RN; Joel Sadowshy, FRACP; John B. Carlin, PhD; Pediatrics, November 2005.
Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: December 2005
