Gastrointestinal symptoms of infantile colic and their change after light needling of acupuncture: a case series study of 913 infants

This study included 913 infants with normal weights, and lengths at birth. The infants' mean age was 5.4 weeks when the observations started, and had colic symptoms since two weeks after birth. Light needling stimulation of the acupuncture point LI4 was performed for 10-20 seconds bilaterally on a daily basis for a mean of 6.2 consecutive days. A questionnaire with verbal rating scales for the parents' evaluation was used before and after the treatment period.Before treatment the infants were assessed by the parents in terms of 'often have inflated stomachs' (99%) and 'seldom drool' (76%), 'regurgitate' (53%) and 'belch' (62%). Moreover, the reported frequency of defecation was 5-8 times per day (64%), with a yellowish-green colour (61%) and with a water-thin consistency (74%). After treatment, the variables of inflated stomachs, drooling and regurgitating were systematically changed, and rated by the parents as occurring 'sometimes' while belching was rated as occurring 'often' and the frequency of defecation was reduced to 1-4 times/day with a mustard yellow colour and a gruel-like consistency. The parents also rated their impression of the infants' general colic symptoms including crying behaviour as much ameliorated in 76% of the cases.The results of the present study show that minimal acupuncture at LI4 in infantile colic is an effective and easy treatment procedure that, furthermore, is reported to be without serious side effects.Infantile colic is reported to have an incidence rate between 5% and 19% in prospective studies on infants aged less than three months [1,2]. The classical definition of infantile colic is 'a seriously fussy or colicky infant who is otherwise healthy and well fed but has paroxysms of irritability and fussing or crying, more than three hours per day, more than three days per week for more than three weeks, or symptoms so severe that medication is indicated' [3], and this definition is still valid for diagnosis [1]. Thus, the clinical d