The "Colic" Enigma: Prolonged Episodes of a Normal Predisposition to Cry.

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Bibliographic Details
Title:	The "Colic" Enigma: Prolonged Episodes of a Normal Predisposition to Cry.
Authors:	Barr, Ronald G.
Source:	Infant Mental Health Journal. Winter90, Vol. 11 Issue 4, p340-348. 9p.
Subjects:	Colic, Abdominal pain, Abdominal pain in children, Neonatal diseases, Crying in infants, Infants, Child psychopathology, Crying, Infant psychology, Mental health, Pediatrics
Abstract:	‘Colic’ is an ill-defined but common complaint typically thought to be a sign of an underlying disease process or a clinical entity distinct from the crying t hat characterizes normal in rants. In this paper, an alternative hypothesis is suggested. The general argument is that colic represents the upper end of the spectrum of the crying activity of normal infants. However, it is not the case that all aspects of crying will be increased: rather, that the ‘excessive’ crying in colic is due specifically to prolonged bouts of otherwise normal crying. The results of three studies in normal infants are presented to support this argument. Together, the results support the concept that the crying typical of normal infants reflects a biological predisposition to cry, which is nevertheless affected by sufficiently large changes in the caretaking environment, and that these caretaking changes preferentially affect bout length. If so, then the key to ‘colic’ may be in understanding how biology and behavior interact to produce, not just crying, but prolonged crying bouts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database:	Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection

Description
Abstract:	‘Colic’ is an ill-defined but common complaint typically thought to be a sign of an underlying disease process or a clinical entity distinct from the crying t hat characterizes normal in rants. In this paper, an alternative hypothesis is suggested. The general argument is that colic represents the upper end of the spectrum of the crying activity of normal infants. However, it is not the case that all aspects of crying will be increased: rather, that the ‘excessive’ crying in colic is due specifically to prolonged bouts of otherwise normal crying. The results of three studies in normal infants are presented to support this argument. Together, the results support the concept that the crying typical of normal infants reflects a biological predisposition to cry, which is nevertheless affected by sufficiently large changes in the caretaking environment, and that these caretaking changes preferentially affect bout length. If so, then the key to ‘colic’ may be in understanding how biology and behavior interact to produce, not just crying, but prolonged crying bouts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:	01639641
DOI:	10.1002/1097-0355(199024)11:4<340::AID-IMHJ2280110405>3.0.CO;2-9