Shedding light on excessive crying in babies.

CONCLUSIONS: Our results offer novel insights into IC pathophysiology by demonstrating that, shortly after birth, the central nervous system of babies developing IC has already greater reactivity to sensory stimuli than that of their noncolicky peers.
IMPACT: Shortly after birth, the central nervous system of colicky infants has a greater sensitivity to olfactory stimuli than that of their noncolicky peers. This early sensitivity explains as much as 48% of their subsequent crying behavior at 6 weeks of life.Brain activation patterns to olfactory stimuli in colicky infants include not only primary olfactory areas but also brain regions involved in pain processing, emotional valence attribution, and self-regulation.This study links earlier findings in fields as diverse as gastroenterology and behavioral psychology and has the potential of helping healthcare professionals to define strategies to advise families.
PMID: 32629458 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Source: Pediatric Research - July 5, 2020 Category: Pediatrics Authors: Adam-Darque A, Freitas L, Grouiller F, Sauser J, Lazeyras F, Van De Ville D, Pollien P, Garcia-Rodenas CL, Bergonzelli G, Hüppi PS, Leuchter RH Tags: Pediatr Res Source Type: research