A preliminary assessment of the impact of cranial osteopathy for the relief of infantile colic

• Published in: Complementary therapies in clinical practice Vol. 12; no. 2; pp. 83 - 90
• Main Authors: Hayden, Clive, Mullinger, Brenda
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-05-2006
• Subjects: Attitude to Health; Clinical trial; Colic - etiology; Colic - prevention & control; Colic - psychology; Cranial; Cranial osteopathy; Crying; Delivery, Obstetric - methods; Effectiveness; Female; Head; Humans; Infant; Infant Behavior - physiology; Infant Behavior - psychology; Infantile colic; Intestinal Diseases - etiology; Intestinal Diseases - prevention & control; Intestinal Diseases - psychology; Irritable Mood; Male; Manipulation, Osteopathic - methods; Manipulation, Osteopathic - standards; Nursing; Osteopathic manipulation; Parents - psychology; Prospective Studies; Research Design; Sleep; Surveys and Questionnaires; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; Infantile colic; Clinical trial; Effectiveness; Crying; Cranial; Osteopathic manipulation
• ISSN: 1744-3881; 1873-6947
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2005.12.005

In this open, controlled, prospective study, 28 infants with colic were randomized to either cranial osteopathic manipulation or no treatment; all were seen once weekly for 4 weeks. Treatment was according to individual findings, and administered by the same practitioner. Parents recorded time spent crying, sleeping and being held/rocked on a 24-hour diary. A progressive, highly significant reduction between weeks 1 and 4 in crying (hours/24
h) was detected (
P
<
0.0
0
1
) in treated infants; similarly, there was a significant improvement in time spent sleeping (
P
<
0.0
0
2
). By contrast, no significant differences were detected in these variables for the control group. Overall decline in crying was 63% and 23%, respectively, for treated and controls; improvement in sleeping was 11% and 2%. Treated infants also required less parental attention than the untreated group. In conclusion, this preliminary study suggests that cranial osteopathic treatment can benefit infants with colic; a larger, double-blind study is warranted.