Treating infant colic using acupuncture Parents’ experiences of the child’s behavior before and after treatment. Published in Vård i Norden 1-2005 by Kajsa Landgren, leg sjuksköt, and Inger Hallström, leg barnsjuksköt, docent. Excerpt from the study’s conclusion Colic in newborns causes pain and problems for both the suffering newborns and their parents. Acupuncture is used to relieve the symptoms, but has, as yet, not been scientifically proven to be able to cure colic in newborns. In this study the experience of parents, whose 68 children received acupuncture treatment, was examined. The way the parents described the baby’s behavior and feeding pattern was analyzed. The typical categories prior to treatment were Cries almost all the time while awake Bouts of crying Impossible to calm down and crying hysterically Suffers even when not crying Restless sleep or no sleep at all Stiff as a board Explosive green faeces Comfort eating After treatment the categories were changed to Improvement after the first treatment Worse the first few days and then improving Better and better Changes in faeces Eats less frequent No change The parents of 67 of the 68 children participating in the study reported that the children’s crying normalized following the treatment. According to the parents the children slept more soundly, they seemed more content and required less frequent feeding.

Acupuncture in colic

- a study

Treating infant colic using acupuncture

Parents’ experiences of the child’s behavior before and after treatment.

Published in Vård i Norden 1-2005 by Kajsa Landgren, leg sjuksköt, and Inger Hallström, leg barnsjuksköt, docent.

Excerpt from the study’s conclusion

Colic in newborns causes pain and problems for both the suffering newborns and their parents. Acupuncture is used to relieve the symptoms, but has, as yet, not been scientifically proven to be able to cure colic in newborns. In this study the experience of parents, whose 68 children received acupuncture treatment, was examined. The way the parents described the baby’s behavior and feeding pattern was analyzed.

The typical categories prior to treatment were

• Cries almost all the time while awake
• Bouts of crying
• Impossible to calm down and crying hysterically
• Suffers even when not crying
• Restless sleep or no sleep at all
• Stiff as a board
• Explosive green faeces
• Comfort eating

After treatment the categories were changed to

• Improvement after the first treatment
• Worse the first few days and then improving
• Better and better
• Changes in faeces
• Eats less frequent
• No change

The parents of 67 of the 68 children participating in the study reported that the children’s crying normalized following the treatment. According to the parents the children slept more soundly, they seemed more content and required less frequent feeding.