[Infantile colic as maternal reason of consulting a pediatrician: characteristics of mother and child].

About 10-20% of infants under four months of age suffer from infantile colic (IC), an excessive screaming behaviour caused by multiple factors. WESSELS et al. (1954) definition is that babies in usually good health and nutritional condition are screaming/whining more than three hours daily, more than three days weekly for no apparent reasons. The question is whether/in what way daily routines of infants concerned differ from normal infants. Mothers of colicky infants (n = 25) and mothers in a control group (n = 25) record characteristics of the mother/child relationship, their assumptions why the child is screaming, care and attention they provide and babies' reactions. For seven days the mothers kept a diary about the babies' behaviour and worked on questionnaires concerning social support received, depressant effects and exhaustion. Interviews about the extent of care provided as well as personal thoughts and emotions were conducted. The "colic group" formed two subgroups: one fulfilling Wessels criteria (Wessel-Koliker; WK), the other more conforming with the "control group" babies though mothers complained about screaming (Non-Wessel-Koliker; NWK). "Colic group"-babies received more attention and care (compared to the "control group" babies), attempts to calm them down frequently failed and mothers in this group reacted less promptly to their babies' screaming. "NWK-group"-mothers strongly tend to attribute the babies' screaming to "meteorism" or "discontent". No differences existed between groups concerning social support, depressant effects and exhaustion. There is a risk that the colic may negatively influence the mother/child interaction beyond three months.