Colic as an Infant Linked to Migraines Later

A baby screaming for three hours a day, three days a week, for at least three weeks (the definition of colic) does not make for a happy new family.  A baby with colic is frustrating to say the least.  While most conventional medical treatment focus on the digestive system, new research shows colic might originate somewhere else.

Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the study links colic in babies to migraines later in life.  The study found that children and teens treated for migraines at hospitals were much more likely than other kids to have colic in infancy (73% of migraine patients vs. 27% of control group).

Migraines are thought to be caused by irritation in the nerve cells that interact with brain blood vessels.  If you’ve had a colicky baby, you know there is certainly something irritating them, too!

This may explain why chiropractic care works so well for children with colic.  Since the spinal bones in the top of the neck interact with both nerve cells AND blood vessels going to the brain, specific chiropractic adjustments help improve the function of both.  Our office has had countless patients with migraines and others with colic that have found relief with chiropractic, even after trying several conventional approaches that didn’t work for them.  This is why many patients with migraines or colic are referred to our practice by other healthcare providers.

This study has the potential to alter the treatment for colic.  Please tell your friends struggling with a colicky baby to give us a call.