Probiotics , fennel extract  and  spinal manipulation  show promise to alleviate symptoms of colic , although some concerns remain .
Background Infantile colic is a distressing condition characterised by excessive crying in the first few months of life .
The aim of this research was to up date the synthesis of evidence of complementary and alternative medicine ( CAM ) research literature on infantile colic and establish what evidence is currently available .
Effect of minimal acupuncture for infantile colic: a multicentre, three-armed, single-blind, randomised controlled trial (ACU-COL)
Background Evidence for treating infantile colic with acupuncture is contradictory . Aim To evaluate and compare the effect of two types of acupuncture versus no acupuncture in infants with colic in public child health centres ( CHCs ) . Methods A multicentre , r and omised controlled , single-blind , three-armed trial ( ACU-COL ) comparing two styles of acupuncture with no acupuncture , as an adjunct to st and ard care , was conducted . Among 426 infants whose parents sought help for colic and registered their child 's fussing/crying in a diary , 157 fulfilled the criteria for colic and 147 started the intervention . All infants received usual care plus four extra visits to CHCs with advice/support ( twice a week for 2 weeks ) , comprising gold st and ard care . The infants were r and omly allocated to three groups : ( A ) st and ardised minimal acupuncture at LI4 ; ( B ) semi-st and ardised individual acupuncture inspired by Traditional Chinese Medicine ; and ( C ) no acupuncture . The CHC nurses and parents were blinded . Acupuncture was given by nurses with extensive experience of acupuncture . Results The effect of the two types of acupuncture was similar and both were superior to gold st and ard care alone . Relative to baseline , there was a greater relative reduction in time spent crying and colicky crying by the second intervention week ( p=0.050 ) and follow-up period ( p=0.031 ) , respectively , in infants receiving either type of acupuncture . More infants receiving acupuncture  cried <3 hours/day , and thereby no longer fulfilled criteria for colic , in the first ( p=0.040 ) and second ( p=0.006 ) intervention weeks . No serious adverse events were reported . Conclusions Acupuncture appears to reduce crying in infants with colic safely . Trial registration number NCT01761331 ; Results
Probiotics , fennel extract  and  spinal manipulation  show promise to alleviate symptoms of colic , although some concerns remain .
Background Infantile colic is a distressing condition characterised by excessive crying in the first few months of life .
The aim of this research was to up date the synthesis of evidence of complementary and alternative medicine ( CAM ) research literature on infantile colic and establish what evidence is currently available .