AND RELEVANCE Although L reuteri may be effective as treatment for crying in exclusively breastfed infants with colic , there is still insufficient evidence to support probiotic use to manage colic , especially in formula-fed infants , or to prevent infant crying .
IMPORTANCE  Excessive infant crying  is common , distressing , but without proven effective prevention or management options .
Probiotics may be a promising solution .
OBJECTIVE To examine whether probiotics are effective in the prevention/management of crying ( " colic " ) in infants 3 months or younger .
Health and well-being in school-age children following persistent crying in infancy.
AIM To examine the physical and mental health outcomes at school-age of a cohort of children who participated in a r and omised clinical trial of treatments for persistent crying in infancy . METHODS Participants and parents attended for a st and ard physical examination and clinical mental health assessment of the children . Parents completed the  Strength and Difficulties Question naire ( SDQ ) , Child Health Question naire ( CHQ ) , Forsyth Child Vulnerability Scale , Recent Life Events Question naire , R AND -36 Health Status Inventory and a study question naire about medical and socio-demographic characteristics . RESULTS Seventy-five of 127 ( 59 % ) traced infant-parent dyads participated . There were no significant differences in baseline demographic characteristics , infant crying or maternal stress between those who participated and those who declined . Mothers who participated had higher Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale scores . The study group had poorer mental health , as measured on the SDQ , than a community sample ( 26.3 % vs. 9.9 % abnormal cases , risk ratio 2.56 ( confidence interval 1.72 , 3.80 ) ) . Fifteen of 61 ( 24.6 % ) children who attended for the clinical mental health assessment met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , 4th edition , criteria for a mental disorder . In the 4 weeks preceding the assessment , the child 's health limited family activities more than in a community sample ( CHQ-Family Activities ; P < 0.001 ) . Parents had less time for personal needs compared with community norms ( CHQ-Parent Time ; P < 0.001 ) and were more likely to worry about their child 's health ( CHQ-Parent E ; P < 0.001 ) . CONCLUSION At school-age , children with a history of hospitalisation for persistent crying in infancy had a significantly higher prevalence of mental health problems and mental disorders , as compared with community sample
AND RELEVANCE Although L reuteri may be effective as treatment for crying in exclusively breastfed infants with colic , there is still insufficient evidence to support probiotic use to manage colic , especially in formula-fed infants , or to prevent infant crying .
IMPORTANCE  Excessive infant crying  is common , distressing , but without proven effective prevention or management options .
Probiotics may be a promising solution .
OBJECTIVE To examine whether probiotics are effective in the prevention/management of crying ( " colic " ) in infants 3 months or younger .