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(1) Background: Infantile colic (IC) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder that affects around 20% of infants, and postpartum (PPD) depression is a common disorder that affects between 15 and 22% of mothers. In this study, our objective was to evaluate the relationship between the maternal psychological state in the first postpartum year and IC, with the aim of assessing the importance of feeding type in infants and maternal well-being. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in women in their first year postpartum. Demographic, medical, and obstetric data of the mothers and infants were collected, and the type of feeding was identified. The emotional status of the mother was evaluated using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and the Infant Colic Severity Questionnaire (ICSQ) was used for IC diagnosis. (3) Results: A total of 528 women were analyzed, of which 170 (32%) were diagnosed with possible PPD. Two-thirds of the women without depression breastfed their babies on demand; therefore, we report that exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) appears to reduce the risk of possible PPD ( p < 0.001; OR = 2.353). IC was present in 39% of babies, and around 70% of babies without colic were breastfed on demand. Infants who were not exclusively breastfed showed almost double the risk of developing colic ( p = 0.016; OR = 1.577). There was a significant association between the EPDS and ICSQ scores ( p < 0.001). More than half of the women with PPD had babies with colic. However, our results show that 75% of babies without colic had mothers who reported optimal postpartum emotional well-being ( p < 0.001; OR = 2.105). (4) Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that postpartum maternal psychological well-being reduces the risk of IC. Therefore, we report that EBF on demand, together with a healthy emotional state in new mothers, may be a protective factor against colic in infants., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Background: Given the possible effect of maternal anxiety on the severity of colic pain in infants, this study aimed to investigate the effects of behavioral therapy counseling on infantile colic (primary outcome), maternal anxiety, and mother-infant attachment (secondary outcomes) in anxious mothers with colicky infants., Method: This randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted on 46 anxious mothers of 2-6-weeks-old exclusively breastfed colicky infants who had a score of 112 and above according to the Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale (PSAS), reffered to the pediatric clinics of Al-Zahra, Taleghani and Children Hospitals of Tabriz, Iran. The participants were randomly assigned to the intervention (n = 23) and control (n = 23) groups using randomized block design. Mothers in the intervention group attended 8 systematic desensitization counseling sessions (2-3 sessions per week). Those in the control group received routine care. The researcher completed the Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale (PSAS), Mother-Infant Attachment Questionnaire (MIAQ), and Infant Colic Scale (ICS) by interviewing the participants before and two weeks after the intervention., Results: There was no significant difference between the intervention and control groups in the socio-demographic profile of participants. After the intervention, the mean postpartum anxiety score of women in the intervention group was significantly lower than that of those in the control group (Mean Difference (MD) = 22.5, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 2.3 to 42.7; p = 0.029). The mean infant colic score of the infants of mothers in the intervention group was insignificantly lower than that of those in the control group (MD = -2.9, 95% CI = -8.3 to 2.4; p = 0.271). In addition, no significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of their mean mother-infant attachment scores (MD = -0.04, 95% CI = -3.1 to 0.3; p = 0.976)., Conclusion: Behavioral therapy counseling effectively reduced postpartum anxiety in women with colicky infants; however, this reduction did not lead to a significant decrease in the infants' colic pain. Therefore, health care providers are recommended to use this counseling method in combination with other effective counseling approaches to promote mental health of these mothers., Trial Registration: IRCT Registration Number: IRCT20111219008459N14, registered on 08/10/2020. https://irct.ir/user/trial/45949/view., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine maternal attachment and mental health status in mothers of babies with infantile colic., Design: Cross-sectional online survey., Setting: The study was conducted on messaging and social media platforms, and groups related to mothers and babies., Participants: 380 mothers, 107 of whom had babies with infantile colic and 273 of whom had healthy babies, participated in the study., Measurement Tools and Findings: A Personal Information Form, the Maternal Attachment Inventory, and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale were used to collect data. No statistically significant relationship was found between infantile colic status and maternal attachment. The depression, anxiety and stress scores of the mothers who had babies with infantile colic were significantly higher compared to the mothers with healthy babies (p<0.05). Additionally, as the depression scores of the mothers increased, their maternal attachment levels decreased (p <0.05)., Key Conclusions: Maternal depression, anxiety and stress make it difficult for mothers to provide care for their babies. Therefore, health professionals should screen mothers who have babies with infantile colic in the postpartum period in terms of mental health. Besides, the mothers should be provided with support to assist them in coping with their Babies' colic., Implications for Practice: Health professionals should be aware that infantile colic negatively affects the mental health of mothers and increases the frequency of follow-ups of these mothers in the postpartum period. More research is needed to examine the effects of infantile colic on maternal attachment., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)