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Preferred term

colic  

Definition

  • Colic and colicky apply to crying behaviors in otherwise healthy infants who, despite their caregivers’ attempts at soothing, cry inconsolably. Colic has been defined as inconsolable or excessive infant crying for which no physical cause can be found and which lasts a minimum of 3 hours of total crying per day, at least 3 days a week, for at least 3 weeks throughout the infant's first 3 months of life [Wessel's Rule of Three (1954)]. The incidence of infant colic, thus defined, is estimated to affect approximately 20% of infants. [Source: Encyclopedia of Human Development; Colic]

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https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/colic

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