The Effect of Chiropractic Treatment on Infantile Colic A Randomized, Controlled Trial
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Purpose
Infantile colic is a condition that affects more than 10% of babies and their families. The reason, and hence the proper treatment, for this condition is unknown and many causes have been suggested. One of the treatments that parents choose is chiropractic manipulation. In Denmark, around 4,000 babies are treated for colic by chiropractors each year although the effect of chiropractic treatment of infantile colic has not been properly scientifically evaluated.
The effect of chiropractic treatment on infantile colic needs to be investigated since this is a very common disorder with no known effective treatment but with good empirical evidence of the value of chiropractic treatment. Although it is usually considered to be a benign and self-limiting condition, some studies suggest there might be long-term effects in terms of psychomotor problems. In worst case, the infants' crying may also lead to violence and 'shaken baby syndrome'.
Null hypothesis: There is no effect of chiropractic treatment on the course of infantile colic.
This study is a controlled clinical trial, where infants fulfilling the diagnostic criteria for colic will be randomized into two groups. One group will receive treatment and the other won't. This will determine the overall effect and furthermore, subgroup analyses will be performed to identify possible subgroups of infants who will benefit the most from the treatment.
The results from subgroup analyses can help to identify children who might benefit from the treatment. Then treatment can be initiated early and a lot of hardship can be avoided for both the babies and the families.
| Condition | Intervention |
|---|---|
|
Infantile Colic |
Procedure: Chiropractic treatment Procedure: Visit without active treatment |
| Study Type: | Interventional |
| Study Design: | Allocation: Randomized Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment Masking: Double Blind (Subject, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor) Primary Purpose: Treatment |
| Official Title: | The Effect of Chiropractic Treatment on Infantile Colic A Randomized, Controlled Trial |
- Decrease in hours of crying [ Time Frame: Two weeks ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
| Enrollment: | 29 |
| Study Start Date: | September 2009 |
| Study Completion Date: | August 2012 |
| Primary Completion Date: | August 2012 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure) |
| Arms | Assigned Interventions |
|---|---|
|
Experimental: Chiropractic treatment
Manipulation and/or mobilisation
|
Procedure: Chiropractic treatment
Other Name: Manipulation, mobilisation
|
|
Placebo Comparator: Visit without active treatment
The child is brought in for chiropractic treatment, but no active treatment is delivered. The parents are unaware whether treatment is delivered or not.
|
Procedure: Visit without active treatment
The child is brought in for chiropractic treatment, but no active treatment is delivered. The parents are unaware whether treatment is delivered or not.
|
Detailed Description:
OBJECTIVES:
Primary: To investigate the effect of chiropractic treatment on infantile colic.
Secondary: A) To investigate if infants with suspected musculoskeletal problems respond differently to the treatment than those without. B) To investigate whether health visitors and chiropractors can agree on the diagnosis of "suspected musculoskeletal problems".
METHOD:
A randomized controlled single blind multicenter clinical trial with a nested case-crossover study.
Infants fulfilling the diagnostic criteria for colic will be recruited by health visitors and randomized to chiropractic treatment or no treatment. The parents will be unaware of the child's allocation. All children will be taken to the chiropractors' treatment room while the parents stay in the reception areas. Before treatment, both the recruiting health visitors and the chiropractors will note, whether they suspect musculoskeletal involvement or not. All analyses will be adjusted for known confounders, which will be recorded by the health visitor at baseline.
PERSPECTIVE FOR HEALTH CARE:
First of all, the study will evaluate the effect of chiropractic treatment of infantile colic. Secondly, it will clarify if the treatment effect differ between children with suspected musculoskeletal problems and those without. If children with musculoskeletal problems respond better to chiropractic treatment than others, the study will also indicate whether the health nurse is able to identify these children.
Eligibility| Ages Eligible for Study: | up to 10 Weeks |
| Genders Eligible for Study: | Both |
| Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- Age: 2-10 weeks.
- Minimum crying and fussing: three hours per day, three days per week.
Exclusion criteria:
- Known disease.
- Unsatisfying weight gain.
- Psychological or developmental compromise.
- Contraindications for chiropractic treatment.
Contacts and Locations| Denmark | |
| Nordic Institute of Chiropractic and Clinical Biomechanics | |
| Odense, DK, Denmark, 5230 | |
| Study Director: | Lise Hestbaek, PhD | Nordic Institute of Chiropractic and Clinical Biomechanics |
More Information
No publications provided
| Responsible Party: | Lise Hestbaek, senior researcher, Nordic Institute of Chiropractic and Clinical Biomechanics |
| ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT00954759 History of Changes |
| Other Study ID Numbers: | RCT Colic, CVK S-20090056 |
| Study First Received: | August 6, 2009 |
| Last Updated: | November 6, 2012 |
| Health Authority: | Denmark: The Danish National Committee on Biomedical Research Ethics |
Keywords provided by Nordic Institute of Chiropractic and Clinical Biomechanics:
|
Infantile colic Chiropractic Manipulation Randomized controlled trial |
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
|
Colic Abdominal Pain Pain Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms, Digestive |
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on June 17, 2013