What does colic have to do with migraines? According to a new study by neurologists at the University of California in San Francisco (UCSF), quite a lot. Researchers found that moms who suffer from migraine headaches are "more than twice as likely to have babies with colic than mothers without a history of migraines."
The theory goes that colic might well be an early symptom of migraine, and babies whose moms suffer tend to be more sensitive to stimuli like light and noise. The finding is significant because excessive crying is cited as a common trigger for shaken baby syndrome, which can cause brain damage and even death.
"If we can understand what is making the babies cry, we may be able to protect them from this very dangerous outcome," said child neurologist at UCSF, Dr. Amy Gelfand.
Interestingly, colic—excessive crying in an otherwise healthy infant—was thought to be caused by gastrointestinal problems, namely an immature digestive system. Although, despite more than 50 years of research, there is still no definitive link to suggest gastrointestinal issues are to blame for colic, which affects babies regardless of whether they are fed breast milk or infant formula.
Researchers surveyed 154 new mothers about their babies' crying patterns as well as their own history of migraine, then analyzed their responses to make sure the babies' behaviour fit the clinical definition of colic.
The results found that mothers who suffered migraines were two-and-a-half times more likely to have colicky babies compared to those whose mothers did not have migraines.
The UCSF team plans to follow these babies over the course of their childhood to see if they ultimately suffer from migraine.
Are you as surprised by these findings as I was? Any migraine sufferers out there with a colicky baby?
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