Background: The aetiology of infantile colic remains
unknown. However, altered gut microbiota composition has been reported
in children with the disorder.

Objective: The objective of
this study was to determine the associations between perinatal factors
potentially affecting gut colonization and infantile colic.

Methods:
Altogether 48 infants with colic and 29 controls were selected from 2
ongoing clinical studies. Infants with and without colic were comparable
with regard to their background characteristics.

Results:
A significant difference was detected in intrapartum antibiotic use and
breastfeeding rates between infants with and without colic. The
association between exposure to intrapartum antibiotics and infantile
colic remained statistically significant after adjusting for potential
confounding factors.

Conclusions: Since intrapartum
antibiotic exposure may have an effect on early gut colonization, our
finding is consistent with the association between aberrant early gut
microbiota composition and development of colic. Antibiotic-exposed
neonates may represent a novel target group for preventive intervention
studies.