A STUDY ON REGULATORY PEPTIDES OF THE GUT AND
PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS IN INFANTILE COLIC
Osman G 1,
El Shakankiry H 2, Zaki M 3, and Noman N 4
1,2, 4 Children’s Hospital, Ain Shams School of
Medicine, Cairo, Egypt
3 Clinical Pathology Dep., Ain
Shams School of Medicine, Cairo, Egypt
Objective: To assess the level of gastrin, gastric
inhibitory peptide (GIP), neurotensin (NT) and peptide tyrosin tyrosin
(PYY), as markers of intestinal motor activity, as well as the psychosocial
factors in full term breast fed infants presenting with infantile colic.
Methods: The study was conducted on 64 full term
breast-fed infants, 3-12 weeks old, fulfilling the Wessel’s criteria
of infantile colic. 26 healthy infants of matched age were included as a
control group. Each enrolled infant was subjected to full history taking,
through a comprehensive questionnaire form, thorough clinical examination,
and psychological assessment of the mother using the State-trait Anxiety
Inventory, as well as laboratory estimation of fasting serum gastrin and
fasting plasma GIP, NT and PYY levels of colicky infants and control group.
Results: Significant difference was found between
colicky infants and the control group as regards the levels of PYY and NT.
Moreover, the pattern of gastrointestinal peptides studied in the different
age groups of colicky and age matched control infants was different. A
significant increase in the incidence of anxiety state among mothers of
infants with colic was found especially at the age group > 6-9 weeks.
Conclusion:
In view of this study,
we could conclude that immaturity of gut regulatory peptides resulting in
gut motility disturbance may play an important role in the pathogenesis of
infantile colic. Reactional anxiety of mothers may further alter the mother-infant
interaction.