Abstract

Objective: This study aims to examine the experiences of mothers of infants with infantile colic and to obtain information about the etiology of infantile colic, the attempts to eliminate infantile colic and its effects on the mother and baby.

Methods: The research was conducted in a descriptive, cross-sectional designer. This study was conducted with 140 mothers who voluntarily agreed to participate in the study, who brought their babies to the healthy pediatric outpatient clinic of a training and research hospital, had a 0-6-month-old infantile colic baby. Research data; was collected using the Mother Baby Information Form.

Results: It was found that 65% (n=91) of the mothers avoided certain foods during the breastfeeding period, and 56.7% (n=51) of the babies had a decrease in colic pain after the food avoidance behavior. It was observed that 72.1% (n=101) of the mothers applied a pharmacological method to their babies for treating colic, and the most used drug type was simeticon (39.6%, n=40). It was observed that 88.6% (n=124) of the mothers applied a nonpharmacological method to their babies for treating colic, and the most used non-pharmacological method was massage (45.2% n=56). When the relationship between non-pharmacological methods used by mothers participating in the study to reduce colic and the effectiveness of these methods was evaluated, mothers who applied massage to their babies reported that there was a change in the condition of their babies after the application (χ2=7.513; p =.023).

Conclusion: The treatment of infantile colic, it was observed that most mothers used medical and complementary therapies together and the rate of mothers who benefited from complementary therapies was higher than medical treatment.