ArticleBMC pediatrics2021
Association between colic and sleep problems in infancy and subsequent development, emotional and behavioral problems: a longitudinal study.
Article in BMC pediatrics, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 12 citations in OpenAlex.
- Exclusive breastfeeding and infant colic: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC pediatrics · 2026Pooled it
- The longitudinal association of combined regulatory problems in infancy and mental health outcome in early childhood: a systematic review.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2024Pooled it
- Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: Early Irritability as a Transdiagnostic Neurodevelopmental Vulnerability to Later Mental Health Problems.Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry · 2024Pooled it
- Breaking the cycle: Psychological and social dimensions of pediatric functional gastrointestinal disorders.World journal of clinical pediatrics · 2025Article
- Infants' early recovery from sleep disturbance is associated with a lower risk of developmental delay in the Japan Environment and Children's Study.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Retrospective Study on the Association Between Climate Factors and Infant Colic in Beijing (2021-2022).Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare · 2024Article
- Night Sleep and Parental Bedtime Practices in Low-Risk Preterm and Full-Term Late Talkers.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Efficacy and Safety of a Colic Relief Remedy in Infantile Colic.Global pediatric health · 2022Article
- Infant crying problems related to maternal depressive and anxiety symptoms during pregnancy: a prospective cohort study.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSleep and colic problems in infancy have been linked to adverse health outcome, but there is limited knowledge of the association between sleep and colic problems in infancy and subsequent development, emotional and behavior problems in young children. The aim of the present study was to examine whether there is an associations between infants' crying and sleep problems at 6 months and behavioral and development problems at 18 months, 3 and 5 years.
methodsThis study is based on the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa), conducted at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health from June 1999 to December 2008. A total of 86,724 children were included. Colic and sleep (sleep duration, nocturnal awakenings and easy to put to bed) was assessed by mother-reports. Z-scores were used to assess differences between groups of children (e.g. having colic or not, having a sleep problem or not). Emotional and behavioral problems were measured with items from the Child Behavior Checklist. Development problems were measured with items from The Ages and Stages Questionnaire.
resultsInfants with colic scored significantly lower on development at 5 years (B=-0.10, CI [- 0.14 to - 0.06]) and higher on internalizing problems both at 3 years (B=0.15. CI [0.11 to 0.18]) and 5 years (B=0.17. CI [0.12 to 0.21]) than the reference population. Children who awoke frequently and were more difficult to put to bed at 6 months scored significantly lower on development at 18 months and 3 and 5 years, and higher on internalizing behavior problems at 3 and 5 years (B=0.18 and B=0.16). Children with shorter sleep duration at 6 months had more internalizing behavior problems at 3 years (B=0.14. CI [0.07 to 0.21]) and 5 years (B=0.15. CI [0.05 to 0.25]) than the reference population.
conclusionsColic and sleep problems early in life should be taken into account as risk factors for development and behavioral problems within the first 5 years of a child's life.
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