Talk:Infant colic/Draft

Article Checklist for "Infant colic/Draft"

Workgroup category or categories	Health Sciences Workgroup [Categories OK]
Article status	Developed article: complete or nearly so
Underlinked article?	No
Basic cleanup done?	Yes
Checklist last edited by	Christo Muller (Talk) 10:31, 11 April 2007 (CDT)

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First posting

An original Citizendium by myself with references. Now to add pictures. Comments, changes, deletions, and additions as always welcome. Links need to be added. Christo Muller (Talk) 09:59, 9 April 2007 (CDT)

Wow, very impressive! Would have been nice to have about eight months ago, although our baby didn't really have colic. What might be nice (I mean, for purely selfish personal reasons) is an article about how babies start to walk, and one on how they start to talk. --Larry Sanger 10:50, 9 April 2007 (CDT)

Another editor asks

Christo, I am working my way through. I think this is just the kind of thing that CZ can offer the world as a real benefit. I do not intend on "authoring" in the sense of adding any new ideas or information. I would like to edit this-which I have begun doing, simply for such things as language and links. Hopefully, we can get this approved. I have a first specific complaint that requires your input. I quote below: "During the attack the babies face is contorted in apparent pain (though the eyes may remain open, and the child appear alert, in contrast to, for instance, needle stick and post-operative pain)." Now that is useful for pediatricians, Recovery room nurses, house staff etc- but what about parents? They are hopefully neither sticking needles or operating on their children with enough regularity to use these examples pragmatically (that is a joke, coming from a mother- a loving mother I am told- who is also a surgeon, so please -anyone reading this-don't get too upset) - so can you re-state it? Perhaps distinguishing it from cries that parents should worry about- like meningitis or even acute otitis media, rather than dismiss as "just colic", or cries like hunger- dirty diaper that they may be familiar with?. Nancy Sculerati 11:06, 9 April 2007 (CDT)

Well done

Good job Christo. A very thorough, informative, neutral narrative. What more could we ask for. My only 2 cents were from an editing point of view noting that there was some repetition with signs and symptoms that were repeated among at least two of the sections, but it might have been necessary to keep it clear in the readers mind. Other than that, you kept me focused and answered all my questions along the way. --Matt Innis (Talk) 12:26, 9 April 2007 (CDT)

Just a bit more editing

1) the graph would benefit from a bit more of a caption. Additionally, could you actually describe some of the data it is based on? I know you have references, I'm asking you to describe the content of those references in the text, in a paragraph that refers explicitly to the excellent graph you created. 2)"It is equally wise to remember that when the health worker has not identified a definite cause for the crying, this does not exclude more serious problems with anything like 100% certainty, and conversely, where a separate disease has been diagnosed, its treatment will not necessarily solve co-incidental colic."

This sentence (quoted above) is very clear to me, but the article would benefit from its expansion, in my view. Perhaps, bearing in mind that this article is likely to be read by exasperated parents (at midnight) with a certain high pitched cry very audible in the background (as they stare at their computer screens), you could actually give a couple of theoretical cases. Interesting, easy to follow. You know- make it clear that you are making up examples, but a narrative that illustrates those important concepts of sensitivity and specificity. Just like you would probably use in talking to parents you are counseling. That's a hard one (specificity/sensitivity) for even medical students and residents to apply to real cases. Anyway, thanks, the article is really looking good. Nancy Sculerati 14:23, 12 April 2007 (CDT)

Conventional medicine: "Since both these medications cause sedation and sleepiness, it is possible that the beneficial effect is on the central nervous system. This raises the question of whether it would be wise to use such treatments indiscriminately." If you agree, I think that pointing out that in infants who at the age during which colic strikes, actual brain meyelination and synaptic connections are being made, and that drugs crossing the blood -brain barrier may have not only immediate, but, at least in theory, lasting effects. Aternative medicine:" Once the reason for their efficacy is determined, these herbals would become part of the armamentarium of scientific medicine." Perhaps a word also that a profile of side effects and safety (therapeutic index) would also be available - and is not now available for these medications. Nancy Sculerati 21:08, 12 April 2007 (CDT)

all babies in distress

Christo. I am going through again, from the beginning. I changed word order and punctuation in some places, and inserted a sentence that explains more about entry criteria in a study (without using that term.) I want to confine my role here strictly to editing, and not authoring, and I believe that I have done so, but please change any of my changes without need for explanation if you would prefer the previous language. I come to the phrase: "all babies in distress". Since it is so important to a mother or father when faced with a colicky infant to know whether the doctors think the baby actually is in distress, and the point of this section seems, to me, partly to reassure parents that the loudness and pitch of the cry of the baby is the same when they get into a crying jag; whether they are pain, hungry, or irritated by diaper rash, or suffering from catostrophic problem, as when they are not any of those things, but - as far as can be told-are actually just fine (but crying anyway.) So, this "all babies in distress", needs clarification. Do you mean "in distress", or do you mean in an episode of crying? If you mean in distress, could you be more specific. I had 2 babies and I assure you if I thought they were "in distress", neither man nor beast could have stopped me from doing something about it, let alone some doctor's written assurance that it doesn't matter. Are you implying that it's OK for my baby to be in distress? Or are you implying that's it allright for a baby to cry a lot? I'm resorting to the dictionary - give me a moment ;) Nancy Sculerati 09:16, 14 April 2007 (CDT)

For a noun, the Oxford English Dictionary uses this meaning for distress, as applies to the use of the word in the prase "in distress" (e.g. damsel in distress)" 2. a. The sore pressure or strain of adversity, trouble, sickness, pain, or sorrow; anguish or affliction affecting the body, spirit, or community. " Affliction sounds like disease to me. Nancy Sculerati 09:26, 14 April 2007 (CDT)