Researcher seeks way to soothe colic

Exhausted parents and their babies could soon have a New Zealand academic to thank for a peaceful night's sleep.

New Zealander Vincent Reid, a specialist in babies' brain development, has set up a company in the British town of Stockton to test a prototype sling to sooth colic, the Evening Gazette in Middlesbrough reported.

As many as a quarter of babies are affected by extreme colic between six and 18 weeks of age and, on average, they cry for around three hours a night.

Dr Reid's sling, which is worn by the parent, is designed to alleviate cramps and calm crying by helping the baby focus on the parent's face. Later designs may also feature tiny speakers relaying soothing sounds of the mother's heartbeat.

Based on bitter personal experience of broken nights with three of his four children, and informed by observation of mothers who have visited his research labs, Dr Reid's sling will be tested by 90 infants in a randomised controlled study at Durham University, starting next month.

He said colic was not taken seriously by the medical profession because it was a transient issue and usually gone by the age of nine months.

But the impact on families, and particularly mothers, could be devastating. Some parents who experienced severe colic with their first child limited their family because they could not bear the sleep deprivation and there was a strong association between colic and maternal depression, he said.

"Most parents feel a failure. They need to feel they are doing something," said Dr Reid.

"It's a travesty that colic is not taken more seriously."Discuss your baby and sleeping habits with other Mums