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Infant Colic Syndrome—Maternal Fantasies of Aggression and Infanticide

Department of Pediatrics, Beth Israel Medical Center and Albert Einstein School of Medicine, New York, NY; 161 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016

Robyn Cooper, PsyD

Department of Pediatrics, Beth Israel Medical Center and Albert Einstein School of Medicine, New York, NY

This study examined the impact of infant colic on the emotional state of the mother. Subjects were 23 pairs of mothers and their colicky infants. Structured interviews were conducted with mothers to elicit details around the colic episode and included (1) the emotional state experienced by the mother, (2) the quality and content of the mother's fantasies in response to her infant, and (3) the emotional impact on the parents. Explicit aggressive thoughts and fantasies were revealed by 16 (70%) of the mothers while six (26%) admitted thoughts of infanticide during their infant's colic episodes, a finding notable because previously this has not been documented in medical literature. All mothers experienced physical and psychological symptoms in response to their infant's colic. More than 90% of the mothers with a colicky infant experienced significant marital tension and disruption in their social contacts. The findings suggest that physician receptivity and skill in uncovering the physical and psychological impact of colic on parents is essential for the physical and emotional well-being of the family. Active support and counseling by physicians is critical to diminish any potential for abuse and infanticide in these infants.

Clinical Pediatrics, Vol. 39, No. 7, 395-400 (2000)
DOI: 10.1177/000992280003900703


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