Evaluation of perceived breast milk insufficiency in mothers of infants with infantile colic: a case-control study.

Background: Mothers' lack of information about crying spells in infantile colic and feeling of insufficiency create anxiety in mothers, a decrease in satisfaction with being a mother and make them feel insufficient and tired. Fatigue in breastfeeding mothers can also lead to changes in milk biology and cause insufficient milk secretion.

Methods: This study aims to determine the perceived breast milk insufficiency of mothers of infants with infantile colic and mothers of healthy infants. Mothers of infants aged three weeks to six months who were diagnosed with infantile colic (N.=162) and were healthy (N.=162), were admitted to the Pediatric Polyclinic of a hospital, comprised the target population of the case-controlled study. The Infant Colic Scale (ICS) and Perception of Insufficient Milk Supply (PIM) were used as data collection tools.

Results: The PIM score averages of the case and control group mothers were compared and the case group mothers had a significantly higher perception of insufficient milk (P<0.05). However, as a result of a correlation analysis between the ICS total and the subscale score average of the case group infants and the PIM Scale total score average of the mothers, no significant correlation was found (P>0.05).

Conclusions: As a result of the study, there was a significant difference between the milk insufficiency perceptions of the case and control group mothers. However, no significant correlation was found between the infantile colic score of the case group infants and insufficient milk perception of the mothers.