Persistent crying, especially in the evening, is a normal developmental phenomena associated with babies in their first 3 months of life; a common paediatric problem that may affect up to 40% of babies. In less than 5% of babies this distressed behaviour continues: irritability, fussing or crying which can take place for more than 3 hours a day, over more than 3 days a week; this behaviour is known to represent an infant colic (also known as infantile colic or baby colic).

Babies suffering from infant colic are affected by the following symptoms:

• their legs may be drawn up to the abdomen,
• they become flushed,
• they suffer from abdominal distension and an increased passage of flatus can be noted.

The mechanisms that cause infant colic are poorly understood and the role of dietary factors has remained controversial, but a baby with Cow Milk Allergy (CMA) often shows signs of colic and distressed behavior is one of the manifestations of the disease.

Several studies have shown that extensively hydrolyzed formulas and amino acid based formulas may help to reduce distress.