chronic

Infantile Colic

Treatment options, dosing, cautions and Egyptian brands from the shipped Dawaa Reference card.

Evidence status

Checked against the sources named below

Sources2 sources

NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries Infantile Colic 2022 · Egyptian National Drug Formulary - Gastrointestinal Tract 2025 (simethicone monograph)

Verified against2 documents

Egyptian National Drug Formulary - Gastrointestinal Tract 2025 (simethicone monograph)
Infantile Colic - disease-level clinical article (infantile-colic-clinical.txt)

Verified date2026-08

Presentation reference

Reference only, to read alongside your own examination.

Crying is loud, sudden and high-pitched, reflecting the infant's abdominal discomfort [abdominal pain]
Blood in the stool raises concern for a dairy protein allergy, soy-related colitis, an anal fissure, or intussusception [bloody diarrhoea · diarrhoea]
Forceful, projectile vomiting suggests pyloric stenosis or bowel obstruction instead of colic [stricture · vomiting]
Crying that begins after 3 months of age or persists past 4 months falls outside the usual colic pattern and needs further work-up [abdominal pain]
A colicky infant otherwise looks well and gains weight as expected
It begins in the second or third week of life
The crying is persistent and inconsolable, in a baby who is otherwise healthy and well fed [excessive crying]
It is behind 10% to 20% of all visits to a paediatric provider in the first few weeks of life
The core of it is excessive crying, irritability and screaming that cannot be consoled, running 3 hours or more with no cause to be found [excessive crying · irritability]
The usual soothing methods do not work while an episode is running

A bulging soft spot on the head raises concern for raised intracranial pressure or meningitis rather than colic
Oral thrush or tongue-tie on exam points to a feeding problem rather than colic
Reduced bowel sounds or abdominal tenderness on exam suggests obstruction, not colic [abdominal tenderness]
Bruising or other signs of trauma on exam should raise concern for non-accidental injury [bruising]
A hair tourniquet wrapped around a finger, toe or the genitals is a specific, fixable cause of unexplained crying
Episodes tend to come in the evening, with a red face, the legs drawn up, and a tense abdomen

Colic is a clinical diagnosis; labs and imaging generally aren't needed when history and exam are reassuring
Rome IV requires the crying to start and resolve before 5 months of age, be otherwise unexplained, and occur without poor weight gain, fever or illness
The older Wessel rule pins colic to crying lasting a minimum 3 hours daily, occurring at least 3 days each week, persisting beyond 3 weeks
A positive fecal occult blood test points toward cow's milk protein allergy as the cause of the crying
The diagnosis is only confirmed in retrospect, when the crying settles on its own

Dairy-protein allergy or intolerance to formula affects well under 5 percent of infants with colic-like crying
Testicular torsion or an inguinal hernia should be excluded as a cause of the crying
Supraventricular tachycardia is the cardiac cause to rule out
Pyloric stenosis, reflux or bowel obstruction are the treatable gut causes to exclude
Early signs of autism spectrum disorder are a rare cause, usually only recognised in hindsight

SourceStatPearls "Infantile Colic" - disease-level clinical article

Presentation findings are traced to the source above.

1st line

Strength40 mg

Formoral.liquid

Adult dose and duration

Not applicable - not applicable

Paediatric dose

Children: 100 to 200 mg orally 3 to 4 times daily or as required.

Dose source

Egyptian National Drug Formulary - Gastrointestinal Tract 2025 (simethicone monograph)

Why

Pediatric condition presented in infant care.

Cautions

Exclude red flags: poor weight gain, vomiting, fever, or blood in stool.
Defined by Rule of 3s: crying >3 hours/day, >3 days/week, >3 weeks in healthy infant.
Reassure parents that condition is benign and self-limiting by 3-4 months.

Egyptian brands

Egyptian brand	Manufacturer	Indicative price
BABY REST 40MG/0.6ML ORAL DROPS 15 ML	PHARCO	16.00 EGP
SIMETHICONE 2% (30ML) ORAL DROPS.? strength differs? different route - not oral liquid	AMRIYA	24.00 EGP
SIMETHICONE-MUP 2% EMULSION ORAL DROPS 30 ML? strength differs? different route - not oral liquid	MUP	27.00 EGP

1st line

Dose source

Infantile Colic - disease-level clinical article (infantile-colic-clinical.txt)

Why

Carries the referral criteria and warning signs for this condition, which apply whichever treatment is chosen.

Cautions

The red flags include fever requiring sepsis evaluation, abdominal distension, and onset outside the 3-4 month window.

Prices are indicative (dataset snapshot 2026-06); verify with the pharmacy.