Infant Colic May Increase Risk of Future Food Allergies, suggests study

A new longitudinal study published in The Journal of Pediatrics suggests that infants who experience colic may have a higher risk of developing food allergies later in childhood, indicating a possible early-life link between gastrointestinal symptoms and immune-related conditions.

infants who experience colic may face a significantly higher risk of developing food allergies as they grow older, highlighting the possible early-life indicator for allergic conditions.

This research followed 1,263 children who were enrolled in a large pre-birth cohort study, from infancy through mid-adolescence. The study was set understand whether early-life crying patterns (infant colic or excessive crying without colic) were associated with later food allergies and immune responses.

Infant colic, defined in the study as episodes of unsoothable crying accompanied by apparent abdominal discomfort, affected about 25% of participants. Another 10% experienced excessive crying without the defining features of colic, while the remaining children had neither condition.

The findings revealed that children who had colic in infancy were more likely to develop food allergies in early childhood when compared to those who did not. Also, 13% of children with a history of colic had food allergies, when compared to just 8% among unaffected children. After adjusting for other factors, this study found that colic was associated with a 70% increased risk of developing any food allergy.

By early adolescence, children who had experienced colic were more than twice as likely to have peanut allergies and over two-and-a-half times more likely to have tree nut allergies when compared to their peers without early crying issues. These increased risks persisted into mid-adolescence, which suggests a lasting association.

Also, this study examined a subset of 242 children with available immune biomarkers. In this group, those with a history of colic were found to have significantly higher levels of food-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE). When compared to 11% of those without colic, 22% of children with colic showed sensitization to peanuts in early childhood.

In contrast, infants who experienced excessive crying without signs of colic did not show an increased risk of food allergies or IgE sensitization. This distinction highlighted that not all early crying patterns carry the same implications for future health.

Overall, this research emphasize that infants with colic could benefit from established food allergy prevention strategies, such as the early and consistent introduction of common allergenic foods.

Reference:

Switkowski, K. M., Oken, E., Simonin, E. M., Nadeau, K. C., Rifas-Shiman, S. L., & Lightdale, J. R. (2026). Associations of colic and excessive crying in infancy with food allergy outcomes in childhood and adolescence. The Journal of Pediatrics, 115111, 115111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2026.115111