• To evaluate the intestinal microflora of colicky infants before and after the Lactobacillus reuteri or placebo administration (coliforms, Clostridium butyricum, Lactobacilli, Bifidobacteria) with FISH technique. [ Time Frame: time 0 - 21 days ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  

• Reduction of the daily average crying time from baseline to the end of the treatment period, to less than 3 hours a day, the cut-off proposed by Wessel and number of responders versus non-responders in each group at the end of the treatment [ Time Frame: time 0 - 7 - 21 days ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  

Infantile colic is one of the most common problems within the first three months of life. It consists of a behavioural syndrome characterised by paroxysmal, excessive and inconsolable crying without identifiable cause. Although infantile colic is commonly reported and causes appreciable distress for both parents and paediatricians, despite forty years of research, its aetiology still remains unclear. Recently the role of intestinal microflora has growing importance, and a lower count of intestinal lactobacilli has been observed in colicky infants compared to healthy ones. In a recent study we have observed that Lactobacillus reuteri improved colicky symptoms in breast-fed infants within one week of treatment compared to Simethicone, suggesting that probiotics may play a role in infantile colic (Savino F, Pelle E, Palumeri E, Oggero R, Miniero R.Lactobacillus reuteri (American Type Culture Collection Strain 55730) versus simethicone in the treatment of infantile colic: a prospective randomized study. Pediatrics 2007; 119:e124-30). The mechanism involved in such finding is only partially understood and, for this reason, we have planned this new study to evaluate not only the clinical improvement but also the microbiological data.