EVALUATION OF CHATURBEEJA ARKA IN MANAGEMENT OF UDARSHOOL WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO INFANTILE COLIC-A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL

Infantile colic characterizes by persistent and inconsolable crying in infants more in the evening than at other times of the day .

Infantile colic is a common condition causing abdominal discomfort in newborns during the first few weeks after birth. The etiology of colic is still unknown, as the studies conducted so far have been restricted due to inadequate blinding and conflicting or inconsistent results. Many proposed contributing factors, such as biological, gastrointestinal, and psychosocial elements, define colic causes.

Infant crying follows a developmental pattern, starting to increase around 2 weeks of age (corrected for gestational age at birth), peaking at 5 to 6 weeks, and declining by about 12 weeks.

The prevalence of infantile colic between the age 0 to 6 months, ranges between 10 to 15 percentage.

The most common drug used for the treatment of infantile colic is simethicone which are more in line with the conclusion that this product is a safe placebo without significant therapeutic effects(4) and other common group of drugs like dicyclomine /dicycloverine which have adverse effects such as drowsiness, constipation, loose stools, and altered consciousness even when given at standard dosages.Hence there is growing need for more effective treatment modality for infantile colic.

The condition Infantile Colic can be correlated with Udarshoola as described in various Ayurvedic classics. In Ayurveda, various treatment modalities have been described by the Acharyas for the management of Udarashoola. One such formulation is Chaturbeeja Arka as mentioned in Ravanakrita Arka prakasha. This formulation possesses Shoolahara, Vatahara, Anulomaka , Deepana-Pachana properties. Due to its palatable nature, rapid onset of action, and efficacy in lower doses, chaturbeeja arka might be more effective in treating infantile colic.