Table 1.
Characteristics, study design and quality rating of included studies
| Author, year | Country of study | Participants reported condition | Type of study design and follow-up period (FU) | Intervention | Outcomes reported | Quality appraisal |
| Browning and Miller,32 2008 | UK | Colic | Randomised controlled trial (RCT) (spinal manual therapy versus occipital decompression FU: 4 weeks post-treatment |
Chiropractic | Sleep Resolution of symptoms |
High |
| Hayden and Mullinger,33 2006 | UK | Colic | RCT Osteopathic treatment versus no treatment FU: 4 weeks |
Osteopathy | Parents involvement Sleep Crying |
Mod |
| Herzhaft-Le Roy et al, 38 2017 | Canada | Breastfeeding difficulties | RCT groups: osteopathic treatment versus sham FU: over 10 days |
Osteopathy+lactation consultant | Feeding Nipple pain Global improvement |
High |
| Miller et al,34 2012 | UK | Colic | RCT: treatment blinded versus treatment not blinded versus no treatment blinded FU: 10 days |
Chiropractic | Crying Improved Global change |
High |
| Neu et al,35 2014 | USA | Gastro-oesophageal reflux | Pilot RCT: massage versus no massage FU: 6 weeks |
Massage therapy | Parent–child relations | High |
| Olafsdottir et al,36 2001 | Norway | Colic | RCT: chiropractic versus no treatment FU: over 8–14 days |
Chiropractic | Crying hours Improvement of symptoms | Mod |
| Wiberg et al,37 1999 | Denmark | Colic | RCT: chiropractic versus dimethicone FU: between 8 and 11 days |
Chiropractic | Daily hours of infantile colic | Low |
| Miller and Phillips,47 2009a | UK | Colic | Controlled cohort study FU: behaviour at 2–3 years of age |
Chiropractic | Sleep Temper tantrums |
Low |
| Miller and Newell,46 2012b | UK | Colic | Prospective cohort study FU: end of treatment (duration, not reported) |
Chiropractic | Consolability, crying personal stress, sleep |
Low |
| Miller et al,49 2016 | UK | Breastfeeding difficulties | Service evaluation (survey) FU: 6–12 weeks after attending clinic |
Chiropractic and midwife | Breastfeeding | Mod |
| Vallone,48 2004 | USA | Breastfeeding difficulties | Cohort study: infants with breastfeeding difficulties versus infants without difficulties FU: over 6–8 weeks |
Chiropractic | Feeding | Low |
| Davies,39 2007 | Australia | Irritable bowel syndrome | Case series FU: over 30 days |
Chiropractic | Resolution of symptoms | Mod |
| Elster,40 2009 | USA | Acid reflux and/or colic | Retrospective case series FU: over 2 weeks–6 months |
Chiropractic | Resolution of symptoms | Low |
| Marchand et al,41 2009 | UK | ‘Headache’ behaviours | Retrospective case series FU: none |
Chiropractic | Improvement of symptoms | Low |
| Miller and Benfield,43 2008 | UK | Colic | Retrospective case review FU: over a 2-year period |
Chiropractic | Adverse events | Mod |
| Miller and Miller,42 2009 | UK | Breastfeeding difficulties | Prospective case series FU: within a 2-week period |
Chiropractic | Improvement in feeding Number of treatments |
Mod |
| Stewart,44 2012 | Australia | Breastfeeding difficulties | Case review/before and after study FU: at end of treatment (duration, not reported) |
Chiropractic | Improvement feeding behaviour | Low |
| Wiberg and Wiberg,45 2010 | Denmark | Colic | Retrospective review of clinical records FU: 11 years |
Chiropractic | Crying time | Mod |
| Cornall,50 2015 | Australia | Breastfeeding difficulties | Qualitative study FU: none |
Osteopathy | Observation regarding ‘the osteopathic therapeutic cycle’ | High |