A systematic review of prevention and treatment of infantile colic

Aim: The aim of this review was to evaluate the evidence for interventions for infantile colic. Methods: This was a systematic review based on a literature search in December 2017 for articles published during 2007-2017 about preventive and treatment interventions for infantile colic in infants. The review included original randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and meta-analyses with at least 20 infants in each study group that were assessed according to GRADE criteria. Results: The review found moderately strong evidence that administration of Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 shortened the crying duration, with positive evidence from three out of four national contexts. There were four RCTs of acupuncture, all with no or minimal effect on crying duration. All studies reviewed with a follow-up until or beyond three months of age show a quite steep decline over time in crying duration in both treatment and control groups. Conclusion: Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 is a promising treatment for infantile colic with moderately strong evidence in this review, but studies in more populations are needed. Acupuncture is not an effective treatment for infantile colic. Systematic support strategies to parents with infantile colic are important knowledge gaps

Parallel genomic evolution of parasite tolerance in wild honey bee populations

Sudden biotic pressures, such as those from novel diseases and pathogens, require populations to respond rapidly or face potential extinction. How this response process takes place remains poorly understood, particularly in natural environments. In this study we take advantage of unique decade-long data sets of two wild honey bee (Apis mellifera) populations in the United States to reconstruct the evolution of tolerance to a novel parasite, the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor. Upon the arrival of Varroa, the two geographically isolated populations simultaneously suffered massive Varroa-induced mortality, but stabilized within two years. Here we sequenced and phased genomes of 465 bees sampled from both populations annually over the decade that spanned Varroa's arrival. Remarkably, we found that genetic changes were strongly correlated between the populations, suggesting parallel selective responses to Varroa parasitization. The arrival of Varroa was also correlated with an influx of genes of African origin into both populations, though surprisingly it did not substantially contribute to the overall similarity of the evolutionary response between them. Genes involved in metabolic, protein processing and developmental pathways were under particularly strong selection. It is possible that interactions among highly connected gene groups in these pathways may help channelize selective responses to novel parasites, causing completely unrelated populations to exhibit parallel evolutionary trajectories when faced with the same biotic pressure. Our analyses illustrate that ecologically relevant traits emerge from highly polygenic selection involving thousands of genes contributing to complex patterns of evolutionary change