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Why Do Babies Cry?

Ah, that would be telling. And I wish someone would tell me.

A crying baby is a terrible thing for anyone within hearing range. The baby's distress is intolerable not only for the parents, but also for relatives, neighbours, and downright strangers. And they all give advice...

Babies often cry because they are hungry. It is surprising how many parents bring in their children for excessive crying caused by this. A readjusted feeding schedule, or addition of additional feeding, has a dramatic effect. Babies over the age of six weeks often cry because they do not like being left alone. Discomfort like being too warm, or too cold, or exposed to a strong breeze, being in a wet nappy, etc, can also make a baby cry.

Babies between the age of one and three months are often cranky for a part of the day. Usually, these crying spells occur in the evening or night, and may last for one to three hours. During these bouts, the baby refuses to feed, and cries continually. Since we did not know what ailed the baby, we assumed it to be abdominal pain, and labeled it  infantile  colic.  We now believe that these bouts are caused by a disturbance in the relationships in a baby's family, worry and tension in the mother, excessive concern for the baby's health, or a combination of some or all of these. This type of crying responds well to reassurance that the baby is actually well, and to relieving the worries of the mother. The crying spells usually stop entirely once the baby is three months old.

Crying may be owing to pain. The pain of an ear infection, or a fracture due to an injury, or infection deep in the body, may manifest only as excessive crying. Serious illnesses like meningitis, pyelonephritis may come to notice first because the baby cried excessively. Maltreatment by someone in the family should be thought of -- battered babies cry excessively in the early stages.

A baby's crying should never be ignored. A baby usually has a normal behaviour, and any variation from it should arouse suspicion. A baby who cries and cries may only be teething, but may also be suffering the pain of an infected ear, or be in the initial stages of a life threatening illness like meningitis.

For more information:    Infantile colic

Last revision: July 15, 2007

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