- Crying is the first communication skill developed by babies in early infancy.
- Crying could be a sign of discomfort, sadness, anger, pain, or all of them at the same time.
- The baby uses different crying sound frequencies for each negative emotion.
- Many parents experience this problem during the first 3 months of birth.
- However, most of the babies do have any certain cause of crying and most crying subsides by 3-4 months.
The most common reasons for crying include:
- Hunger
- A dirty or wet nappy
- Tiredness
- Wanting a cuddle
- It’s too hot or too cold
- Feeling of disinterest
How to soothe a crying baby
You can try some of the following ways to calm your crying baby:
- Let your baby suckle at your breast, if you are breastfeeding.
- Having some low noise in the background may distract your baby.
- Some babies like to have some cloth or a blanket as a comforter.
- Hold your baby close to you.
- Move gently holding your baby, sway and dance, talk to them, and sing.
- Rock your baby or go out for a walk or a drive.
- Let them listen to some music or something to look at.
- Try to stroke your baby's back firmly and rhythmically.
- Talk to your baby soothingly.
- If none of these work and your baby continues to cry you can talk to the paediatrician for advice.
References
- Alsaeed GI, Alsaeed IG, Alsaeed MG, et al. “The Crying Baby: Differential Diagnosis and Management Plan”. Acta Scientific Paediatrics. 2019;2(7):12-16.
- Soothing a crying baby[Internet]. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/soothing-crying-baby/. Accessed on Aug 26, 2020.