Infant crying can be a stressful and mysterious puzzle for the new and seasoned parent. What we know about infant behavior may help to navigate through the maze of infant feelings. We know that crying is a physiologic imperative for the infant, the mainstay of a newborn’s language. It is a lifesaving gift to alert parents that something is wrong. However, crying is often a last resort; babies are capable of giving other cues to express their needs.
Human infants are born less developed compared to other mammals that walk shortly after birth. Among others, their nervous, gastrointestinal system and vision are immature. Yet, they are capable of discerning who their parents are immediately through voices and smells. They can compensate for under development if their cues are understood.
When they are hungry, they often display cues such as sucking, rooting, opening or putting the hands to the mouth. They may do this in their sleep. Babies can get overstimulated by their environments - lights, sounds, faces, voices, and being handled. The cue here may be ‘disengagement’; examples of which present as turning away, displaying tension in the face, arms, fists, and legs, quickened breathing and irritability. Conversely, they may want to socialize or be touched and held. They may be irritable when sleepy. Remember, they have been held and rocked in a warm, safe environment for nine months and the transition is often difficult. Crying may happen quickly or be the last resort they use to communicate. Some babies will cry more than others. Some are very adaptable and easily distracted while others are hard to distract, easily overstimulated and more challenging to settle. This difference does not mean the baby is “good” or “bad”. This is merely initial personality. By six weeks the infant’s states are more regulated as the nervous system begins to mature, but on average the infant still cries an average of 3 ½ hours out of every 24.
So, what is a parent to do? Try to be aware of the various behavioral states. Watch for their cues and know that when the infant is crying they are trying to express what they cannot tell us in words. The baby might be hungry, but by no means is all crying related to hunger. Rocking and movement in the arms or a snuggly when irritable or overstimulated can be soothing as is skin to skin contact with either parent. Decreasing stimulation and helping the baby to fall asleep when tired might be accomplished by rocking and entering a darkened, quiet room. Letting a new baby ‘cry it out’ is not an option for the new baby; the younger babies do not have the tools to self soothe. Occasionally, the baby may have a physical problem manifested by persistent crying; this may need to be assessed by the babies’ health care provider.
Awareness of behavioral states such as hunger, overstimulation and need for sleep or socialization can assist parents to understand their babies’ cues. Understanding cues and infant crying will help a parent to employ different strategies to satisfy their babies’ needs. This can make the difference between feeling overwhelmed or in sync with what babies are ‘saying’.
Ellen Lasser RN, MSN, CPNP,IBCLC is a certified nurse practitioner. She works at the Westchester Medical practice managing health care of babies, children and adolescents. She is also an internationally board certified lactation and evaluates and treats breastfeeding issues for families.
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