Crying in Infancy
Definition
Crying in infancy is described as a high-pitched, unpleasant sound made by infants in response to certain situations.
Infants have a cry reflex that is a normal response to some stimuli, such as pain or hunger. Older children and adults cry for emotional reasons, such as pain, fear, sadness, or embarrassment. Premature infants may not have a cry reflex ,so they must be monitored closely for signs of hunger and pain.
Why infants cry
A cry is the infant's first verbal communication and can be interpreted as a message of urgency or distress. The sound is highly unpleasant to adults, particularly women. This is nature's way of ensuring that adults attend to the baby as quickly as possible because few people can stand simply listening to a baby's cry.
One common reason for a baby to cry is that he or she is hungry. Some babies develop gas and or intestinal spasms after feedings, which causes pain and crying. This is called "colic," and a baby who cries frequently for this reason is known as a "colicky" baby.
Discomfort, such as from a wet diaper, can also lead to crying. At times, infants may cry for seemingly no reason at all, but in general crying is a response to something -- it may just be that parents are unable to figure out what is bothering the infant at that time.
Crying is likely part of the normal development of the central nervous system. Many parents report the ability to differentiate and interpret their infant's cries. Cries related to acute pain often have a much different tone than other cries.
While almost everyone recognizes that infants cry for many reasons and that crying is a normal part of infancy, the stress and anxiety that parents experience in response to frequent or constant crying is considerable.
After all, the sound is perceived as an alarm, and it is very frustrating not to be able to figure out what's wrong and soothe the baby. Parents, especially first-time parents, begin to question their ability to cope if the child often cannot be comforted.
|
