Is Crying a Problem? Maybe Not

By Holly Klaassen

Too many times to count, I have read where "experts" advise us that 'crying is a baby's way of communicating his or her needs'. Granted, crying is pretty much the only way babies can tell us there's a problem, or that they need something. But does crying always indicate a problem?

Standard books on newborn care typically give the following list of steps to take when your baby is crying:

1. Try feeding her

2. Make sure her diaper is dry

3. Check for that infamous 'hair tourniquet' (a hair wrapped around the baby's finger or toe...has anyone actually ever encountered that?)

4. Make sure she's not over stimulated

5. Put her down for a nap

Now I can appreciate the whole 'babies cry to communicate' thing. But what happens when you've done everything you can possibly think of to calm and soothe your baby? What if you've spent hours... rocking, jiggling, bouncing, feeding, changing, bathing, massaging, checking, shushing, singing to, holding, re-checking...and still your baby is crying?

Have you missed something? Is your mommy/daddy instinct not kicking in properly? Is your baby desperately trying to tell you something, and you're just not getting it? Maybe not - according to the latest research.

Crying as Behavior

Recent research by Dr. Ronald Barr indicates that increased crying in the first 5 months of life is much more likely to signal a developmental stage, rather than a physical problem. The study indicates that although a minority of babies who cry excessively may have a physical condition, the overwhelming majority of cases (95% +) do not suffer from any medical issues.

Research shows that infant crying and fussiness peaks at around 6 weeks of age, and is significantly better (if not completely gone) by around 3-4 months of age. According to this new research, this pattern of crying:

1. Is replicated in almost all Western societies where research has been done

2. Is similar to those found in other cultures that practice very different parenting styles (e.g. the !Kung San tribe, who carry their babies constantly and feed 4 times an hour; crying/fussing is attended to immediately)

3. Is similar to patterns found in all mammalian species that have been studied

4. Is found in premature infants at their adjusted age of around 6 weeks, not at 6 weeks after their birth (this is important because it signals that crying at this stage is likely a developmental phase rather than something in the baby's environment.)

So, If My Newborn is Crying, Nothing is Really Wrong?

Does this mean that when your baby cries, nothing is really wrong? That they're not trying to tell us they need something? Not at all. Of course you should attend to your baby's cries, to the best of your ability.

But perhaps realizing that your baby's excessive cries may not be signaling anything at all, may be just what you need to hear to get through the next couple of weeks or months. It's quite likely that your baby's constant crying - whether it's all day, or just during the typical colicky evening period - may just be a natural state your little one has to pass through. A state just like their other behavioral states of sleeping and being awake/alert.

Attending to your newborn's cries is extremely important. Of course if your baby is crying or screaming excessively, it's important to get him or her checked out by a doctor (particularly if the crying is accompanied by other symptoms of illness).

But if your little one has been declared healthy or even been given the irksome 'colic' diagnosis, maybe it will help you feel better to know that you're not doing anything wrong, and maybe your baby really isn't uncomfortable or even unhappy - he's just being a baby.

Holly Klaassen is the founder of http://www.fussybaby.ca the only site entirely dedicated to helping parents of fussy, colicky, or 'high-needs' infants. Fussy Baby provides original articles, resources, and support to parents struggling with their infant's crying. Fussy Baby is based in Vancouver, Canada.

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