Why does my baby cry?
The
first and most obvious reason your baby cries is that it’s his only form of
communication with you. He isn’t trying to test your patience – he is crying
because he has a problem he doesn’t know how to deal with, and he hasn’t
learned any words to tell you what it is. Some common reasons for your baby’s
tears are…
• Hunger By far the most common reason. Because
their stomachs are too tiny to hold much food, babies can get hungry again
faster than you’d expect. Offer him a feed and see if that stops the tears.
• Tiredness Babies are taking in so much
information and learning so many new things all the time that they need lots of
sleep to recharge their minds and bodies. Put him down for a sleep in his
crib.
• Dirty diaper Would you like to sit in
your own mess with a hot towel wrapped you to keep it up close and personal?
Hmmm – thought not! Some babies don’t mind this sensation but others object –
and loudly. Change his diaper and check for diaper rash, which may be flare up
form time to time.
• Temperature It’s important not to let
your baby overheat or get too cold as they find it difficult to regulate their
own temperature. Take steps to cool him down or warm him up as necessary.
• Illness The cry that accompanies this
complaint is usually louder, higher pitched and more demanding than their usual
one (read gurgle's article on identifying different sorts of cry); although it may be an
unusually weak cry too. He may have other symptoms, such as diarrhea, vomiting or a fever. Call your pediatrician
straightaway if you think your baby may be ill.
• Loneliness Babies are social creatures
and love to be a part of what the rest of the household is doing. Often a baby
cries because he has been left alone or isn’t being held close to you. Try to
remedy this by doing household chores with him in a sling and include him in
family activities. Make sure he can see what is going on.
• Teething For older babies, teething can be a painful process.
You’ll know when a tooth is cutting through your baby’s gum as he’ll drool
excessively and may cry a lot. His cheek may be flushed red and he may get a
moderate fever. Offer him a cool teether to gnaw on and give him a pain
reliever such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen to ease any discomfort.
• Separation anxiety At around eight
months your baby may start to fret and cry if you leave his field of vision.
He’s reached the stage where he has figured out that you and he are separate –
and that this means you can leave him. This insecurity will pass, but try to
reassure your baby that you’ll return.
Why
not chat to other moms about this, or other topics, by leaving a message on our
chat
forum?
Alternately, if you want to meet other moms in your area with similar age
babies, visit our people section to find out what’s happening
in your area, or join or start one of our groups. If you have any unanswered
questions, use our questions page to get tips from other
moms or our resident experts for all those pregnancy or baby-related niggles.
The information in this feature is intended for
educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the
health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a
doctor or other healthcare professional.
Related Articles
Last Modified: 20/06/2007
Related Chat
You'll need to be logged in to post new Comments and Answers or to Chat.
Login or
Register