The meaning of baby crying explained by pediatricians
Nobody is born knowing anything. Everything is learned, from walking to talking and while these skills are internalized, it is the turn to improvise. While a child is not able to master language, he communicates with his parents through systems such as crying. When the baby cries, there are many things he may be saying to his parents.
How to decipher the meaning? While in each case the crying of the baby can be a world, from the Spanish Association of Pediatrics, AEP, are given a series of basic guidelines with which parents can begin to decipher the message of their children. A formula with which to meet the needs of the smallest in time when they can not speak.
Why do babies cry
Although crying may seem like something horrible is happening, it is part of the normal development of children. During the first 3 months of their lives, babies cry an average of 2 hours a day, with an increase in the number and duration of episodes of crying until 6-8 weeks of life and then decreases.
The most common crying babies are:
- Upset for hunger, sleep, cold, dirty diaper, need to be in arms, etc.
- Infant colic. It is defined with the "rule of three" episodes of intense crying of more than 3 hours in duration, three or more nights a week for at least three weeks in an otherwise healthy baby.
Generally, it appears between the second week of life and 3-4 months (that's why they are also called "first-trimester colic"). It consists of episodes of evening crying in which the children are inconsolable and agitated, with flexion of the legs on the abdomen that swells and hardens and facial flushing. It can last minutes or even hours. Although the incidence of colic is similar between breastfed and bottle-fed children, it is often interpreted as being due to the child being hungry because the mother has little milk, which leads to the introduction of bottles and can lead to early weaning . In countries where children are in continuous contact with the body of their mothers in kangaroo position and are breastfed on demand, the same number of crying episodes is observed, but its duration is much shorter.
- Health problems. They account for less than 5% of crying episodes and are related to diseases. Along with the tears, other associated symptoms appear and are easily ruled out in the pediatrician's office with an adequate interview and a careful physical examination.
Attention to the crying baby
Although the crying of the baby is common, it does not mean that there is obviate it. Caring for the little ones while crying is important for the following reasons:
- It is the formula in which parents will know that there is a need to cover.
- Attending to the crying and the need to be covered, Parents will be able to find identifiers that identify in a lesser way why the child cries and attend to them better.
- The child will relate to his father with the reason why he stopped crying and his need was satisfied. A good way to strengthen the bond between both.
- As has been said, if the baby's cry is accompanied by other symptoms, it is possible that the problem is more serious. Paying attention will mean discovering a possible illness before it's too late.
Damián Montero
