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How often do newborns cry


What to Do When Babies Cry (for Parents)

Why Do Babies Cry?

All newborns cry and get fussy sometimes. It's normal for a baby to cry for 2–3 hours a day for the first 6 weeks. During the first 3 months of life, they cry more than at any other time.

New parents often are low on sleep and getting used to life with their little one. They'll quickly learn to find out if their crying baby:

  • is hungry
  • is tired
  • needs to be burped
  • is overstimulated
  • has a wet or dirty diaper
  • is too hot or cold

Often, taking care of a baby's needs is enough to soothe a baby. But sometimes, the crying goes on longer.

What Is Colic?

Some babies cry a lot more than others. A baby who cries more than 3 hours a day, more than 3 days a week, for at least 3 weeks might have colic. Usually, it starts when a baby is 2–5 weeks old and ends by the time the baby is 3–4 months old.

Colic happens to a lot of newborns. It's hard to see your baby cry so much, but colic isn't caused by anything a parent did or didn't do. The good news is babies outgrow colic.

What Is Shaken Baby Syndrome?

Shaken baby syndrome, or abusive head trauma, is when a child's brain is injured from physical abuse. Most cases happen when a parent or caregiver shakes a baby while angry or frustrated, often because the baby won't stop crying. These injuries can cause permanent brain damage or death. No one should ever shake a baby for any reason.

Finding ways to ease a parent or caregiver's stress when a baby is crying can help stop shaken baby syndrome.

What Can Help a Crying Baby?

You can't spoil your baby with too much attention. To soothe a crying baby:

  • First, make sure your baby doesn't have a fever. In a baby, a fever is a temperature of 100.4°F (38°C). Call the doctor right away if your baby does have a fever.
  • Make sure your baby isn't hungry and has a clean diaper.
  • Rock or walk with the baby.
  • Sing or talk to your baby.
  • Offer the baby a pacifier.
  • Take the baby for a ride in a stroller.
  • Hold your baby close against your body and take calm, slow breaths.
  • Give the baby a warm bath.
  • Pat or rub the baby's back.
  • Place your baby across your lap on his or her belly and rub your baby's back.
  • Put your baby in a swing or vibrating seat. The motion may be soothing.
  • Put your baby in an infant car seat in the back of the car and go for a ride. Often, the vibration and movement of the car are calming.
  • Play music — some babies respond to sound as well as movement.

Some babies need less stimulation. Babies 2 months and younger may do well swaddled, lying on their back in the crib with the lights very dim or dark. Make sure the swaddle isn't too tight. Stop swaddling when the baby is starting to be able to roll over.

When a Baby Won't Stop Crying

If a baby in your care won't stop crying:

  • Call a friend or relative for support or to take care of the baby while you take a break.
  • If nothing else works, put the baby on their back in an empty crib (without loose blankets or stuffed animals), close the door, and check on the baby in 10 minutes. During that 10 minutes, do something to try to relax and calm down. Try washing your face, breathing deeply, or listening to music.

Call your doctor if nothing seems to be helping the baby, in case there is a medical reason for the fussiness.

What Else Should I Know?

The National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome offers a prevention program, the Period of PURPLE Crying, to help parents and other caregivers understand crying and how to handle it.

All Babies Cry is a program that promotes infant soothing and ways to handle a baby's crying. The program's four parts are:

  1. What's normal about crying?
  2. Comforting your baby.
  3. Self-care tips for parents.
  4. Colic and how to cope.

If you're worried you might hurt your baby or someone else will, call the national hotline 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) anytime for help.

Tell anyone caring for your baby to never shake the infant. Talk about the dangers of shaking and safe ways to soothe a baby.

Keep in mind that all babies cry a lot and it will get better. The crying isn't caused by something you did or didn't do. Take care of yourself and ask for help so you can keep taking good care of your baby.

Reviewed by: Michelle M. Karten, MD

Date reviewed: November 2019

Crying Baby - Before 3 Months Old

Is this your child's symptom?

  • A baby less than 3 months old is crying and you don't know why
  • Crying is the only symptom
  • The type of frequent crying called colic is included
  • For crying with an illness or other symptom, go to that care guide

Causes of Unexplained Crying

  • Hungry Baby. The most common reason babies cry is because they are hungry. They stop crying at the onset of feeding. By the end of the feeding, they are happy.
  • Sleepy Baby. The second reason babies cry is they need sleep. They need their parent to put them in a comfortable position. It may be swaddled and on their back. Then they fuss a little and fall asleep.
  • Fed Too Much. Some babies cry because of a bloated stomach from overfeeding. Unlike gas, too much milk can cause discomfort that lasts a short time.
  • Caffeine. Caffeine is a stimulant that can cause increased crying and trouble falling asleep. Breastfeeding mothers need to limit their caffeine intake.
  • Clothing. Being too hot or too cold can make a baby cry. So can clothing that is too tight.
  • Dirty Diaper. Stool is very irritating to the skin. If not cleaned off, it can cause pain and burning.
  • Colic. Colic is the main cause of recurrent crying during the early months. All babies have some normal fussy crying every day. When this occurs over 3 hours per day, it's called colic. When they are not crying, they are happy.
  • Pain (Serious). Painful causes include an earache, mouth ulcers, or a raw diaper rash. An ulcer on tip of penis may also cause pain and crying. These babies cry a lot and are not happy when they are not crying. They need to see a doctor to make a diagnosis. Fever in this age group is serious until proven otherwise. Shaken baby syndrome is a concern.

Myths About Causes of Crying

  • Not Due to Gas. Gas passing through normal intestines does not cause pain or crying. All crying babies pass lots of gas. Their stomachs also make lots of gassy noises. The gas comes from swallowed air. The gas is normal. It does not become trapped nor cause any pains. That's why burping a baby doesn't help the crying. Blaming gas is a myth.
  • Not Due to Spitting Up. Spitting up occurs in half of babies and is normal. It does not cause crying or colic. Heartburn meds do not help crying babies. They also have side effects.

Definition of Colic

  • A lot of crying once or twice per day
  • Usually consolable when held and comforted
  • Acts normal (happy, contented) between bouts of crying
  • The baby is getting enough to eat and is not hungry
  • The baby is not sick
  • Onset most often before 2 weeks of age
  • Usually goes away by 3 months of age (sometimes up to 4 months)

When to Call for Crying Baby - Before 3 Months Old

Call 911 Now

  • Not moving or very weak
  • You think your child has a life-threatening emergency

Call Doctor or Seek Care Now

  • Age less than 1 month old and looks or acts abnormal in any way
  • Fever in baby less than 12 weeks old. Caution: do NOT give your baby any fever medicine before being seen.
  • Bulging or swollen soft spot
  • Swollen scrotum or groin
  • Vomiting
  • Cries when you touch, move or hold your baby
  • Could be an injury
  • Nonstop crying lasts more than 2 hours. Your baby can't be consoled using this Care Advice.
  • Will not drink or drinks very little for more than 8 hours
  • You are afraid someone might hurt or shake your baby
  • High-risk child (such as with heart or brain disease)
  • Your child looks or acts very sick
  • You think your child needs to be seen, and the problem is urgent

Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours

  • Not gaining weight or seems hungry
  • New crying, but your baby can be consoled. Your baby will stop crying, but cause of crying not clear.
  • You are worn out from all the crying
  • You think your child needs to be seen, but the problem is not urgent

Contact Doctor During Office Hours

  • Your baby has never been checked for excessive crying
  • Crying started after 1 month of age
  • Crying occurs 3 or more times per day
  • You have other questions or concerns

Self Care at Home

  • Normal crying in all babies
  • Colic (Excessive crying in a well baby who can be consoled)

Seattle Children's Urgent Care Locations

If your child’s illness or injury is life-threatening, call 911.

  • Bellevue
  • Everett
  • Federal Way
  • Seattle

Care Advice for Normal Crying or Colic

  1. What You Should Know About Crying:
    • Normal Crying: all babies cry when they are hungry. Also, the normal baby has 1 to 2 hours of unexplained crying each day. It is scattered throughout the day. As long as they are happy and content when they are not crying, this is normal.
    • Colic: some babies are very hard to comfort. Some babies also cry a lot (over 3 hours per day). If growing normally and have a normal medical exam, the crying is called colic. Remind yourself that colic is due to your baby's temperament. It has nothing to do with your parenting or any medical disease.
    • Here is some care advice that should help both types of crying.
  2. Feedings:
    • For formula-fed babies, feed if more than 2 hours since the last feeding. For breast-fed babies, feed if more than 1½ hours since the last feeding.
    • Be careful not to feed your baby every time she cries. Some babies cry because of a bloated stomach from overfeeding. Let your baby decide when she's had enough milk. (For example, she turns her head away.) Don't encourage your baby to finish what's in the bottle.
    • Caffeine. If breastfeeding, decrease your caffeine intake. Limit your coffee, tea and energy drinks to 2 servings per day. That's 2 cups or 16 ounces (480 mL).
  3. Hold and Comfort for Crying:
    • Hold and try to calm your baby whenever he cries without a reason. Hold your baby flat to help them relax and go to sleep.
    • Rock your child in a rocking chair, in a cradle or while standing. Many babies calm best with rapid tiny movements like vibrations.
    • Place in a swing or vibrating chair.
    • Take for a stroller ride, outdoors or indoors.
    • Do anything else you think may be comforting. Examples are using a pacifier, massage, or warm bath.
  4. Swaddle your Baby in a Blanket for Crying:
    • Swaddling is the most helpful technique for calming crying babies. It also keeps your baby from waking up with a startle reflex.
    • Use a big square blanket and the "burrito-wrap" technique:
    • Step 1: have the arms inside and straight at the sides.
    • Step 2: pull the left side of the blanket over the upper body and tuck.
    • Step 3: fold the bottom up with the knees a little flexed. Safe swaddling keeps the legs in a straddle position.
    • Step 4: pull the right side over the upper body and tuck.
    • Caution: don't cover your baby's head or overheat your baby.
    • Caution: stop swaddling when your baby shows signs of rolling over. Age limit: 2 months. The startle reflex will most often be gone by this age. At 2 months, transfer to a sleep sack with the arms out.
    • Read the book (or view the DVD),"The Happiest Baby on the Block". Both products are authored by Dr. Harvey Karp. It is a good resource on how to calm fussy babies.
  5. White Noise for Crying:
    • Swaddling works even better when paired with a low-pitched white noise. Examples are a CD, vacuum cleaner, fan or other constant sound.
    • Caution: avoid making white noise too loud. Reason: risk of hearing damage.
    • Keep the white noise on any time your baby is crying.
    • When your baby is awake and not crying, keep your baby unwrapped. Turn off the white noise. Reason: so she can get used to the normal sounds of your home. For details, view Dr. Karp's DVD.
  6. Falling Asleep on their Own:
    • Often babies cry because they need to sleep. If over 2 hours have passed since the last nap, this probably is the reason.
    • You have tried different ways to comfort your baby. You fed him recently. Nothing you do seems to help your baby relax. So, now, it's time to get out of the way.
    • Swaddle your baby. Place him on his back in his crib. Turn on some white noise or soothing music. Then, leave the room.
    • Let your baby fuss until he falls asleep.
    • For some overtired babies, this is the only answer.
    • Try to prevent an overtired baby. If your baby has been awake for 2 hours they often need sleep. Help them fall asleep before they become fussy.
  7. Encourage Nighttime Sleep (Rather Than Daytime Sleep):
    • Try to keep your child from sleeping too much during the daytime.
    • If your baby has napped 2 hours or longer, gently wake him up. Play with or feed your baby, depending on his needs. This will lessen the amount of time your baby is awake at night.
  8. Warning: Never Shake a Baby
    • It can cause bleeding on the brain. Severe brain damage can happen in a few seconds.
    • Never leave your baby with someone who is immature or has a bad temper.
    • If you are frustrated, put your baby down in a safe place.
    • Call or ask a friend or relative for help.
    • Take a break until you calm down.
  9. What to Expect:
    • The right technique should start to reduce the crying. You may have to try several things before finding the best method.
    • The crying should start to decrease to about 1 hour per day.
    • Colic peaks at 4 to 6 weeks. Colic gets better after 2 months of age. Most often, it is gone by 3 months.
  10. Call Your Doctor If:
    • Your baby starts to look or act abnormal
    • Cries nonstop for more than 2 hours
    • Your child can't be consoled using this advice
    • You think your child needs to be seen
    • Your child becomes worse

And remember, contact your doctor if your child develops any of the 'Call Your Doctor' symptoms.

Disclaimer: this health information is for educational purposes only. You, the reader, assume full responsibility for how you choose to use it.

Last Reviewed: 02/03/2023

Last Revised: 12/30/2022

Copyright 2000-2023. Schmitt Pediatric Guidelines LLC.

Why the baby is crying and what to do about it

September 22, 2019 Likbez Adviсe

Never rock your baby too hard!

The average child cries for 2-3 hours a day. And crying always has a reason. Most often they are quite clear: a wet diaper, approaching feeding time, or, for example, a fright caused by a new toy over the cradle. But sometimes, baby tears are a way to complain to parents about less obvious discomfort.

Remember: a child never cries for nothing. Therefore, it is important to understand what worries him.

When to see a doctor urgently if a baby is crying

Call your pediatrician immediately if a crying baby:

  • keeps crying for more than two hours;
  • has a temperature above 38℃;
  • refuses to eat or drink or vomits;
  • does not urinate or has blood in the stool;
  • does not respond to attempts to calm him down.

Various diseases can manifest themselves in this way - from influenza and otitis to concussion or digestive disorders. It is important to diagnose them in time.

If there are no dangerous symptoms, it is worth looking for the causes of crying in other, quite ordinary things.

When you can cope with crying on your own

1. The baby is hungry

Even if you feed your baby by the hour and are absolutely sure that the time for the next feeding has not yet come. The fact is that babies grow in leaps and bounds. And when the next growth spurt occurs, the child needs more food.

What to do

The first thing you do when you hear your baby crying is to take your baby in your arms and try offering him a breast or a bottle.

2. He is scared

Maybe there was a loud extraneous sound outside the window. Or the door slammed. Or maybe the kid just lost sight of his mother. Be that as it may, even tiny children can feel fear and anxiety, and tears are the most accessible way for them to show it.

What to do

Take the baby in your arms and, as in the previous paragraph, offer him a bottle or breast. Another option is a pacifier: most babies just need to put it in their mouth to calm down.

3. Is he hot or cold

Parents often want to wrap their baby up. This habit was given to us by evolution: for tens of millennia, keeping warm was the key to survival. But there is another extreme: moms and dads arrange a “hardening” for the child, leaving him naked in a cool room. Since there is not enough fat in the body of a newborn, the baby reacts to cold by crying.

What to do

Check that the child is not cold or overheated. Check if his legs and arms are cold. Did the hair get wet, did it turn red (these are signs that the baby is hot). If necessary, throw a blanket over the crumbs or, conversely, remove excess clothing.

4. The baby is physically uncomfortable

A full diaper is only one of the causes of discomfort that a baby may experience. It happens that other things cause discomfort. Perhaps, too tight diaper elastic rubbed the delicate skin and now this place hurts. Or, for example, between the fingers, "packed" in socks, a thread got in the way, which interferes.

What to do

Check for redness, rash, scratches on the skin. Is the baby under pressure from clothing? In the end, is he in a comfortable position. The reason for crying is the most unexpected things: maybe because of the unsuccessfully turned head, the baby pinched his earlobe. In general, make sure that there are no physical reasons for discomfort.

5. He wants to be wrapped up

Or vice versa - to get rid of excessively tight swaddling.

What to do

Check this assumption: swaddle the baby or, on the contrary, undress him. Maybe the crying will stop.

6. He is tired

Unlike adults, overtired children tend to become fussy and irritable rather than fall asleep.

What to do

Try putting the baby to sleep. One of the most effective ways to do this is swaddling. In a diaper that restricts movement, the baby feels like in a cramped womb. This calms him down. Another option is vibration. Go for a walk, putting the baby in the stroller and rocking it. Or take a ride in a car, placing the heir or heiress in the infant carrier.

7. The child is under stress

Toddlers have a weak nervous system, so external stimuli - for example, too bright lights and music in the mall or screaming children on the playground - can make him feel uncomfortable and cry.

What to do

Track how your baby reacts to the fuss, noise, light around. You will quickly understand whether he likes it or, on the contrary, annoys him. If the baby is sensitive, try to limit the time you spend in noisy areas.

8. He has a stomach ache

This is a common problem faced by many babies between the ages of 3 weeks and 3 months. Pain can be caused by various factors:

  • swallowed during feeding and not expelled air;
  • heartburn;
  • colic;
  • allergy.
What to do

Remember to keep your baby upright (in a column) after feeding to help him burp up the swallowed air. If you are bottle feeding, use a slow flow nipple.

Colic is not associated with eating. Their causes are not yet well understood, but nevertheless they are considered a normal part of development and go away on their own by 3-4 months. To help the baby, lay him on his tummy more often, and also do a gentle massage of the abdomen in a clockwise direction.

If, despite your efforts, your baby continues to cry frequently, be sure to discuss this with your pediatrician. He may suggest that you take tests to make sure that you are not allergic to components of breast milk (mixture) or to rule out other digestive disorders.

9. He wants to sleep next to his mother

By 6–9 months, babies begin to recognize themselves as separate beings. But even as they get older, they still sometimes want to feel in their mother's arms and may refuse to fall asleep if their mother does not lie down next to them.

What to do

Here the approaches differ. So, American pediatricians believe that you should not fit next to the child or take him in your arms at the first cry. It is worth waiting a while and then letting the baby cry for longer and longer before coming to him. This is supposed to train children's self-control.

However, if you have the time and opportunity, give the baby as much attention as he wants. But do not do this by stepping over your own fatigue and other needs. The more tired the parent, the worse he takes care of the baby.

How to soothe your child

Pediatricians recommend several common ways:

  • Play soft, gentle music in the baby. Perhaps a white noise generator can help you.
  • Talk to the baby. The sound of a mother's or father's voice soothes and gives the baby a sense of security.
  • Help the infant to change position - he may be uncomfortable.
  • Take the baby in your arms and hold it against your chest. The mother's heartbeat, the smell of her skin, her breath, the close embrace - all this reminds the baby of that serene time when he was in the tummy.

How not to calm a child

Never shake him, even if he does not want to calm down, and you are very irritated. Rocking too hard can lead to the so-called shaken baby syndrome.

Toddlers have weak neck muscles that are not yet fully able to support their disproportionately large heads. Vigorous shaking causes the head to move back and forth sharply, and this can lead to serious head injury. It is the most common cause of traumatic death in children under 2 years of age. It can also result in developmental delays, mental retardation, seizures, or blindness.

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Why does the baby cry - articles from the specialists of the clinic "Mother and Child"

Bondarenko Margarita Gennadievna

Otorhinolaryngologist (ENT)

Clinic "Mother and Child" Kuntsevo,

I want to eat!

Most often the baby cries because he wants to eat. And to understand that he is hungry is the easiest way. At first, the baby shows concern, smacks his lips, turns his head to his mother's hand, stroking his cheek, tries to put his own fist in his mouth. All this means that there is very little time left before the hungry cry. Noticing such signs, you should not wait: feed the baby on demand. Otherwise, starting to cry, he will have to spend a lot of energy trying to calm down, and therefore, he will eat less and the next time he will get hungry again too soon. In general, for children who are breastfed, during the first month of life there is no clear feeding regimen. A newborn can be applied to the breast up to 10-12 times a day.

I want to sleep!

The next reason for screaming is, oddly enough, the desire to sleep. Many parents think that a baby can fall asleep anytime, anywhere, and even in almost any position. No, it's not like that - he needs help. How do you know if your baby wants to sleep? It's easy to guess. At first, he will behave restlessly, cry, push out the pacifier, rub his eyes, yawn. And then he starts crying. Here, too, it is necessary to try to calm the child as quickly as possible so that he does not disperse in crying, otherwise it will be more difficult for him to fall asleep. Rituals will help: you can shake the baby, sing a song, put it in the usual sleeping place.

I'm wet!

Crying can be a signal that the baby is uncomfortable: for example, his diaper is wet. Cold and wet, they irritate the skin, so he screams: “Mom, dad, change me quickly!” Crying about this is whimpering, incessant, although it sounds either stronger or weaker, it may be accompanied by hiccups, as the child freezes in wet diapers. If the diaper is changed, and the baby is warmer to cover, he will calm down. If the child is not in diapers, but in reusable diapers, you should not relax either: they can leak or get wet inside. So, the baby is also wet and cold. If the child sleeps in one diaper all night, then he may be disturbed by a greatly increased diaper volume. And of course, children do not like to be in dirty diapers (diapers): feces quickly irritate delicate skin.

I'm hot!

If the baby is hot, he will also cry about it. He will begin to whimper, scatter his arms and legs, his skin will turn red, a small red rash (prickly heat) may appear under his clothes. At the same time, the temperature of the baby sometimes even rises to 37.5 ° C. This is what saves here: the child must be undressed (and removed diapers, especially disposable ones), wiped with a towel moistened with water at room temperature, and allowed to lie in the air for several minutes. Then you need to dress the baby, but in other, clean clothes. In the fight against overheating and prickly heat, a reasonable amount of clothing and a comfortable room temperature - no higher than 24-25 ° C will help, first of all.

I'm uncomfortable!

The reason for the inconvenience can be any: the child may cry when the temperature changes, when changing clothes, changing the diaper or wiping his bottom with a damp cloth. Newborns feel more comfortable when they are dressed or wrapped in diapers, because the touch of air on the skin is not always pleasant for them. In addition, children often do not like to be changed, especially if it is winter and you have to wear a lot of clothes. There is only one way out: learn to act as quickly as possible, causing the crumbs a minimum of inconvenience.

A few words about clothes. It is better not to buy clothes with fasteners on the back and coarse seams inside - the baby may not like it. And sometimes even the slightest thread or hair caught between the clothes and the skin of the baby causes him great inconvenience.

I want attention!

Attention and tactile sensations are very important for a child. He loves to see the faces of his mom and dad, hear their voices, communicate with them. But so far, the baby cannot ask his parents to take him in his arms, read him a fairy tale, sing a song, play - but this does not mean at all that he does not need it. Therefore, crying, the baby wants to be paid attention to, requires communication. Do not worry that the baby will get used to the hands too much. While he is so small, he needs to feel a sense of security - it is this that will later help him gain confidence in his abilities. Well, different cradles, deck chairs, playpens, child seats will only help mom and dad free their hands and at the same time place their beloved child next to them.

Once you learn to understand your baby's “language”, you will see that the reasons for crying vary from case to case. A little time and patience - and very soon you will understand what the child wants, already from the first seconds of his discontent.

Make an appointment

to the doctor - Bondarenko Margarita Gennadievna

Clinic "Mother and Child" Kuntsevo

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