What is it about ?
Crying is part of a baby’s normal development during the first few months of life, peaking around six weeks of age. The average duration of crying is two hours per day. Babies may cry because they are hungry, have cramps (colic), or have other complaints. For the baby, crying is the only way to communicate with the outside world.
We talk about excessive crying when the baby cries for at least 3 hours a day for at least 3 days a week.
If this is the case, a serious illness, such as an acute infection or a problem with the intestines requiring surgical treatment, must first be ruled out. It is also necessary to exclude an underlying (treatable) cause.
What is their frequency?
5 to 15% of babies are affected by prolonged excessive crying.
How to recognize them?
The duration of crying varies greatly from one baby to another. Crying babies is most often a sign of dissatisfaction, and it has intervals (whining). Crying is constant in only a part. In a small number of cases, these are cries that do not subside when the child is hugged or fed. These episodes of intense crying occur to a greater or lesser extent in babies aged 1 to 3 months.
How is the diagnosis made?
It is important that your doctor has an idea of how long the baby is crying each day to see if it is within normal limits. The doctor sometimes asks parents to keep a crying diary in which they note when and for how long the baby cries.
The doctor will ask you a few questions to find out the possible cause of the crying. He will ask if, in the family, there are any infectious diseases or allergies, what kind of food the baby is getting and whether a possible change in food also influenced crying. The doctor will inquire about the technique you use to breastfeed the baby and what you have already tried to reduce crying.
The doctor will carefully examine the baby’s lungs, heart, tummy, and nose, throat, and ear area. He will also look for signs of infection oreczema in the baby. He will weigh and measure the baby.
What can you do ?
A baby who cries excessively can be very stressful on the family and cause disappointment. As parents, don’t wait until you are desperate or depressed to seek care. Talk to your doctor or a NEB healthcare provider. If necessary, call on your family, friends or daycare to distribute the care of the baby.
As parents, try to stay calm, even though it can be difficult. Calmness and regularity are very important for a baby. Plan time for rest for yourself as parents.
In addition, it is important to know that the different ways of approaching crying each have their advantages and disadvantages, and that there is no one “right” way to do it. This way, you don’t hurt your child by hugging him a lot or just letting him cry every now and then.
Above all, do not shake your baby, as this can cause brain damage.
What can the doctor do?
Treatment depends on the cause.
Of course, you must first treat an underlying infection or a problem that requires surgery.
In case of suspicion ofcow’s milk allergy, an avoidance diet will be tried for 1 to 2 weeks. For breastfeeding mothers, this means excluding all dairy products from your diet; for bottle-fed babies, this involves replacing the baby’s milk with a special (hydrolyzed) formula. Since the milk-free diet is demanding on the mother, and hydrolyzed bottle-feeding is expensive, you should only apply this diet after careful consideration, and you should stop it if it is not providing support. improvement.
Sometimes it is enough to adapt the technique of breastfeeding.
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