The neonatal period is often accompanied by various kinds of problems. One of the problems that deprive parents of sleep and peace of mind is when the child often cries. There are recommendations on the Internet that you need to give the baby a cry, and you don’t need to run to him at the first cry. Fortunately, most experts refute this tactic and emphasize the need to find out the cause of the concern. In this article, we will tell you what can lead to prolonged crying, what to do if the child is crying.
Reasons why the baby crying
In fact, a baby can worry for no reason: newborns, like older children, adults have their own character. Someone can sleep well almost all day, while someone needs activity, and therefore attention. In this case, the only way that will help the baby to draw the attention of the parents is crying.
But situations, when a child cries because he is physically ill, require careful analysis. First of all, from the side of mom or dad. Let us dwell on these factors in more detail.
Hunger baby crying
One of the physiological needs of a person is the need for food. The baby cannot explain in another way that he is hungry, so he cries. Newborns do not eat anything except mother’s milk or formula. Since they cannot eat “in reserve” due to the small size of the stomach, and liquid food is quickly digested, hunger occurs within a short time. The child will feel hungry quickly, therefore, will often be anxious.
At the same time, anxiety can be evaluated as angry crying. At first, he cries invitingly, intermittently, then the voice becomes louder, more emotional. If even then the mother does not react or interprets the anxiety incorrectly, the baby begins to “roll up”, crying avidly.
When the mother has insufficient lactation, the baby cries constantly. In doing so, he will slowly gain weight.
A hungry baby, when an object touches his cheek, turns his head in this direction, opens his mouth and looks for his mother’s breast. This is the main sign of hunger. After feeding, he calms down.
Feeding “on demand” of the child allows you to adjust the daily routine and avoid anxiety. If this tactic does not help, the baby does not have enough milk, it is worth consulting with a doctor and looking for the causes of reduced lactation and eliminating it.
Thirst baby crying
Another of the physiological needs of a person. Water is vital. She participates in all processes in the body. Dehydration is much more dangerous than malnutrition.
The newborn receives water from breast milk or formula. Additionally, water – ordinary, drinking, must be given when the air is dry in the room, the air temperature is above normal.
With diseases, the baby’s need for additional fluid also increases, especially with those that occur with an increase in body temperature, sweating, and diarrhea. Thirst is manifested by anxiety: the baby cries all the time, while refusing to breast. His skin is dry.
Colic baby crying
Colic is an indispensable companion of newborns. Not a single family with a small child can do without them. According to studies, 20 – 70% of visits to pediatricians with young children are associated with colic.
They arise at 3-4 weeks of life. The severity decreases by 6 months.
These are paroxysmal abdominal pains, causing anxiety crumbs. The attacks look like this: the child, during feeding or immediately after it, begins to cry suddenly and loudly, twisting his legs. Lasts from 10 – 30 minutes to 3 hours. On physical development, the general condition of colic is not reflected.
The tactic consists in correcting the mother’s nutrition, observing the correct feeding technique, carrying the baby in her arms in an upright position, and massaging the tummy. With insufficient effectiveness of these actions, the use of drugs with carminative and antispasmodic effects is indicated.
The Discomfort
In this section, we will analyze the factors that cause discomfort, but do not pose a threat to the baby. However, it is worth investigating the cause of frequent crying and fixing it.
Wet diapers, a full diaper can lead to anxiety of the child. At the same time, he cries constantly until the source of discomfort is eliminated.
Another reason is hot and stuffy indoors. Experts recommend not wrapping up the baby, but dressing him according to the weather and temperature. He should have the same number of layers of clothing as you are wearing, in addition – one thin T-shirt made of thin fabric. If you feel that it is hot in the room, it means that the child is also uncomfortable: remove the layer of clothing from him to prevent overheating.
The opposite situation is cold. Here, too, be guided by your feelings. The optimum
temperature in the room for a newborn is 20-22 ° C, and the air humidity is 50-70%.
Discomfort can be due to tight swaddling, which hinders movement, does not allow full movement.
Please note that the water temperature is comfortable when bathing: not hot or cold. The optimum value is 37 ° C. Get a thermometer in advance to measure the exact temperature from the first bath, and not determine the degree of water heating with your elbow.
The next factor is the lack of normal sleep. In the first months of life, the baby sleeps a lot. If sleep is not enough, she cries. This can happen when in the room where the baby sleeps, the humidity and temperature are not adjusted, there are a lot of people, too noisy. Or parents themselves wake up the baby to eat. Remember: if the baby is hungry, he will wake up by himself. There is no need to specifically wake him up and violate his regime. In these cases, the baby cries monotonously, whines refuse to breast.
Discomfort and anxiety is caused by the violation of the diet by the mother if she is breastfeeding. Experts advise removing spicy, bitter dishes, spices, seasonings, garlic and onions from the diet. These products change the taste of milk: the crumb, no matter how hungry he is, will cry and refuse to breast. It is not worth mentioning bad habits (alcohol, smoking): toxins not only spoil the taste of milk, but also penetrate the baby’s body and have a negative effect on him.
Emotional crying
When a baby cries for no apparent reason, it may be due to the baby’s emotional characteristics. For example, he can get tired, emotionally oversaturated from bathing, massage, talking with loved ones, walking. He, like any person, needs rest. If this is not the case, the baby will worry: whine, roar or cry hysterically.
Also, the lack of contact with mom negatively affects the state of the baby. You need to communicate with children from the first days of life, despite the fact that they cannot answer you. Talk to them, do massage, gymnastics. Emotional and physical contact, primarily with the mother, is the basis for the harmonious development of children, their stable psychological state.
Diseases
When a child is sick, his health suffers. He will cry, at the same time in different ways: now loudly, now quietly, now constantly, now intermittently. And in some cases, he may simply moan, refusing to eat and drink. All these cases require the intervention of a doctor and a detailed analysis of the situation. What are the most common cases in babies?
It can be:
- Neurological – for example, intracranial pressure, while the newborn does not just cry, but bends his back, his arms and legs are strained. With masses, large cysts, he screams heart-rendingly, which is caused by compression on the brain structures and pain. With convulsions, crying occurs suddenly, may be accompanied by screaming, fading, urination or defecation;
- Gastrointestinal problems – constipation, esophageal atresia, diverticula and other pathologies in which food intake, its movement along the digestive tract, and excretion from the body are impaired. Depending on the localization of the pathological process, the symptoms will be different. For diagnostics, ultrasound of the abdominal organs, X-ray examination with contrast enhancement, if indicated, endoscopic research methods are performed;
- Pathology of the urinary system – inflammation, congenital defects. In this case, the child cries a lot during urination, when the passage of urine causes irritation and pain. If the baby is constantly in diapers, it is problematic to associate anxiety with urination. The cause can be identified using a general blood test.
Umbilical hernia
An umbilical hernia is a defect in the anterior abdominal wall, through which the peritoneum, omentum, and intestines protrude. Comes in different sizes. If the defect is small, then there are no protrusions, and the baby behaves calmly. Otherwise, he is restless, often crying. The danger is the situation when the contents of the hernia are infringed. The kid at this moment suddenly begins to cry, with anguish, without stopping.
Without timely surgery, the condition can lead to intestinal necrosis, and peritonitis. Therefore, it is very important to be observed by the surgeon, if there are signs of a hernia, to follow all his recommendations. Surgical correction of the defect is indicated if necessary. Sealing a hernia is not only ineffective but also dangerous: this way you will not see if an inflammatory process begins, which also requires serious treatment.
ARVI
Babies can get viral infections from others. The disease is accompanied by a cough, runny nose, high fever, and lacrimation: each infection has its own symptom complex.
A runny nose prevents the child from breathing normally, sucking, and sleeping. Because of this, he cries. After the normalization of nasal breathing, anxiety disappears. When coughing, the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract, and throat hurts, so the baby will also worry.
SARS can be complicated by otitis media – ear inflammation. The disease is accompanied by severe pain, because of which the baby cries. At times, crying turns into a heart-rending scream with rolling, for example, when sucking. Negative pressure is created in the Eustachian tube (the canal that connects the middle ear cavity with the pharynx), which causes the eardrum to change its position. Severe pain occurs.
Mom herself can conduct an examination. If you press the tragus: the cartilage in front of the entrance to the auricle, in the presence of otitis media, the baby will react with anxiety. But do it carefully.
In case of ARVI of any severity, it is necessary to consult a pediatrician. The doctor will conduct an examination, if necessary, send for tests, prescribe adequate therapy with drugs that are suitable for your baby in age. Self-medication is unacceptable: this way you can aggravate the situation and provoke a worsening of the condition.
Rashes
Rash and skin irritation is other causes of anxiety for a child. Skin rashes are accompanied by itching, which causes discomfort, and the baby cries. First of all, it is necessary to find out the reason: it is an infection, allergy, or physiological rash (due to hormonal changes after birth), which go away by themselves. Depending on this, the tactics will differ.
Pay attention to the clothes. If it is uncomfortable, rubs, especially in the area of folds, it has a lot of decorative elements, bulky buttons, and there may also be elements on the skin in the form of redness, irritation and rash.
A rash can also occur in the mouth, such as with stomatitis or candidiasis. Candidiasis is characterized by the appearance of a cheesy plaque, reddening of the mucous membrane. With stomatitis, a rash in the form of ulcers on the mucous membrane of the cheeks, tongue, gums, tonsils. When they appear, the baby cries when the mother begins to feed him: milk gets on the ulcers, irritates the mucous membrane. Treatment can only be prescribed by a doctor: pediatrician or dentist.
What to do to calm your baby crying
First of all, parents should calm down themselves: there is no need for panic. Not every time a baby cries, it speaks of an illness. Of course, it is difficult when the child cannot explain what is wrong, and the only way of communication is his emotions and crying. But you need to pull yourself together and see how you can help your son or daughter.
Therefore, first of all, you need to deal with his physiological needs, namely:
- Offer breast – while not in a hurry, do not stick a nipple or bottle on the go, but take a comfortable sitting or lying position. If he still refuses to breast, do not insist;
- Offer water – clean, without gas, warm. Ideally, drinking from a bottle. If not, then boiled;
- Check the condition of the diaper or diaper – if the need arises, run the toilet of the genitals and butts and put on a clean diaper. If the baby cries because of a dirty diaper – after changing it, he should calm down;
- Check the temperature in the room and the clothes the baby is in. Also look for any sharp object on clothes, crib;
- Examine the baby from head to toe, paying attention to the folds, scalp, nasal cavity, mouth, ears, genitals.
Of course, the first weeks will be hard. You will flinch every time you hear your baby cry. But over time, learn the intonation by heart, you will begin to recognize the reason by his tone, by the way he cries. And when the baby grows up, he will be able to fully express his emotions, desires, protests, and you will not have to guess.
Please note that all children are different. Just because your family members have their own methods for calming their children doesn’t mean they are right for you. Even in the same family, with some parents, children differ in temperament and character. You will have to study your child’s habits every time. Difficult, but worth it.
In what cases it is necessary to urgently consult a doctor
You need to seek medical help when the baby cries and has a rash, high fever, vomiting, swollen lymph nodes, runny nose, cough, changes in the stool (diarrhea, constipation, blood in the stool), various pathological symptoms – swelling, redness, restriction of movement in any part of the body. The reason for consulting a doctor is also a change in behavior (drowsiness, weakness, or vice versa, severe anxiety), refusal to breast, and lack of weight gain.
Only a doctor can figure out in detail what it means if a child is crying, prescribe tests, decipher them and choose an adequate treatment. Self-medication or brushing off problems is not the best tactic.
