The baby cries all the time. Why is the child screaming? If the child is restless

A newborn baby does not yet know how to communicate, and so far he can only declare any change in his condition by crying.

Of course, the mother first of all needs to learn to understand her baby. None of the babies scream just like that. But it happens that the baby cries for no apparent reason, and the parents no longer know how to calm him down.

What to do first

You need to try to act according to the algorithm:

• Mom or another person caring for the baby needs to pull himself together, calm down. You can temporarily transfer the child to another family member.
• Find out why the baby is crying.
• Eliminate the cause of the anxiety.

Peace of Mind for Mom, Peace of Mind for Baby

Infants are very sensitive to the mood of adults. The baby can be nervous when he feels that his mother is restless. Therefore, it is impossible to calm the child, being in a state of stress.

A baby's cry can be long and exhausting. Not every mother will be able to remain calm in such a situation. In this case, you can resort to the help of loved ones and ask one of the relatives to replace the mother.

And mom will have time to rest and gather strength. It is very important to remain calm, noticing that a tantrum has begun in a baby. A baby can only be reassured by someone who radiates calmness and confidence.

Why do babies cry

A baby never cries for no reason. Even if at first glance the essence of the problem is unclear. There are several main reasons why a baby cries:

• Hunger.
• Cold or heat.
• Feeling of discomfort.
• Fear.
• Boredom.
• Overwork.

If it is not clear what specifically caused the crying, you can try to eliminate each one in turn.

The baby cries when he wants to eat. Even if he has recently eaten, it is likely that something distracted him, and the baby looked up from food before he was full. The baby may swallow air during feeding and experience a false sense of fullness. When excess air burps, the place in the stomach will be freed up, and the baby will again feel hungry. In any case, it will be useful to offer the child to eat.

The body of young children has difficulty maintaining a constant body temperature. Any changes in ambient temperature are hard to perceive by the baby. Mom must examine and touch the child.

If the top of the baby's back is hot to the touch, the baby is overheated. If it is cold, and at the same time the child tries to move a little, he is cold. Next, you need to create comfortable conditions for the baby - either warm him up, or undress him, or replace clothes with lighter ones.

When dressing a child, it is important to choose things that are comfortable for the baby. Any fasteners located on the back or on the tummy, when the baby already knows how to roll over, can cause him discomfort. Sloppy seams, tight elastic bands - all this will not go unnoticed by the baby. Perhaps he cries because of the discomfort caused by clothing.

Any sharp sounds or bright lights can scare the baby. If the mother noticed something like this, it is necessary, first of all, to eliminate the source of fear of the baby.

Perhaps the child is crying because he is bored. The kid is tired of being alone, he requires the attention of an adult. At first, the baby begins to groan softly, giving signals. If they are left without attention and the mother does not come soon, the child may begin to become hysterical. Do not delay and wait for the child to scream. It is advisable to approach him when he is just starting to act up.

Overwork is a common cause of whims. Tantrums happen at the end of the day when the child is tired. His day was long and eventful, he got a lot of new impressions. The nervous system, unable to cope, gets rid of stress in this way. For children, an established regimen is important, timely going to bed, the correct alternation of activity and rest. Children who live according to the regime are more calm and self-confident.

Crying can be caused by pain

All these reasons are taken into account provided that the child is healthy. If none of the methods helps to calm the baby, perhaps something hurts him.

There are some physiological conditions that are not associated with the disease: indigestion, infantile colic. These conditions cause discomfort and pain in the child. It is advisable for mom to examine the baby: whether his tummy is swollen, whether there is a rumbling.

If the child is breastfed, it is advisable for the mother to monitor her diet. Perhaps the baby reacts to certain foods.

If colic is the cause of concern, the baby can be offered fennel-based tea, which has a calming and digestive effect. Sometimes the child may refuse to take the medicine. Then a nursing mother can include this tea in her diet. Chamomile tea is good for digestion. Before using any means, you should consult your doctor about the methods, duration of administration and dosage.

With colic, it is also important to establish feeding, make sure that the baby takes the breast correctly, does not swallow air when feeding from a bottle, does not overeat and burps excess air in time.

If redness, a rash is noticed on the baby’s body, he has a fever, he spits up profusely, refuses food, while screaming heart-rendingly, you should see a doctor or call an ambulance as soon as possible. Perhaps the reason for crying is in the disease, and the baby needs treatment.

0 to 3 months

For infants, there are several ways in which they can be easily soothed. The baby, living in the womb, is used to certain conditions. The memory of this state is preserved for up to three months. Some actions will remind the baby of his intrauterine life. This will give him a sense of confidence and calmness.

What are some ways to help your little one calm down?

• Swaddling.
• wiggle.
• Monotonous hiss.
• Side laying.
• Sucking on a pacifier or breast.

Trying to calm the child, you can alternately use all the techniques. Careful swaddling reminds the baby of his stay in the womb in the last months of pregnancy, when he no longer had enough space for free movement. When the mother moved, the baby experienced swaying throughout the pregnancy.

Monotonous hissing is the sounds that reach the baby: maternal breathing, food moving through the esophagus. The position on the side with legs tucked in resembles an intrauterine position. Sucking is one of the first reflexes that wake up in a child. While still inside the mother, the child actively begins to suck her thumb. Then this skill helps him get food from his mother's breast or with the help of a pacifier.

From 3 months to 1 year

Methods that work for babies under 3 months old are no longer suitable for older children. From three months old, the baby is interested in the world around him with might and main, this can be used for his benefit. The easiest way to save a baby from a tantrum is to abruptly switch his attention to another subject.

First of all, it is necessary to eliminate the causes of crying. But if it came to hysteria and the baby does not want to calm down, you can suddenly interest him in something. Mom, watching the baby, will definitely notice what objects, sounds or situations can capture his attention. For example, a baby fascinates how the light burns.

At moments of crying attacks, you can bring the baby to the included lamp, which he will examine with curiosity.

These situations are individual. There is no universal recipe. All children have their preferences. For the mother, the main thing, studying the interests of the baby, is to offer him at the right time something that will distract him.

It will be easier to calm the baby before bedtime by following a ritual that will symbolize the baby that it's time to sleep. Soothing baths can be one of the ritual items. Warm baths taken at night help to relax and tune in to sleep.

You can take baths with soothing herbs. Melissa, chamomile, sage, valerian, motherwort are suitable for children. Dry herb tea is pre-brewed and added to the water before taking a bath. Herbal tea, absorbed through the skin, has a relaxing effect. Baths with infusion to improve sleep must be used in a course.

Excessive use of the infusion can cause the opposite effect, before any use of medicinal herbs, you should consult your doctor.

On sale there is a special children's collection - herbal tea that helps the baby calm down before going to bed. In pharmacies, children's drops of natural or synthetic origin, which have a hypnotic effect, are common.

Before using herbs, medicinal tea, drops that have a hypnotic effect, you should consult a specialist. All these drugs can not be prescribed independently. Any of them has contraindications, side effects and must be dosed correctly.

After the bath, the child should be put to bed immediately. It is necessary to lay the baby at night no earlier than three hours after daytime sleep.

A crying baby is always trying to signal a problem. The first thing parents should do is to understand the situation, find out the reason why the baby is crying. Perhaps, after the elimination of the cause, the hysteria will immediately stop.

Some babies, due to their temperament, find it difficult to calm down. They are active during the day and hardly go to sleep. A certain ritual can help mothers, symbolizing the baby that the night has come and it's time to fall asleep. Soothing baths taken before bed can become part of such a ritual.

When all else fails, pharmacies offer a large selection of remedies, such as soothing teas, drops, and other medications. Do not forget that any medicine must be prescribed by a doctor. And even harmless herbal tea can cause the opposite effect or allergies. Therefore, any medicine can be used only after consulting a specialist.

The child's audio system includes two lungs, the vocal cords and the mouth. He uses these organs for communication. Almost all models do not have the verbal communication function pre-installed, so the first attempts to “communicate” will seem pointless to you. This is a common mistake most newbies make. These audio signals, called crying, contain a huge amount of information!

The baby cries when he has a wet diaper, he is hungry, he is hot or cold, he is tired, he is tormented by gases, he is sick, he needs affection and comfort. Some models cry just to hear the sound of their own voice. If your baby is crying, the pitch and frequency of the audio signals will help you determine their meaning. Different types of crying signal different conditions. If you were able to determine the cause, remember the type of crying so that in the future you will immediately understand what is happening with the child.

Wet or soiled diaper. The olfactory system will help you determine if the diaper is dirty. Putting one finger inside the diaper, determine if it is wet. If necessary, replace it - the crying should stop.

Hunger. About 7-10 times a day the child experiences hunger. Offer him food. The baby may need to calm down before he starts eating. If the crying stopped, then the cause was hunger.

Hot or cold. Most models cry much more often when they are hot. The baby's body temperature may rise, but it does not have a user alert system. Check what clothes he is wearing and change them if necessary. Carefully examine the child to determine if he is hot. Perhaps his skin is red or moist to the touch. Don't put too many things on him.

Fatigue. While crying, the baby can rub his eyes, yawn or “nod”, which means he needs to go to sleep.

gases. If the baby fidgets or raises its legs to the stomach, it is possible that there is an excess of gas in his digestive system. Help him burp or hold him so that the gases come out.

Kindness and consolation. If the child seems to be left alone for a long time, or he is too excited, he may just need to be hugged and reassured. Try putting a sedative, either natural or artificial, in his mouth.

Disease. If the baby is sick and feels discomfort, he starts to cry. First, make sure that the above reasons are not the cause of crying. If the baby has been crying continuously for 30 minutes, contact your health care provider.

ATTENTION. Sometimes it is extremely difficult to determine the cause of crying. Don't panic and try again to figure out why your baby is crying.

In fact, most newborns begin this important ritual of infancy as soon as they are born. The first cry of a newborn plays an extremely important role - it helps to fill his lungs with air and stop being dependent on the oxygen that his mother's circulatory system delivered to him. Now he can breathe on his own. Even without explaining the circulatory system of the fetus and newborn, you may not need us to say that the cry of a baby in the delivery room is the most anticipated event for everyone. He usually announces the birth of a happy, healthy child, and almost everywhere this cry is met with tears of joy and relief. What kind of crying may occur in the following days can vary greatly from child to child, but you are more likely to find a baby who sleeps most of the time and only cries when he wants to eat.

In all infants and young children, crying is a form of communication; it only expresses needs. Thus, in most cases, crying is a response to hunger, discomfort (eg, a wet diaper), or separation from a parent, and stops when needs are met (eg, feeding, diaper changes, and comfort). Such crying is normal and tends to decrease in duration and frequency after 3 months of age. However, crying that persists after routine needs and comfort, or that is longer than normal for the baby, should be studied to determine the specific cause.

Why is the baby crying?

An experienced and observant mother can determine its cause by crying:

• hungry crying begins with a call, gradually turning into choking. When a mother approaches, but for some reason delays feeding, crying
  turns into an angry demanding cry, and during pauses the child makes search movements with his head;
• painful crying has a shade of deep suffering, turning into hopelessness. It has an even incessant character, directly related
  with pain sensations. Periodically replaced by a desperate cry, reflecting increased pain and a call for help. With the cessation of pain, the child stops crying and falls asleep;
• when urinating and defecation, the baby makes a squeak, whimper or grunt, which is replaced by an angry scream if the mother does not help the child and does not land him on the potty;
• if the child wants to sleep, but is tired or nervous, as a rule, he whimpers monotonously and plaintively, yawning and often closing his eyes.

When a newborn sleeps after the extreme sensations of birth and opens his eyes to a vast new world that opens up before him, you can bet that any of them will inevitably and immediately begin to cry. It must be said that one of the first and most useful lessons to be learned from this is that children do not always cry for the same reasons that adults do. After all, most of us cry when we are either hurt or upset. We believe that this is the reason why many parents get upset at the sound of their child crying and feel completely helpless if they cannot stop the crying of the child, and stop it immediately, considering it a call for help. Babies, on the other hand, have an uncanny ability to burst into tears (no tears, of course, which don't usually come for about the first month, see below) if they're frightened, hungry, hot or cold, tired, wet, bored , restless, gassy... well, you get the picture. We look at this situation this way: children are forced to cry a lot for one reason only - they do not have other ways to express their feelings in sufficient quantities. If you remind yourself that crying is not always synonymous with pain or frustration, you will be much less likely to be on the verge of tears yourself in the coming months.

Loud and no tears

Most babies literally don't shed a tear - not because they don't cry enough, but simply because their tear glands aren't fully developed yet. While you may not consider your baby's crying a gift (at least after the first cry in the delivery room), you may actually feel very moved when your baby gets past the tearing stage and cries real tears for the first time.

Myths about signal crying

Most books tell you that parental instincts develop quickly, and you will soon be able to determine the cause of each individual cry in your baby. We certainly don't want to minimize the importance of taking crying seriously, and we wholeheartedly agree that you should try to understand the true meaning of each of your baby's cries, but in our experience, this is often easier said than done. When you're not completely sure why your baby is crying, look for the obvious reasons first - hunger, a dirty or wet diaper, tiredness - and also try to make sure there isn't a potentially serious reason behind the crying: a fever, a stuck pin, or a stray hair or tie. , wrapped around a finger (the two commonly mentioned reasons that we were forced to list here are actually very rare). But for those of you who still haven't been able to identify why your newborn is crying or crying and feels hopelessly incompetent as a result, we hope we can convince you to be less critical of yourself by saying that we didn't always consider the definition either. Causing your newborns to cry is an easy task. We did our best and gave the child literally everything (sometimes our "everything" was somewhat limited due to our own endless sleep deprivation). If our children could remember their infancy and be able to publicly discuss our own parental “inadequacy” with them, they would surely say that we fed them when they needed to change their diapers, put them to bed when they were hungry, and excessively entertained when they were tired. There will certainly be times when your child's needs are obvious, but it's best to keep in mind that there will also be times when you're not sure of anything at all, except perhaps that you want to tear your hair out.

Calculated crying

In the first weeks and months, remind yourself that crying is completely normal for a baby. Typically, in newborns, the amount of crying during the day increases from about 2 hours at two weeks of age to 4 hours by three months. Light at the end of the tunnel: the number of crying children from this point on begins to gradually decrease, and over time the cause usually becomes much easier to understand.

Is it colic?

Open any book on child care and you will surely find a mention of what many parents call with horror "colic". Even with the rule of thumb that colic does not occur until about three months of age, we have included this issue in the chapter on crying without reference or qualification, as some parents begin to worry about it almost from the birth of their baby, and then continue to do so. at each crying or slight nervousness of the baby, counting them as only one step before full-blown colic (or its beginning). Quite often, colic is thought of in the case of prolonged crying in an apparently healthy child. For convenience, we prefer to perceive crying due to colic in a wide range - from those who cry episodically for several minutes, to those who cry for hours without a break. Only time will tell you if your newborn is indeed a “colic” baby, meaning one who has regular bouts of crying most often in the evenings and for no apparent reason. The good news is that most babies with colic (and even those who don't) "outgrow" the period of excessive crying by about 3 to 6 months of age.

Colic control

Since no one knows the true cause of colic, and many parents and experts continue to attribute the cause of crying to the presence of stomach pains and / or errors in the baby's diet, the most practical and logical analysis of colic (what to do with them) was recently given to parents in the care book. for the "Happiest Baby on the Block" by pediatrician Harvey Karp. Dr. Karp carefully studied previous theories of colic, and then offered five rules to parents: swaddling; position on the side / on the stomach while the child is awake; reassurance; motion sickness and sucking. Both he and we find these rules very effective in soothing a colicky baby during the first few months of life.

To soothe means to pamper?

You definitely don't need to hold yourself back from responding to your newborn's cries for fear of spoiling him. In fact, over the next few months, you may very well cross the word “spoilt” off your list of parenting worries. Every time you try to respond quickly to your newborn's crying, you are simply sending your baby a signal that you are there to help.

How to calm a crying baby

But how exactly to understand what he needs? Although we have already told you that this is not always easy, you will most likely notice after a few days that every time your baby falls asleep, he cries in a characteristic way. Or perhaps he has a special cry that ends as soon as he starts eating. As you begin to pick up on these signals and respond accordingly, your baby will become comfortable knowing that he can communicate with you, at least in part. If you can't determine the type of crying, think about when your baby last ate, slept, or had their diaper changed. If several hours have passed, it may be time to do each of these three again. Here are a few other ways to soothe your little one.

• Professional help. In most books, the worst scenarios are left for later. But not in ours. We want you to know right away that if at any time it seems to you that your child is simply inconsolable or crying unbearably long or looks sick or cries chokingly, put the book aside and call the pediatrician immediately: that is why they exist !
• Calm down yourself. So, now we will decide that you have assessed the situation and believe that the intervention of a doctor is not required. The next step is to take a deep breath and try to relax. Babies are able to pick up on the stress around them and may start crying if they feel negative vibes. Sometimes the best step you can take is to calm yourself down first, even if that means putting the crying baby in a safe place and taking a little break for yourself.
• Swaddling tight. Try swaddling your baby tightly (as described earlier). We believe this is justified because all newborns spend 9 months with a habitual feeling of tightness and security in a very small space inside the uterus. By modeling this sense of comfort and security, the swaddling technique often helps to cope with crying and promotes sleep.
• Let everything move. Any newborn who has spent enough time in the womb is simply not used to living without movement. As a result, you may find that your child may "buy in" to the idea that lack of movement and activity can be pleasant and peaceful. In the meantime, you can try time-tested movement methods: carrying, pushing, rocking the crib, riding in the car are sure to please your crying or restless baby. The very popular vibrating baby chair or baby swing also serves the purpose of soothing the baby with movement. Just keep in mind that you should always secure your baby as instructed, keep an eye on them when you use them, and buy accessories designed for baby comfort (additional head restraints, child safety harnesses, low seats on automatic swings, etc.). .).
• Simple sound effects. Your baby may also enjoy soothing muffled sounds, like the waves of amniotic fluid or the beating of a mother's heart and blood vessels. You may find, as many have no doubt found before you, that the sounds of a vacuum cleaner, a washing machine, water pouring from a shower, or a person's heartbeat (hold a baby to your chest or play a heartbeat on a tape recorder) work wonders. In addition to the efforts made to calm the child, you will receive a cleaned apartment, washed clothes or a clean body as a bonus! It doesn't matter if you're musical or not, try humming or playing a tune. Research has shown that some newborns are especially good at calming down to a song or songs that we have sung or played to them before they were even born!
• The opposite attracts. Feel the baby's hands and feet. If they are cold, put some more clothes on him or wrap him in a blanket. If he is hot or sweaty, remove one layer of clothing. Look, maybe he is interested in changing the situation: if the light is bright - turn it off, if it's dark - turn on some lamp. If it's very noisy, turn the volume down. If it's unusually quiet, try one of the simple sound effects above. Too calm? Walk along with him. Bottom line: there is no special science here, it all comes down to finding and tweaking your own simple, calm solutions.
• "Pass the pass." If there is someone nearby, do not refuse their help until you are ready to try again yourself.
• Give it time. If all else fails, simply lay the baby down and wait patiently until he calms down on his own. Crying by itself won't hurt your baby, so if you're not in the mood to calm him down, okay, let the baby cry for a while. If your patience is about to run out and you need a break, don't feel guilty about putting your baby in a safe place (in a crib or in a car seat) until you yourself come to your senses.

When the crying doesn't stop

Now that we have tried to explain to you why newborns cry, we want to give you a general rule regarding newborns and crying. Even if inconsolable crying does not always mean that there is some serious internal reason that caused it, anyway, always call a doctor in such cases.

If a child cries

Baby crying can be caused by hunger, fatigue, abdominal pain, fever, heat, cold, wet diapers. If you have checked everything, and the child continues to scream, you need to look for the cause with the pediatrician. Frequent crying or screaming of the baby may indicate some kind of illness or problems with breastfeeding. In the absence of both, there is only one way: go to an appointment with specialists who deal with the problems of baby crying. After all, constant crying not only exhausts the child himself and favors the development of a chronic anxiety state in him, but also greatly depletes the nervous system of the parents. Therefore, it is better to resort to the help of professionals sooner rather than later. You can get information about consultations on problems of baby crying at family centers, parent clubs or children's clinics (as a rule, for non-medical questions, it is better to contact the child's health office).

What can you do yourself

Screaming children often become a big test for parents. Constant crying can rob you of your self-confidence, especially if this is your first child. First of all, you must make sure that neither hunger nor illness is behind the crying.

If you can't find the cause, try the following tips:

• As a first step, try to calm yourself. Concentrate on your breathing, lower your shoulders and try to accept the situation as it is.
• Take the child in your arms. Close body contact can help reduce your baby's stress. Sit in some not too bright, quiet corner where you usually feel good.
• Ask the rest of the family not to disturb you for the next half hour so that it is easier for the child to calm down.
• Don't try to "turn off" crying. Sing a quiet song to your child and rock him gently in your arms. Wait patiently until the baby gradually calms down on its own.
• If you are a breastfeeding mother, then attach the baby to the breast. This also has a calming effect. Or give him a pacifier so that he can relieve his tension by sucking.
• Carrying a child on yourself in a scarf or backpack has proven its effectiveness many times. Ask the midwife to explain to you the technique of tying the headscarf. Feeling the warmth of your body, the child calms down faster.

Help with bloating

Relief is brought by special fees (for example, with fennel) or ointments. A small amount of them should be rubbed with the whole palm clockwise around the baby's navel. Then you should lift the baby in your arms with your tummy down and lightly shake him in the air "airplane". At the same time, one hand, passed between the legs of the child, firmly supports his tummy. And the other hand creates a support for the chest, with the head resting on your forearm. As another remedy for bloating, a slightly warmed bag of cherry pits is recommended, which should be placed on the baby's tummy for about 10 minutes.

Causes of baby crying

Cardiac:

Gastrointestinal:

Infection:

Injury:

Other:

Reason for crying:

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• functional in 95%.

organic. Organic causes, although rare, must always be taken into account. Causes to be considered are classified as cardiac, gastrointestinal, infectious, and traumatic. Of these, heart failure, intussusception, volvulus, meningitis, and intracranial bleeding due to head trauma are potentially life threatening.

Colic is excessive crying that has no obvious organic cause and lasts at least 3 hours a day for more than 3 days a week for more than 3 weeks.

One of the most important tasks for the mind and feelings of new parents is to learn to recognize the reasons why the baby cries and to respond to crying correctly. In most cases, crying is the result of an empty stomach and a full diaper, and the baby is calmed by taking proper measures. But even in these ordinary cases, newborns cry with all their might - insistently, irritably and desperately. Their cry sounds like an accusation: “I don’t like the way you look after me!”

If you hear a statement in your child's crying that he is uncomfortable or something is bothering him, do not panic: you are doing everything right. If you're getting very little sleep, your body hurts (especially after a C-section), and your hormones are raging, you may find yourself harboring thoughts about how hard it is to deal with a newborn. Such thoughts come to the mind of even the most devoted parents.

How do you feel and what should you do when a baby cries? First of all, it is very important to understand the purpose of crying. Remember that a newborn is completely helpless and can do nothing for himself except to suck on the breast or bottle (or one or two of his own fingers, which happened to be in his mouth). If adults do not satisfy all his needs, he simply will not survive. Crying for a baby is the only - and at the same time the most effective - way to motivate others to action. The cry of a newborn is deliberately so disturbing and annoying, as it is designed to evoke a variety of unpleasant feelings, especially in those closest to the child. The activities that usually stop crying - eating, clean diapers and clothes, carrying, caressing and cooing - simultaneously satisfy the most urgent, vital needs of the baby.

During the first three months of a child's life, there is no need to think about whether he has good reasons for crying. He is not trying to deliberately piss you off, manipulate you, test you for enough, or drain your last strength and poison your life. So you must definitely do something, and not plug your ears, hoping that the crying will dry up on its own. At this age, the child cannot be spoiled, and in the early period of his life it is better to overdo it with attention and care than not give them enough. The kid, although he is not able to express his gratitude or pleasure to others, is in dire need of calmness, caring hands and constant love. This is not the time for useless attempts to "educate", "shape character" and "discipline" the child. (In a few months, you will have plenty of opportunities to take on these important tasks.)

What is the baby trying to say when it cries? Most likely, this is what:

• He is hungry and wants to be fed.
• He has wet or dirty diapers.
• He is damp, hot, cold or uncomfortable.
• He wants to be picked up.

Somewhere between two weeks and three months, you will at least once suspect that something terrible has happened to the baby. Just a day or a few days ago, you knew how to calm him down. To do this, it was enough to feed him every few hours, change diapers, rock him to sleep and coo. And now he is naughty in the afternoon or early evening, and nothing helps for a whole hour ... two hours ... three hours ...

And sometimes a baby, for unknown reasons, suddenly starts to scream or scream right in the middle of the night. What's happening? You can never know for sure. But it will help you if you realize that many babies cry every now and then, some of them every day, and others seem to be intent on setting a world record for the duration of crying.

Crying: the reason is not only hunger or wet diapers

Your offspring's achievements will include new ways of expressing dissatisfaction: you will notice that crying has become an effective way for him to replenish his “vocabulary”. In different cases, the baby will be indignant in different ways: he will “say” about hunger in a different way than expressing dissatisfaction with the arrogance of the doctor examining him, and he will react to the vaccination somehow quite unexpectedly. A newborn cries the same way for any reason - persistently and monotonously. And a child over four months old tries to attract the attention of adults to the events of his life with the help of screams, which, depending on the situation, are very different. Watch and listen carefully and you will learn to distinguish "I'm hungry" from "I'm bored" or from "I want the toy I just threw on the floor."

The ability to distinguish between the intensity and intonation of crying will help you understand whether you need to immediately rush to the baby, or whether he is quite capable of waiting until you finish your business In the first year of life, the child will discover that, to his great indignation, he is not the center of the universe - in any case, that part of it that he had already managed to master. If the baby is fed, his diapers are dry, and everything else is also in order, then pause a little before approaching him, wanting to stop the furious roar of "I need attention right now."

Assessment of crying in children

Story. The assessment of the medical history focuses on the onset of crying, its duration, response to attempts at comfort, and the frequency or uniqueness of the episodes. Parents should be asked about related events or conditions, incl. recent vaccinations, trauma (eg, falls), sibling contact, infections, drug use, and association of crying with feeding and bowel movements.

The review of systems focuses on the symptoms of causative disorders, including constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, arching of the back, explosive and bloody stools (gastrointestinal disorders); fever, cough, wheezing, nasal congestion and difficulty breathing (respiratory infection), and obvious pain during bathing or changing a diaper (trauma).

Medical history should note previous episodes of crying and conditions that may predispose to crying (eg, heart disease, history of developmental delay).

Medical checkup. The examination begins with a review of vital signs, especially for fever and tachypnea. At the initial observation, the infant or child is assessed for signs of lethargy or emergency and noted how the parents interact with the child.

The infant or child is undressed and examined for signs of respiratory failure (eg, supraclavicular and subcostal depressions, cyanosis). The entire surface of the gel is checked for swelling, bruising and abrasions.

Auscultatory examination focuses on signs of respiratory infection (eg, labored breathing, wheezing, diminished breath sounds) and cardiac compromise (eg, tachycardia, galloping rhythm, holosystolic murmurs, systolic click). The abdomen is palpated for signs of tenderness. The diaper is removed to examine the genitals and anus, for signs of testicular torsion (eg, red-ecchymotic scrotum, pain on palpation), penile hairline, inguinal hernia (eg, swelling in the groin or scrotum), and anal fissures.

The limbs are examined for signs of fracture (eg, edema, erythema, tenderness, pain with passive movement). Fingers and toes - for the presence of hair bundles.

The ears are checked for signs of injury (such as blood in the canal or behind the eardrum) or infection (such as a red, bulging eardrum). Corneas are stained with fluorescein and examined under blue light to rule out corneal abrasion, and the fundus is examined through an ophthalmoscope for signs of bleeding. (An ophthalmological examination is recommended if retinal hemorrhage is suspected.) The oropharynx is examined for signs of thrush or oral abrasions. The skull is carefully palpated for a fracture.

Warning Signs. The following symptoms are of particular concern:

• respiratory failure,
• bruises and abrasions,
• extreme irritability,
• fever and inconsolability (meningitis),
• fever in a child<6 недель.

Interpretation of results. A high index of suspicion is justified in assessing crying. Parental anxiety is an important variable. When there is great concern, the clinician should be cautious, even in the absence of conclusive evidence, as parents may react subconsciously to subtle but

significant changes. Conversely, a very low level of concern, especially in the absence of parental interaction with the infant or child, may indicate a relationship problem or a failure to assess and manage the child's needs. The discrepancy between history and clinical manifestations should raise concerns about possible violence.

It is useful to distinguish a general concern. For example, in the presence of fever, an infectious etiology is most likely; respiratory distress without fever indicates a possible cardiac etiology or pain. History of stool abnormalities or abdominal pain during examination are consistent with gastrointestinal etiology. Specific symptoms often suggest specific causes.

Setting a time frame for crying is also helpful. Crying that intermittently for a number of days is less of a concern than sudden and constant crying. It is useful to know if the cry occurs only at certain times of the day or night. For example, recent onset crying at night in an otherwise satisfied, healthy infant or child may be associated with night terrors or constipation.

The nature of the cry is also indicative. Parents can often distinguish between a cry that is painful in nature and a cry that is reckless or frightened. It is important to determine visual acuity. An inconsolable infant or child requires more participation than a healthy infant or child who is easily comforted.

Testing. Testing is directed at identifying a possible cause and focuses on a potential life-threatening condition, unless the history and physical examination are sufficient to make a diagnosis. If there are very few or no specific clinical data, and if testing is not immediately indicated, close observation and reassessment may be applied.

Treatment of crying in children

The underlying organic disorder must be treated. Support and encouragement are important for parents when an infant or child does not have an overt underlying illness. Swaddling an infant in the first months of life can be helpful. Carrying and responding to crying as soon as possible helps to reduce the duration of the cry. For parents alarmed by the crying of the child, an important incentive is the desire to take a break from the crying child and lay him down in a safe environment for a few minutes. Parent education and "permission" to take a break is helpful in preventing abuse. Providing help to parents who seem overwhelmed can prevent future problems.

Lyudmila Sergeevna Sokolova

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Article last updated: 01/18/2017

After many months of waiting for the birth of a baby, the mother and the newborn are finally at home. However, just a few days later, parents have to look for an answer to the question of what to do if the child is constantly crying. Maybe something hurts him, and you need to urgently call a doctor, or can you solve this problem yourself?

Why can a newborn cry

Many parents learn to understand without words what can cause their baby to cry. In some families, not only mothers, but also fathers achieve complete mutual trust with the baby. However, due to the fact that the mother spends much more time with the baby than other relatives, plus she also breastfeeds him, they have a special bond.

At the same time, understanding between parents and the baby is usually improved by two or three months. Whereas in the first weeks the newborn and parents get used to each other. That is why each subsequent month, the process of raising and understanding a child seems much easier for a mother in the first weeks after birth.

Despite the fact that every baby is different, there are some of the most common causes of newborn crying:

• hunger;
• discomfort from heat or cold;
• pain in the abdomen.

The most common reason why a child constantly cries is hunger. To understand whether this is really so, you can touch the corner of his mouth with your finger. A hungry newborn will begin to turn his head, opening his mouth and making attempts to grab his finger. Such a baby needs to be fed immediately.

Discomfort from heat or cold is usually expressed by a newborn in the form of a prolonged whimper. You can check the condition of the child by touching his pen in the wrist area (if you feel the baby's fingers, you can draw the wrong conclusions). In the event that the wrists are too cool, the child should be warmed. If the wrists are sweaty and too hot, it is necessary to remove excess clothing from the child.

It should not be forgotten that newborns feel much worse in the heat than in hypothermia. This point must be taken into account when dressing a child for a walk or at night.

What to do if the child constantly cries from pain in the tummy?

Few parents manage to avoid colic - they disturb the baby in the first months. The cause of pain in the tummy, which prevent the child from sleeping well and having a good rest for the parents, is the digestive system that has not yet become stronger and is not well-established, because it only begins to function after birth, digesting food.

A newborn may scream and cry a lot from such pain in the tummy. He can fall into hysterics from crying, jerk his legs, tighten them and strain them a lot. From strong crying, he even blushes. Such crying from colic is difficult to confuse with crying caused by other causes.

It is very difficult to help a child get rid of this problem. You can try to put the baby to the breast, but if the newborn began to cry after eating, this method most likely will not help.

In some situations, you can use a gas outlet tube. It is sold in almost all pharmacies. The essence of the procedure is as follows:

• the baby is laid on its side;
• the thin end of the gas outlet tube is lubricated with baby cream (Vaseline is also excellent) and inserted into the anus (approximately 1 cm);
• the other end of the tube is lowered into a container filled with water (for example, into a glass).

In the event that the cause of the strong crying of the child is the gases accumulated in the tummy, then bubbles will appear in the glass. In addition, the use of a straw promotes bowel movements, which can also alleviate the condition of the child.

At the same time, the vent tube must not be used too frequently. If the newborn cries too often, a tummy massage can be helpful. This method also helps to get rid of gas and colic. When massaging, it is necessary to gently press on the tummy, massaging it in a circular motion.

After the procedure for feeding the baby, it is necessary to give him the opportunity to burp the trapped air. This is important in preventing the accumulation of gases in the intestines. In the process of feeding the baby, as well as at the end of feeding, you need to hold the baby upright. For this purpose, you can put it on your shoulder for 3-5 minutes. However, it should be noted that not in all cases, such a procedure allows you to relieve and prevent problems with colic in babies.

What to do when massage, spitting up air and a gas tube do not bring results? You can try to lay the baby on the tummy by placing a heating pad under it, after wrapping it in a towel or diaper. Before putting the baby on the heating pad, you need to make sure that it is not too hot. Some newborns are well helped by dill decoction.

How to calm a baby if he is crying

If all options have been tried, and the newborn is still crying, you should try to calm him down in other ways. And colic after a few months will pass when the digestive system is working properly.

To calm the baby, you can shake it, dance, holding it in your arms. Some kids like it when an adult's movements in the dance resemble a waltz, others like it when the dance looks like a march. You can hold the baby in different positions - in an upright position, on the tummy, putting him on his knees or placing him on the stomach of an adult. Most children like it when they are placed on the arm so that the head is located on the elbow, and the tummy is warmed by the palm of mom or dad.

From the age of two months and older, babies begin to cry from fatigue. Then the baby may suffer from the fact that he cannot fall asleep as a result of overwork. This is due to excessive emotional overexcitation, which parents should help reduce to the baby. To calm down and fall asleep, he needs to be rocked, sung a lullaby, given a pacifier, or his mother put it on his chest.

Do not be afraid to spoil the baby by rocking or singing lullabies. If parents show calmness, care for the child and patience, then he will grow up calm. After a few months, the baby will learn to calm down and fall asleep without motion sickness.

In order for the baby to learn to fall asleep on his own, he needs to feel confident that, if necessary, his parents will always be there.

Why does the baby throw his chest and cry?

Often, mothers have to deal with a situation where the child begins to eat, and after a while he drops his breast and cries a lot. What to do in such a situation? As a rule, if the child is a newborn, then the development of stomatitis can become the cause of this.

This ailment is easily recognized by the formation of white spots on the tongue, gums, inside of the cheeks, palate and even on the lips. The child's behavior becomes capricious, restless. Symptoms of stomatitis are expressed by itching and burning. Negatively affect the health of the child and refusal to eat. The cause of the onset of the disease can be an infection that the baby’s body is not yet able to resist.

At the first sign of stomatitis, appropriate measures should be taken immediately. In no case should parents self-medicate, it is best to seek qualified medical help. The doctor will be able to diagnose and prescribe the correct treatment.

Another reason why a child refuses to eat may be the eruption of the first teeth. This usually applies to babies older than 3 months. Although the teeth themselves may not appear for a long time, they can cause restless behavior and crying of the child. Symptoms of erupting teeth are increased salivation, which can lead to redness and irritation of the skin around the mouth and chin.

How to help the baby if he refuses to eat?

Before feeding in the baby's room, you can close the curtains, thereby darkening the room. It is desirable that nothing irritates or distracts the child, the room should be quiet.

In some cases, feeding in a standing position may help. You can make smooth swaying movements - this will soothe the child. In the event that a newborn refuses to breastfeed, you can first try to calm him down a bit (dance with him, shake him), and then try to feed him.

Do not panic in such situations. Many breastfeeding mothers assume that the reason why the child began to refuse food is bad mother's milk - that it became unpalatable for the child or acquired a bitter aftertaste. In fact, you can notice that the child began to refuse the breast only at certain times, and not at every feeding. As a rule, night feedings pass normally. Such a crisis can continue for several weeks, after which the situation returns to normal.

Every caring mother will eventually learn to understand the nature of her child's crying and to distinguish between his needs, whether it be hunger, discomfort and pain. The cause of the latter can also be a cold, which is usually accompanied by fever or a runny nose. In such cases, it is imperative to call a doctor.

In the event that the cause of crying has remained unexplained, you should consult a doctor to rule out diseases.

Children's cry. Tears. Bitter sobs. Yes, and on an empty, it would seem, place, as a maximum - a real punishment for parents, at least - a test. Parental Competence Test.

How do parents react if a child likes to cry over trifles? Based on my own observations and monitoring of parent forums, I conclude that there are not so many ways. Another thing is that in most cases, the method of how to wean a child to cry for any reason is chosen by parents intuitively or taken from the arsenal of old grandfather methods. And there would be nothing wrong with that if the main task were not to try to find the "off button" for children's crying, but to understand the true reason for, at first glance, causeless tears.

Why look for a reason, the main thing is not to cry

In the piggy bank of parental methods of education, how to wean a child to cry for any reason, we find: ignoring tears, holding serious conversations on the topic “crying is stupid”, we give positive examples, if a boy cries, then we appeal to the fact that “real men don’t cry ”, we visit a neurologist and arm ourselves with means that calm the nervous system.

Threats and manipulation like: “You won’t stop crying, I’ll leave you here”, “Stop crying, otherwise I won’t buy you a chocolate bar”, switching the child's attention: "Look what elephants", as well as direct physical violence, punishment complete the picture of the measures taken by educators to solve the difficult task of how to wean a child from crying for any reason.

Most often, parents get their way: the baby stops crying, however, the price of resolving the issue remains behind the scenes. True, not for long. We will definitely reap the deplorable fruits of our upbringing mistakes, even if not realizing what was the root cause of the negative life scenario of the child.

As you know, ignorance does not free us from the consequences of ignorance. When we are not aware of what we are doing, we do not see the internal distinctive features of the child, we cannot even predict how our methods of education will work on him, how they will affect his psyche. System-vector psychology eliminates gaps in parental knowledge.

A trifle or not a trifle?

Let's start with the basics: all children are different not only in appearance, but also differ in the internal properties of the psyche. What is not important for one person may be the meaning of life for another person. Life values, type of thinking, behavior of a native child can radically differ from our own. So, for example, the ordinary loss of an old toy by some parents is perceived as a trifle, tears over which are at least a waste of time. For a child, say, endowed with a visual vector, the loss of a toy is a real tragedy.

From memories

I had a favorite plush rabbit as a child, and somehow I did not find it in its place. Either the brother played unsuccessfully and covered up his tracks, throwing the bunny into the garbage chute, or the neighboring kids came to visit, only after a long search the toy was not found. My bunny Vasya is gone.

- A-ah-ah, I cried.

The parents came to the screams.

- Just think, I lost a toy - what a trifle, we'll buy a new one.

- I don't want a new one, I want Vasya!

Parents did not understand what was going on in my soul, a girl with a visual vector. It was not just a toy, old and worn, it was my friend, to whom I told my fairy tales, whom I took care of, whom I loved. Parents' persuasion did not work for me. If the words do not reach the daughter, then let her sit alone in the room, think, mother decided.

- How to stop crying, so you can go out, she said.

I sat for a long time, crying not only from the loss of Vasya, but also from resentment. It’s good that my grandmother came to visit, she took pity on me, sympathized with my grief, and gave her instructions to her parents:

- Crying, so let him cry. Don't punish her for crying.

Mom began to complain:

- So why not punish? She does not understand words, she cries for any reason and for no reason. I don't have the strength to watch.

- Grow up - stop.

Vulnerable, sensitive children

Proofreader: Olga Lubova

Our grandmothers and great-grandmothers treated infant crying quite philosophically, believing that during crying child“develops the lungs”, and therefore will cry - and stop. However, the point of view that crying is a request is now more popular. baby for help, a message that he has problems that need to be resolved as soon as possible. Parents should not be afraid to spoil the child by reacting to his every cry. According to child psychologists, spoiling baby up to a year is not possible. At the age of up to one year, you can either create a baby confidence in the safety and reliability of a new environment and environment for him, or destroy this confidence. An attentive mother, listening to her baby, gradually begins to distinguish the reasons for his crying. These reasons may be different, but one thing unites them: the discomfort that the baby feels at this time and about which he tries, as best he can, to tell adults.

When a child is missing something...

Perhaps most often child crying when he wants to eat. The most natural, healthy and necessary nutrition for a small child is breast milk. In addition, during breastfeeding, there is contact between the baby and the mother. Now, more and more often, doctors advise feeding the child “on demand” - it is believed that nature itself will tell you the correct mode of eating. Need for physical contact with mother- also one of the main causes of children's crying. Taking the breast child feels mother's warmth, mother's hands. In general, he feels good, warm, safe, comfortable. And he calms down. It is not for nothing that in primitive civilizations that have survived to this day in some countries of Africa, mothers, at the first cries of a child, take him in her arms and immediately give a breast. Children of Americans and residents of Western Europe, according to anthropology and sociopsychology, cry much more often and for longer, which is associated with a slow reaction of the mother to the crying of the child. The baby may just cry from boredom and loneliness. According to teachers, a big mistake of parents is that they have little contact with the baby when he is awake. The baby is waiting for your attention. Therefore, do not remain indifferent when he calls you to cry. In each of the three cases described, the mother will hear the so-called invocative cry, which consists of alternating periods of screaming and pauses. Moreover, if you do not pay attention to the child, the pauses become shorter and the cry longer. Take baby on your hands, stroke him on the back, move your hand along his tummy (it is better to make these movements clockwise), then along the chest, head. Has the baby calmed down? So he needs your attention. Does he keep crying? Then take it in your arms, press it to your chest, shake it. If child shakes his head, opens his mouth and smacks his lips, then most likely he is hungry. hungry cry starts with a call. But if the baby does not receive food, crying becomes angry, and then turns into a choking cry. One of the main rules of mother's behavior when child crying is to take him in your arms and give him a breast. If child cried in your arms, give the baby a breast and shake it. If the baby does not calm down and refuses to breastfeed, you should look for other reasons for his discontent.

The child is crying because something is bothering the baby ...

Feeling tired, general discomfort is often the reason that the baby is naughty, whimpering. Crying when you want to sleep is accompanied by yawning, child closes his eyes, rubs them with his hands. Rock the stroller or crib baby, sing him a lullaby - after all, mother's voice calms the best. If to kid cold or hot, he can also express his displeasure by crying. There are several ways to recognize this situation. Touch the baby's nose (in such cases, you need to touch the baby's skin with the back of the hand, since the skin there is more sensitive). If the nose is warm, then its owner is warm and comfortable. If the nose is hot, most likely the baby is hot and you need to remove one layer of clothing from him. If you are at home, undress baby give him a drink. If the nose baby cold means child freezing. A sure sign that the baby is cold is hiccups. You can also touch the handles baby, but not the hands, but a little higher - the forearms, since the hands can be cool when the baby is generally warm. A frozen baby should be covered or dressed warmer. Another common reason for baby crying is wet and dirty diapers. Usually just before the moment of urination or defecation child makes a sound like a squeak or whimper, and after the action itself, if the mother does not provide assistance, such sounds of discontent can turn into a scream. Discomfort in this case can be exacerbated by skin irritation. Many parents note that their baby begins to cry every day closer to six o'clock in the evening. Crying at the end of the day – a kind of means of discharge, giving way to the accumulated fatigue, nervousness. Take the baby in your arms, shake it, sing a lullaby, give him a drink, and when he calms down, put him to bed. Negative emotional states occur in children due to violations of the daily routine, changes in the usual course of life. The baby will be capricious both in the case when he did not sleep well, and when he was overexcited and cannot fall asleep. Negative, conflict family atmosphere adversely affects behavior baby: there is nothing surprising in the fact that when adults quarrel, child cries. Trying to calm the child, the mother herself must be calm: her anxiety, excitement are transmitted to the baby. Wrong care It can also cause discontent and crying of the child, his bad behavior during feeding, bathing, changing clothes. The child cries when bathing, and even at the mere sight of bathing accessories, if he has gained a negative experience in this activity - for example, the water was too hot or the soap stinged his eyes. If adults accidentally pinched the baby's skin when they fastened buttons or buttons on clothes, pulled the handles, the baby may resist and cry when dressing. Loss of appetite, crying and other defensive reactions can be caused by force-feeding, very hot or cold food, situations when an overflowing spoon is placed in the child’s mouth, the next portion is brought to the mouth too quickly, while the baby has not yet swallowed the previous one. The habit of sucking on a pacifier often calms the child, but this prevents the proper growth and development of the jaws, the formation of a correct bite. Children with hyperexcitability can be given a pacifier before falling asleep, but after the onset of sleep, it must be carefully removed from the child's mouth.

anxiety symptoms

Child's ailments, pain- the most unpleasant causes of baby crying. As a rule, there is no clear localization of pain in infants due to the imperfect development of their nervous system. Therefore, with pain in any part of the body, a small child behaves the same way: cries, screams, kicks his legs. By the behavior of the infant in response to a painful stimulus, it is impossible to say with accuracy that he is in pain. Therefore, sometimes it is difficult even for a specialist to determine what is actually the cause of concern. baby. Crying in pain is crying with a hint of hopelessness and suffering. It is quite even, unceasing, with periodic bursts of screaming, which probably correspond to sensations of increased pain. The most common and common ailments that cause a baby to cry include pain in the tummy (colic), pain during teething, headache (the so-called infant migraine) and increased sensitivity of the skin when it is irritated, diaper rash occurs, "diaper dermatitis". Bloating and abdominal pain (colic) usually disturb babies up to three to six months of age. At this age, the process of digestion and movement of food through the intestines is imperfect due to insufficient contractility of the muscular layer of the intestine, low activity of enzymes, and the intestinal microflora that has not been formed or is disturbed for any reason. Other reasons may be inaccuracies in the diet of a breastfeeding mother; erratic, unreasonably frequent feeding baby; the introduction into the diet of crumbs of food that does not correspond to his age. Colic can also be one of the signs of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. The occurrence of colic is due to the fact that food does not have time to be absorbed by the intestines and gases are formed in an increased amount. With each feeding, this process intensifies and reaches its peak in the evening hours. At the same time, children cry, kick their legs and pull them to the stomach, their sleep is disturbed. In case of colic, it is necessary to allow the gases to escape: massage the stomach in a circular motion clockwise; put the child on the stomach, bend the legs at the hip and knee joints (frog position); you can put the gas outlet tube into the anus, lubricating it and the tip of the tube with oil, insert the tube 3 cm into the anus with a slight twisting motion. You can also put it on your stomach baby soft warm cloth, take it in your arms and press it with your stomach to yourself - the heat will relieve colic. Try offering your baby a special dill-based baby tea that promotes gas. If colic recurs, you should consult a doctor. He will conduct an examination, prescribe drugs that help reduce excessive gas formation, restore normal intestinal microflora, which will also lead to a decrease in gas formation, normalization of the stool, and, if necessary, adjust the diet. Headache, or "baby migraine", occurs most often in newborns with perinatal encephalopathy syndrome (PES), including increased intracranial pressure, increased or decreased muscle tone, and increased excitability. Such children often react to changes in atmospheric pressure, weather changes. They behave restlessly in windy, rainy, cloudy weather. As in an adult, a child with a headache may experience a general malaise: nausea, vomiting, indigestion. In this case, you should definitely contact a specialist who will select the right treatment. Teething- always stress for the crumbs. The child may be naughty, cry, he may have a fever, loose stools may appear. At this time, the baby is very susceptible to infections. To facilitate teething, there are special teething rings with liquid inside. Usually they are cooled (but not frozen!) in the refrigerator and given to the baby to chew on. Even just stroking your gums with your finger will reduce the pain. But if all this does not help, and even more so - if this process has led to an increase in temperature and a violation of the stool, consult a pediatrician. You may need pain medication (such as gum gel). Skin irritation may cause baby significant concern, so the condition of the child's skin should be given considerable attention. Diaper dermatitis is manifested by redness, the appearance of an inflammatory rash on the skin of the buttocks, perineum baby, child becomes irritable, cries, especially when changing diapers. Urine, feces in contact with the skin of a child violate its acid-base balance, causing irritation and damage to the skin. To prevent such complications, it is necessary to thoroughly clean the skin of the child, change diapers more often (in newborns - at least 8 times a day). In cases of severe irritation or the development of an inflammatory process on the skin, you should consult a pediatrician. As your baby grows and matures, he will cry less. In the meantime, mother's affection, mother's hands, mother's voice, mother's warmth will be constantly needed to calm the baby; nothing and no one will replace them for your baby. Remember that you can solve "educational problems" only if your child surrounded by love, attention and is in constant contact with the people closest to him.