The baby is constantly crying, what should I do? Fear, fright, psychological reasons. Restless sleep and crying

1) It’s cool outside, the baby is rocked in a stroller - ideal sleeping conditions. In the evening fatigue accumulates, additional irritating factors - high temperature in the house (the baby is dressed warmly), a working TV, etc.
2) A more likely cause is that a period of colic has begun. Most often, the baby is bothered by gas and colic, starting from 3 weeks of age. The attacks appear in the evening and last up to 3 hours, while the baby blushes, cries, twists his legs, pulls them towards his tummy (more about colic and ways to deal with it -).

Hello! The child was born weighing 4800 kg. Tomorrow he will be 2 months old. She is practically bottle-fed. He sleeps very little, sometimes for 30-40 minutes. Cries, rolls up. At one time we give 150 grams of the mixture. It may be a little or, on the contrary, a lot. The doctors don't say anything. Maybe you can give me some advice? Please!!

1. In a child under 3 months of age, colic is a common cause of crying and poor sleep. They appear mainly at night, but also at other times of the day, during feeding. Warmth on the tummy, carrying in the arms, massage, laying on the stomach before feeding, warm baths helps. The pediatrician can also prescribe simethicone-based products if necessary.

Dear parents, let's first figure out what baby crying is and what can cause it, because only by knowing this can you change the child's behavior. Why is the child crying??
Believe me, there is no reason for crying. In infants, crying reflexively occurs due to feelings of hunger, thirst, the urge to natural functions, and the desire to sleep. In older children, crying signals any unpleasant, unbearable feeling that reaches the point of passion: acute anxiety, fear, irritation, sadness, melancholy.
The various functions of crying - whim, protest, request, demand, complaint (resentment), crying-signal, crying-release - constitute a complex psychological structure, a unique language.
For outsiders, a child's crying is an unpleasant irritant. But the mother will always be able to detect notes in it that indicate what her baby wants. If adults use any means to stop crying, they risk not only increasing the distance between themselves and the child, but also erecting real walls of indifference and misunderstanding.
However there is crying children who shed tears for every reason: hearing screams and loud voices, experiencing physical pain or entering into conflict with someone, sympathizing with your favorite fairy tale characters or seeing a dead butterfly.
Crying is a strong mental experience, an emotional shock that occurs against the background of previous excitement or inhibition. It can be the result of a release of tension, like rain falling from an overcrowded thundercloud. The relief experienced after crying, to some extent, helps improve mood and serves as a means of regulating emotional tone.
Often crying occurs as a way of attracting the attention of parents, as a kind of request for help, intervention, or resolution of a particular problem. The child thus complains about the one who offended him, about poor health, pain, and inability to realize his desires. In the first years of life, crying a child shows that he wants to eat, drink, relieve himself, or that he is uncomfortable in wet clothes. He does not yet know how to speak, so he expresses all his desires through crying, attracting the attention of his parents. But now the baby has learned to pronounce individual words and, it would seem, should already express his desires with them, but he still cries and is capricious when he wants something. This happens reflexively, because his subconscious contains information about this method of fulfilling desires. It happens that a child is taught to be calm and cheerful only in the presence of adults. He feels comfortable only when someone is nearby and they pay attention to him. If the baby does not find something to do and feels the need for direct contact with his parents, he may begin to attract the attention of adults with tears, whimpers and complaints. Of course, communication means a lot to a child, and those parents who pay enough attention to it do the right thing. Psychologists have proven that the need for love is a fundamental human need. Its satisfaction is a necessary condition for the normal development of the child. Feeling your care and attention, the child acquires the so-called “basic trust in the world.” He grows up calmer, is not afraid to be alone, and knows how to find something to do. If basic trust is not formed, then the child is forced to seek the attention of adults through tears, screams, whims, disobedience, etc.
Around the sixth week of life, in the evenings the baby begins to cry, writhe, and show signs of illness. At the same time, he is clean, he has drunk enough water, he is not hot... This condition is called evening restlessness. The child thus discharges the tension accumulated during the day. It is believed that this is a consequence of the newborn's adaptation to the rhythms of day and night, which disappears around the third month of life.

Irritability and tearfulness may be due to the fact that the baby is starting to cut his teeth. This is a very painful process: the gums swell, itch and hurt, saliva flows heavily, and the temperature rises.

Baby crying may be caused by a fear of strangers that he is unable to express in words. Often on the street or in transport we hear such expressions: “Stop squealing, otherwise I’ll give you to your uncle!” or “If you kick your aunt, she will take you with her!” For children with a sensitive and vulnerable psyche, such warnings make a very strong impression, cause fear, and the words of a stranger “Come on, come on, I’ll take him/her with me!” - panic horror at the prospect of spending your whole life in the company of strangers. After all, the baby takes everything said at face value. Such threats can develop in children a persistent rejection of strangers, and in the future they will feel free and at ease only in familiar surroundings, among family and friends.
Tears and whims are sometimes the result of a baby being overloaded with impressions. When you go with him to the store, to the zoo, on a visit, walk in the park or ride a carousel, remember that both large crowds of people and noise can negatively affect the child’s condition.
It happens that when a baby doesn’t want to go to bed, he becomes capricious and cries. Such crying is something like a bad habit, which must be weaned off gradually.
It happens that the baby is crying due to the fact that he encountered something unfamiliar and incomprehensible. He is not yet able to find explanations for many phenomena, so they cause him fear and, as a result, tears. A child may see something unfamiliar and scary not only in life, but also in a dream: a nightmare a child has can also become reason for crying.

When a child gets sick and cannot explain what hurts him, he begins to cry in pain, be capricious, refuse to eat, and sleep restlessly.

Crying is a natural reaction if a baby falls or gets hit. Children generally take their failures very seriously. Even if it doesn’t hurt him very much, he will still make a whole tragedy out of it, because it is important for him that they pay attention to him, sympathize with him and feel sorry for him.
There are often cases when children are crying during a doctor's visit. Usually, children associate a white coat with pain, injections, unpleasant sensations when they are listened to or looked at, and they begin to be capricious, even to the point of hysteria, resist, fight, push away the doctor’s hands, not allowing him to do an examination.
Sometimes crying children they don’t want to wear what their parents offer them - and again there are whims and tears.
Not all children quickly get used to kindergarten. Sometimes it takes a lot of effort and patience to adapt a baby to a new environment. After all, a child considers it natural that his mother should always be with him. Finding himself in an unfamiliar environment and losing sight of his parents, he gets scared and therefore cries.
A baby may cry if he is hurt by other children. For example, they pushed or took away a toy, a book...
Children are crying they complain when something doesn't work out for them. For example, a child tried to put on socks on his own. But it didn't work out for him. Then he begins to get nervous and cry, calling on adults to help him.
Not all children love water procedures. Those who do not like swimming express their dissatisfaction by screaming and crying, organizing “concerts”, attracting the attention of not only family and friends, but even neighbors who listen in bewilderment to the loud screams behind the wall and painfully wonder what is happening to them. a child, if he cries so angrily.
Tears may be the result of punishment. Often a child does not see the connection between his action and the reaction of adults. In this case, he perceives punishment as violence from his parents.
Punishment for no reason seems especially offensive to a child when he knows that he really is not to blame. For example, while walking, someone pushed him into the mud, naturally, he got dirty, got scared and burst into tears. Arriving home, he looks for sympathy from his mother, and she starts yelling at him because she will have to wash his clothes again. She didn’t even try to understand the situation, didn’t ask him about how it all happened. As a result, the child, crying and offended, stands in the corner, serving his punishment.

Crying baby, being in a state of passion, does not perceive remarks, orders, advice well, therefore it is useless to educate him. It is also unacceptable to punish a baby when he cries, since he can easily forget why he was punished, and the very state of crying is inherently a punishment for him.

There is a common belief that children's tears are easy to dry. Indeed, in children under five years of age, the duration of emotional arousal is relatively short, but the strength of emotions is not inferior to, and sometimes even exceeds, a similar state in adults. The grief of a child over the loss of a beloved kitten is no less great than the grief of an adult who has lost a loved one. What about the fear of being abandoned in the kindergarten locker room? It seems to adults that 15 minutes will not change anything, but to a child it can seem like an eternity.
Experiences and emotions require a lot of energy, so don’t oversaturate your baby’s day with events, even pleasant ones. This can lead to moodiness, tearfulness, sleep disturbances and even vomiting.

What should parents do?

You cannot ignore the crying of your son or daughter at all. This can undermine their trust in adults. But when the crying turns into hysterics, the best thing is not to pay extra attention to the child, but to give him the opportunity to throw out his nervous tension. In other cases, you need to understand the reasons for crying, which is only possible with a trusting relationship between you and your baby.
If the baby is crying, expressing natural needs, this is easy to find out by offering him something to eat or drink. If he cries and tells you that his diaper or clothes are wet, check and change them. An older child may cry and ask to go to the potty. Acting in such a situation is as simple as shelling pears: put him on the potty and stay with him, distract him with a conversation or show him a toy.
If the baby is crying because he is hot or, conversely, cold, you can determine this by the condition of his skin: the skin will be wet, sweaty if he is hot, and cool, with pimples (goose bumps) if the baby is cold. Having found out the reason, try to eliminate it.

In general, it is not advisable for a child to overheat; it is worse for him than cold. Don’t make him a sissy, don’t wrap him up, turning him into cabbage, this will lead to diseases faster.

If tearfulness and whims are a consequence of the fact that the baby has a tummy ache, give him a light abdominal massage to eliminate the discomfort. The massage is performed clockwise with stroking movements. Make sure your hands are warm; use baby cream for better gliding. If there is no effect, remove the gases. To do this, place the baby on his left side and bend his legs, pressing them to his tummy. You can use other methods - insert a gas tube or, placing the baby on his left side, give him an enema with warm boiled water.
If you have a serious illness, do not self-medicate under any circumstances, because you do not know what the child is sick with. Call your local doctor at home. The first symptoms of the disease, as a rule, are lethargy, drowsiness, and refusal to eat. Pay attention to the condition of the skin, look at the neck, check the stool. Be sure to measure your body temperature.

When a child is sick, his appetite decreases, so do not force feed him. Another important point: if the baby is not very seriously ill, do not keep him in bed. Due to the reluctance to lie down, the baby may cry, and he will spend no less energy on tears than on walking.

Don't dress him too warmly - overheating is very dangerous for children, especially when they are sick.
It often happens that even after recovery, the child’s nervous and tearful state persists. Be patient. Make sure to strictly adhere to the daily routine in accordance with the child’s condition and age: put him to bed on time, feed him properly and spend time with him in the fresh air more often. Surround your child with care and affection, because even an adult, when sick, requires increased attention, try to distract him from the consequences that the illness has led to (weakness, imbalance).
The baby is crying - he does not want to go to the doctor. The relationship between the child and the doctor develops through the parents (they bring the child to the appointment, explain the reason for the visit, the symptoms of the disease). It is the parents who must prepare the child to communicate with the doctor, explain why they need to go to the clinic and how this visit will go.
Under no circumstances should you frighten your child with injections or going to the hospital. By doing this, you can instill in your child fear and hostility towards people in white coats for the rest of his life.
The child is capricious because he does not want to go to bed. From the first days of his life, he got used to your constant presence; he does not want to part with you and go to bed. He needs you to be around for a while. Sit on the edge of the bed, tell him some good story, fairy tale, read a book or just look at pictures with him. You can quietly sing a song or talk about your day.
Ask him about what interesting things happened to him, tell him about your affairs in a form that is understandable to him. The child’s favorite toy should be nearby so that he can reach it, because children love to sleep with toys. All this will allow the baby to calmly end his day and will also help strengthen your relationship.
Over time, the child will understand that when he sleeps, his loving parents do not leave him, they are always nearby. He will calm down, get used to it and will fall asleep without whims.

Sometimes the baby, on the contrary, is capricious because he wants to sleep, but cannot fall asleep. Soothe him, caress him, give him a relaxing massage. Stay with him, try to get him to sleep.

If a child refuses to eat, do not force-feed him or yell at him. Be patient. Tell me what you need to eat to grow big and healthy, like your dad; place the toy on the table and “feed” it together with the child, alternating one spoon for the doll and another for the baby; ask the child to eat a spoon for each family member: for dad, for mom, for grandma...
Your baby does not like and does not want to bathe. What to do in such a situation? Try to explain to him why this is being done. Tell us how important it is to keep your body clean. Remember the fairy tale “My Dodyr” about a boy from whom all his clothes ran away because he was dirty.
When bathing, place washable toys in the shroud7. Wind-up waterfowl toys are especially interesting for children.
Blow soap bubbles with your baby. The most important thing is that you should be nearby and under no circumstances leave the baby alone in the bathroom, because he may not only be afraid of the water, but also choke.
Sometimes the reluctance to bathe is due to the fact that the child once experienced unpleasant sensations from soap or shampoo getting into his eyes. He retains the memory of this event, so he begins to cry when he is taken to the bathroom. Use special detergents for children that will not cause irritation if they come into contact with the eyes.
The baby becomes stubborn and does not want to get dressed, begins to get nervous, cry, and throw his clothes around. Find out why he is protesting. Maybe he wants to wear his favorite thing, let him make the choice himself, if possible. Or, after showing the item, interest her in some pattern, say that the blouse or pants are beautiful, warm and comfortable.

Sometimes a baby doesn't like clothes because he feels uncomfortable in them, but he can't express it in words. If you go for a walk and your child objects to a warm jacket, explain that it is cold outside and show that you also dress warmly. But under no circumstances should you start screaming or forcefully dress the child. This will negatively affect your future relationships.

The baby grows, develops, learns, and acquires some skills. When something doesn’t work out for him, he may burst into tears and throw objects and toys around. In this case, when we cry, he calls you for help, since he cannot cope on his own. Find out what he wants. Don’t yell at the child, help him, but not silently, but saying: “Let me help you. I’ll show you how to do it, and you can repeat it” or “Let’s do it together.” This way you will establish closer contact with your baby. When helping your child, do only what he cannot do on his own.
The child does not want to go to a nursery or kindergarten. Explain to him why this is necessary. Try to convince him that you are sending him to kindergarten not to get rid of him, not because you are tired of him, you are tired or you have more important things to do, but to help him spend his time more interesting and richer.

In order for the baby to adapt faster, effort and patience are needed. Under no circumstances should you force a child into kindergarten, yell at him and scare him that you won’t take him home if he doesn’t stop crying. Try to ensure that being in kindergarten does not become a psychological trauma for him, but, on the contrary, turns out to be a joyful event. For this, the baby should be prepared for kindergarten.

When he arrives at kindergarten, he should already be able to wash himself, get dressed, and sit on the potty. Therefore, instill in him the necessary household skills in advance so that he does not have annoying problems associated with the inability to do something on his own.
Tell us more about the kindergarten and what he will do there. Be sure to tell him that he is already big and you are proud of him, because now he can go to kindergarten, just like you can go to work. Try to convince the child that he will not be offended in kindergarten. Let him take his favorite toy with him so that he will feel calmer, since a piece of home and everything he is used to is with him. Don't leave as soon as you bring your baby. Slowly undress him and lead him by the hand into the group, interest him in something so that he wants to stay.
There are children who cannot get used to kindergarten for a very long time; they are afraid to go there, resist, and cry. In a group, they hide in a corner, don’t play with anyone, and avoid teachers. Talk to the child to establish the reasons for what is happening: maybe the teachers treat him badly or are offended by other children?
As you know, children love outdoor games, so they often fall and get dirty. They cannot be punished for this, since physical activities are necessary for the full development of children. Imagine what will happen to a child if he sits quietly on a chair, losing his usual mobility? He may develop muscle weakness, get sick more often, and fall behind his peers.

If your baby falls, gets hit hard, or scrapes his knees, don’t yell at him, he’s already scared. Try to calm him down, distract him, and carefully treat the wounds. Explain that all this is not so scary and will heal soon.

It is difficult for a child to absorb a large amount of information. Therefore, when impressions overwhelm him, he begins to be capricious and cry. In such a situation, it is advisable to talk with the child about what he learned or saw, to find out what he did not like and what interested him. If something remains unclear to your child, explain it to him in an accessible, intelligible form.
Under no circumstances should you frighten a child. The shock caused by fear can have a detrimental effect on his psyche; he may begin to stutter, twitch, and will be afraid of the dark, loud sounds, or a room in which no one is present. If the baby is capricious and crying, do not under any circumstances scare him with wolves, witches and other scary characters, this can lead to the development of mental illness.
Sometimes a baby may cry because he is bored. Try to cheer him up. Offer him something to do, do something with him, look at a picture book, play, or finally, just talk. Do not brush your child off, citing your fatigue or busyness, otherwise you risk losing his trust. He can withdraw into himself and harbor a grudge.
As noted above, there is crying children who cry clearly more than others and, as it seems at first glance, for no reason at all. Parents are constantly worried about them. How can we help such children?
Of course, there is no universal recipe. However, we can say with confidence that sensitivity and vulnerability are signs of a child’s mental makeup, properties of his nervous system. You cannot change these innate characteristics at will. Such means of educational influence as persuasion, reproaches, punishment, shouting, ridicule will not help, but rather will bring a negative result. Any violent measures will cause an increase in tension and anxiety, further weaken the baby’s nervous system, and deprive him of strength and self-confidence.

Even the most loving parents will not be able to protect their child from life’s troubles; you cannot keep your child under a glass bell all the time. Therefore, the simplest tactic in dealing with such a baby is not to get annoyed when you hear him cry. And the best way to calm him down is to be with him. Let him feel that you are always ready to help him.

Tell your child more often that he is dear to you, needed, and important. You can convey this not only with words, but also with a gentle look, gesture, touch. The famous psychologist Virginia Satir recommended hugging a child several times a day. In her opinion, four hugs are absolutely necessary for everyone to survive.
In short, the most important thing that is required from parents is patience. Do not forget that high emotional sensitivity is closely related to responsiveness, kindness, cordiality, willingness to help, to defend the weak, and these are very valuable human qualities! Therefore, no matter how strange it may sound, listen to the child’s cry, delve into its meaning, and do not try to interrupt it as quickly as possible, to dry the child’s tears. Crying and tears are the language of children's communication, so do not be deaf to it just because you have forgotten how to speak it yourself.
If a child is afraid of strangers, he expresses this through tears. The child’s world is mainly limited by the walls of the house, courtyard or kindergarten, so the appearance of an unfamiliar face makes the child wary. If a stranger behaves harmlessly from his point of view, for example, does not touch his toys, does not grab his parents in his arms, the wariness gradually goes away. Otherwise, it can develop into panic fear and even persistent phobia. If a child is afraid of strangers, he especially urgently needs your support, understanding, and protection. A calm, friendly family atmosphere will help the child cope with his fear.
If your the baby is crying, do not rush to call a doctor or stuff him with pills and mixtures. Just pat him on the head. The mother’s warm, soft hands work wonders: they stroked the back, tummy, chest, lingered a little longer on the forehead, and the baby calmed down. Amazing effect, right? But this is nothing unusual. It has been known since ancient times that massage has a calming effect, especially if it is done by the mother. She seems to convey her warmth and calmness to the baby, and he stops crying and being capricious. By showing maximum patience and attention, in the future you will be rewarded for this with the health and well-being of your child.

In the first month of a baby’s life, it can be difficult to figure out the reason for his crying. There is an opinion that there is no need to “pamper” him and answer every cry, but such a theory of “education” cannot lead to anything good. A child’s crying is his way of communicating with his parents, an indication that some kind of trouble has crept into his life.

A 1 month old baby is not crying because he is spoiled or whims, at that age this is impossible! Crying is either a distress signal or an attempt to tell you something important. Here are the main reasons why a baby may cry:

- He's hungry.

This is the most common reason that forces children to express their dissatisfaction by screaming. It is the “dissatisfied”, grumbling nature of crying, becoming more and more demanding, that indicates that the baby is hungry. However, no matter why he cries, you should always start with feeding, and not only because most often tears are caused by hunger, but also because the mother’s breast is the best way to calm the child.

The cause of the crying must be eliminated, in this case this means that you should not starve the child, even if unscheduled feeding will ruin the wonderful schedule you have drawn up. At the age of one month, no amount of persuasion will help convince the baby that he needs to be patient and wait for milk in silence.

- He's uncomfortable or wet.

The crying that accompanies wet diapers is not difficult to distinguish - your child grunts and grumbles, you can’t call it a cry. However, inconvenience can be caused by improper swaddling, too bright light, or a poorly placed sheet - there can be many reasons, and you should definitely find out what’s wrong, otherwise you won’t be able to calm the baby down.

So, getting rid of this problem is to change the child’s clothes or find a factor that irritates him. Using diapers will help reduce the number of screams.

- He's just bored.

The most important person for a baby is the mother, and a 1-month-old baby often cries because he lacks her attention. As soon as the mother approaches the crib, the baby is already smiling.

If crying is caused by this reason, the child needs to be picked up and talked to. This is important not only for the baby’s good mood, but also for his well-being and development.

— He is tired and wants to sleep.

It would seem that a tired person should simply fall asleep, and there is nothing to cry about. However, this applies to adults, and small children often begin to whine from overwork. Overwork is a sign that the child’s routine needs to be reconsidered.

How to cope with such crying? You need to help your baby fall asleep, sing to him, lull him to sleep in your arms or in a crib. It may be uncomfortable for him to fall asleep alone, but next to his mother he will quickly calm down.

- He is in pain.

This is the worst of all possible situations - the child cries in pain. At one month of age, the cause of pain is often stomach cramps, and they can be alleviated with massage, but such crying can also mean an approaching illness. If you are sure that the cause of the screaming is not due to the factors listed above, and if the crying does not subside for more than thirty minutes, you need to call a doctor. Under no circumstances should you leave your baby without help!

Very soon, parents will learn “from the first notes” to determine why their child is crying and how to calm him down; it’s just a matter of time and experience. In infancy, there are not many reasons for crying, and eliminating them is usually not difficult. Everything would be just as rosy in adulthood...

Text: Natella Jakeli, consultant - Nina Viktorovna Ilyina, head physician of the clinic of traditional medicine “Intermed”

Babies never cry without a reason; tears are a way of communicating their discomfort. We have compiled a list of the most common causes of “sudden” baby crying to help you understand what your baby is trying to tell you.

1 Why does a child cry: “Take off my jacket!”

Most parents over-insulate the baby, who, when he gets hot, shows his dissatisfaction in the only way available to him.

How to help the baby? Your child should be wearing one more layer of clothing than you. If you want to check whether your baby is hot or, conversely, whether he is cold, place your palm on his tummy or back. Babies' feet or cheeks are often cool even at a comfortable temperature. If the child is hot, then he has a sweaty neck, hot, wet palms and feet.

2 Why does a child cry: “Guys, let’s live together!”

Babies do not understand the meaning of the words, they do not understand why mom and dad are in conflict, but they instantly pick up the intonations of irritation, aggression or resentment, and they do not like it at all. This is what they report by crying loudly. Babies accurately sense moments when tension reigns in the family.

How to help the baby? Of course, all spouses quarrel from time to time. But try to express your emotions more calmly in order to maintain an atmosphere of peace and harmony in the family, and never sort things out in the presence of a child, even when he is sleeping.

Read more about resolving family conflicts in our section “Family Relations”

3 Why does a child cry: “I’m stressed!”

The noise, bustle and bright lights of a shopping mall, a crowded cafe or a family gathering can all cause a baby to cry. Kids are extremely susceptible; an excess of impressions and emotions can bring them to the point where absolutely everything irritates them, even their favorite jumpers and toys...

How to help the baby? Each baby has its own “boiling point,” so pay close attention to how your child reacts to the noise and bustle around him. Reduce the time you spend in busy shopping centers, go to restaurants at times when there are fewer people there, and gradually introduce your baby to new toys. After “going out”, plan an hour of silence - time that the baby can spend in a quiet and calm environment.

4 Why does a child cry: “My tummy hurts!”

There are a huge number of reasons why a baby may experience abdominal discomfort. The main ones are colic and constipation. Formula-fed babies may suffer from sensitivity to or allergy to cow's milk protein. Both cause spasms. It also happens that a child suffers from reflux - belching, in which part of the stomach contents are thrown back into the esophagus.

How to help the baby? Gentle massage of the abdomen in a clockwise direction will help cope with colic. It is useful to bend the baby's legs at the knees, pressing them to the tummy. Also, place your baby on his stomach more often. If you are breastfeeding, try giving your baby one breast at a time. The “foremilk” that comes first has a much higher lactose content than the “hind” milk. Are you bottle feeding your baby? Use a “slow flow” pacifier, then the baby will swallow much less air. If nothing helps, take your baby's stool for examination to check if he has lactose deficiency or dysbacteriosis. Don't panic if your baby spits up from time to time. It can be useful to hold the baby vertically (in a column) after feeding so that the swallowed air can escape. If regurgitation is excessive and occurs after every feeding, be sure to consult a doctor.

5 Why does a child cry: “Oh! Something is pricking!”

Look, maybe some hair or thread got wrapped up and crushed the baby’s finger, which is now swollen and painful. These things happen much more often than you think. It is important to notice this in time and help the child as soon as possible! What if a label on a garment or a zipper rubs your skin? Or is the seat belt in your car too tight?

How to help the baby? Undress your child and examine his fingers and toes. Don't forget to check if the fasteners on your baby's clothes are getting in the way; loosen the stroller's straps or seat belts that are too tight.

6 Why does a child cry: “I’m lonely here...”

At the age of 6–9 months, your baby will understand that he is an individual, existing separately from you, which in itself is good. But now he cries every time you just leave the room because he misses you. This is both good and bad...

How to help the baby? It's great when you can leave your baby to play on the play mat or playpen while you load the dirty laundry into the washing machine. But if you notice that every parting causes a hail of tears, put aside your affairs for a while, show your child that you love him. Sometimes it’s enough for a baby to just see you to stop crying; a mother’s hug can instantly dry the most bitter tears. Give your baby a light massage or just pat him on the back to reassure him that even if you leave, you will definitely come back. If you have already tried all the recommendations - rocked the baby, turned on the music, given your favorite toy - and nothing helps, maybe it’s easier to take the child with you? By the age of one and a half years, your baby will outgrow this fear.

7 Why does a child cry: “I’m hungry!”

The baby only ate an hour ago, and you are sure that the time for the next feeding has not yet come. Or has it arrived? If the baby is currently experiencing a growth spurt, his tears may mean: “Waiter, bring the next dish!” These growth spurts typically occur at 2, 3 and 6 weeks, 3 and 6 months and last approximately 2 days. But the truth is, kids don’t often check the calendar and schedule, so such jumps can happen at any time.

How to help the baby? Is the baby really hungry? Don't worry: it's impossible to overfeed a breastfed baby. According to the recommendation of the WHO (World Health Organization) and the best Russian pediatricians, the child must be put to the breast upon request.

Read more about how often you should breastfeed in our article.

8 Why does a child cry: “I’m tired of looking at the wall”

Imagine yourself sitting all day in a tiny office space. Your baby feels the same way, forced to spend an entire hour in the same chair in the same corner of the same room. Of course, there are children who are much more tolerant of the need to spend a long time in the same place, but any child likes a change of places and “scenery”.

How to help the baby? Stimulate your child's natural interest in exploration - move him around the room, go for a walk in the park, make forays to nearby attractions. Don't have time to explore the area? Believe me, talking with your baby and communicating with him is an excellent remedy for boredom. Young children are very sociable. They enjoy spending time with you, listening to you, learning from you.

9 Why does a child cry: “I must be sick”

If you have gone through all the possible reasons for crying, and the baby continues to sulk, then there is a high probability that the child is getting sick. Whims, whining, irritability are the first signs of childhood ill health. It's time to think about what can be done to prevent the oncoming illness.

How to help the baby? This condition can last from several hours to several days. Don't let your child get sick!

Why does a child cry: 5 steps to help prevent an approaching illness

1. Make sure your baby gets enough sleep.

2. Do not let your child become hypothermic or overheated.

3. Free the baby from excessive impressions.

4. Massage your child's upper back. Rub and massage your shoulder blades until the skin in this area turns pink. Vigorous massage of this area stimulates acupuncture zones responsible for the immune system. This is good to do after swimming.

5. Start taking preventive homeopathic remedies (sold in a specialized pharmacy), such as Homomilla (chamomile) 6, Arnica 6, Belladonna 6. Dose calculation is one grain per year of life.

Respiratory diseases cannot always be prevented, but timely preventive measures will help the child recover from the disease without complications. After all, for the proper formation and development of the immune system, the baby must get sick from time to time and, of course, recover. Learn to hear and listen to your child, this will strengthen your bond.

And yet, how can you understand why an infant is crying? Maybe he was a little sick? Are you hungry? Does he suffer from colic? There are many options for potential negative factors; all that remains is to understand the true cause and find an effective “cure”.

But it is with identifying the true culprit that problems arise, since inexperienced parents are just learning to understand their baby. However, you can understand what a child’s crying is saying if you carefully monitor the tiny person’s reactions.

A little about baby crying

The cries of a newborn baby are the first sound signal after birth. In this way, the baby resists separation from his mother, protests against the change in environment and announces his birth to the whole world.

Such reactions can be found in many mammals, especially baby monkeys. Previously, in general, the viability of a newborn was judged by the first cries of a newborn. If the baby screams loudly, it means he is healthy, but if he screams weakly and sluggishly, therefore, there are some violations.

Usually a newborn baby cries quite often, and if at first the parents do not understand the source of the cries, then they begin to distinguish between different reasons based on the duration, frequency, intensity, volume and other characteristics of the crying.

You shouldn’t react to a baby’s crying as if it were a catastrophic event. On the contrary, it is necessary to listen to the child every time, trying to determine the source of anxiety and eliminate it.

The reasons for a newborn crying are multifaceted and may include: the following features and factors:

• colic and discomfort in the tummy;
• hunger;
• wet diapers;
• low or high room temperature;
• desire to sleep;
• boredom;
• discomfort in the crib;
• fear;
• health problems.

And these are just some of the possible reasons for children's discontent. Having learned to understand why a child screams during the day, parents will be able to quickly solve emerging problems or contact doctors if the situation is really serious.

Let's look at the main reasons for a small child's crying in more detail.

If you ask an experienced pediatrician why a newborn is crying, then in most cases the answer will be something like this: the baby is hungry.

The ventricle of a newborn baby is very small, so infants are fed often, but with a small amount of milk or formula. But since lactation is just getting better, during one of the feedings the baby may receive a smaller amount of food, which is signaled by crying.

If a newborn baby cries a lot, the mother, first of all, needs to check whether he wants to “eat.” To do this, bend your little finger and touch it to the corner of the child’s mouth. If the baby turns his head towards the stimulus and opens his mouth, then the crying was provoked by hunger.

The mother can only put the baby to the breast for feeding or offer a bottle of freshly prepared formula. Usually, immediately after receiving the coveted food, the screams begin to subside, and loud crying is replaced by quiet sobs, which gradually disappear.

“Hungry” crying is loud, prolonged, and intense; the baby seems to be choking. If the child has just recently become hungry, then the screams will be inviting.

If the child cries constantly, you need to track the dynamics of weight gain and the volume of milk from the mother. It is very likely that the baby cannot eat enough and this situation requires an increase in the amount of milk or the introduction of complementary foods.

It is best to consult a specialist.

An artificial child, by the way, may cry not from lack of food, but from thirst. Mothers, especially in hot weather, need to keep a bottle of clean drinking water near them.

Feeding problems

If a newborn is capricious and cries directly during or after eating, we can conclude that there are certain problems that interfere with normal feeding. Here are just a few of them:

1. Stuffy nose. The baby may start sucking milk or formula, but then rejects the breast or bottle. At the same time, you can hear snoring or sniffling. If you have a runny nose or stuffy nose, clear your nose with an aspirator, rinse it with saline solution, and instill the solution recommended by your doctor.
2. The child choked. If a baby's cry during feeding is short and does not repeat itself, and the baby clears his throat, then he probably just swallowed a lot of milk. It is enough to wait a little and then resume feeding.
3. Ear infection. If by all indications the baby is hungry, but leaves the breast at the first sips and starts screaming loudly, he may have otitis media. In this case, swallowing only increases the discomfort. You need to see a doctor who will prescribe nasal and ear drops.
4. Thrush. When the oral cavity is infected with a fungus from the genus Candida, the child develops a whitish coating, and when milk gets on the tongue, a burning sensation occurs. To prevent your baby from crying and refusing to eat, you should visit a doctor who will recommend the correct treatment method.
5. Unpleasant taste from milk. If a hungry baby turns away from the food source and continues to cry, he may not like the taste of the milk. The consumption of flavored products: spices, hot seasonings, garlic sauce or onions changes milk parameters. They should be avoided during breastfeeding.
6. Entry of air into the digestive tract. If immediately after eating your baby begins to whine and pull his legs towards his tummy, he may have swallowed a lot of air. It is enough to put the baby as a “soldier” so that excess oxygen comes out.

If a newborn constantly cries when feeding, you need to consult a specialist to rule out serious problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

A common cause of crying in a newborn baby is colic, which is a spastic reaction localized in the tummy. Their occurrence is caused by the imperfection of the children's digestive system, manifested by stretching of the intestinal walls with gas bubbles.

In this case, a child’s cry is loud, shrill, and can continue for a long time with short pauses. A parent can guess about colic according to such characteristics as:

• flushed face;
• pressing the lower extremities to the stomach with their further sharp stretching;
• hard stomach;
• clenching fists.

Of course, the problem of colic will disappear on its own at 4 months of age, when the digestive tract “matures.” However, simply waiting for this blessed time would be foolish. It is necessary to calm the baby. How? For example, Can:

• stroke the diaper and place it warm on the baby’s belly;
• do a light massage of the umbilical area;
• place the baby on your stomach;
• perform the “bicycle” exercise;
• Give the baby some dill water or a medicine prescribed by the doctor, etc.

Does the child not cry after the manipulations? So you did everything right. Very soon the unpleasant symptoms of colic will disappear, and children's anxiety will be replaced by joyful activity.

Physical discomfort

If hunger and colic disappear, the mother may assume that the newborn baby is crying due to unpleasant sensations caused by uncomfortable underwear, incorrectly selected temperature conditions, or, what happens most often, a wet or dirty diaper.

Let's take a closer look main reasons for physical discomfort and methods to eliminate them:

1. The child peed himself. If the baby cries, fidgets, trying not to touch the wet thing, you need to see if he has done his “wet deeds” in a diaper or diaper. The solution to the problem is very simple - just change clothes and underwear, wipe the baby's skin with a napkin.
2. The baby is uncomfortable in clothes. If a child screams in displeasure immediately after dressing or changing a diaper, the mother may conclude that he does not like the clothes. Perhaps the seams, threads, buttons are dug into the body, the synthetics cause itching, or the diaper material is quite hard. The baby is simply changed.
3. The baby is uncomfortable in a crib or stroller. A whining newborn may be unhappy with the position. In this case, he begins to cry, wave his limbs, trying to change his position. The solution is to move the child to a position that is more comfortable for him.
4. The baby is cold or wet. If a child constantly whines, sobs, and has reddened and hot skin, then he is too hot. When crying and pale skin, on the contrary, they conclude that the baby is hypothermic. Parents need to change his clothes based on the room temperature.

How to understand a newborn who is experiencing physical discomfort? It is enough to show basic attentiveness and monitor your child’s reactions.

Painful conditions

If the mother does not know why the newborn is crying or has disturbing symptoms, the doctor will help answer all questions. You should seek medical help if:

• children's crying is characterized by monotony and monotony;
• the child is too lethargic and inactive;
• body temperature is increased.

If a child cries all the time, and the source of the screams cannot be determined, it is better not to hesitate and call a doctor. What else should parents know? Ways to help with some painful conditions are presented in the table.

Discomfort of psychological origin is another answer to the question of why a baby cries. The child may become overtired, miss his mother, or be frightened by a loud sound.

The baby is able to cry if he needs to attract parental attention. In this case, he screams invitingly for a few seconds and waits for his mother to approach. If the adult does not respond, then after a short interval the cry is repeated.

Some experts do not recommend immediately grabbing a child in your arms to calm him down. To prevent the baby from growing up “tame”, it is better to pet him directly in the crib. Most likely, he will quickly calm down as soon as he hears his mother's voice.

The baby may cry as a sign of protest. For example, if a newborn doesn’t like something, he will start screaming sharply and loudly at the top of his lungs. Most often, children may be bothered by changing clothes, cutting nails, and cleaning their ears.

A capricious newborn is an almost impossible phenomenon, since such young children cry for objective reasons. Thus, tears and discontent are provoked by increased activity during the day, communication with strangers, and a day that is excessively rich in emotions and events.

If your newborn often cries in the evening, he is most likely overtired. Help relieve fatigue:

• quiet entertainment;
• ventilation of the room and humidification of the air;
• rocking;
• lullaby;
• going to bed;
• lactation.

It is quite possible to prevent a baby from crying and screaming if you follow a certain sequence of steps in the evening. For example, you can bathe, feed, put the baby to bed, then turn off the light and sing your favorite lullaby. This whole ritual will speed up falling asleep.

Other reasons why a baby cries

In addition to the main factors, there are other reasons why newborns cry. The child may scream while bathing, urinating, defecating, falling asleep and waking up. And experts find a logical explanation for almost every cry.

Crying while urinating

Some mothers and fathers note that newborns cry while urinating, resulting in fear. Typically, this phenomenon occurs in healthy children, but in some cases it may indicate certain health problems.

The most common reason that a baby screams and is capricious when going to the toilet “in a small way” is fear of what is happening. A healthy child simply does not understand the process of urination and cannot relax, which is why he begins to cry.

However, in some situations, tears and children's cries can be caused by painful sensations due to illness. So, The catalyst for an unfavorable process is:

• urinary tract infections;
• improper positioning of the foreskin, which is manifested by stagnation, suppuration, and burning.

If your child constantly cries when urinating, you should definitely consult a pediatrician who will suggest taking certain tests.

Crying while defecating

If newborns whine when going to the bathroom "in a big way", then most likely they have difficulties with bowel movements. When adapting the digestive tract, almost every child goes through a stage of colic and even constipation.

When children cry during bowel movements, you need to pay attention to the characteristics of feces, and also remember what the child ate over the past few days.

The main factors causing crying and screaming in newborns during bowel movements are:

• constipation that occurs due to switching to artificial feeding or changing the formula;
• intestinal colic;
• inflammatory bowel diseases.

If your child regularly cries during bowel movements, and there is bloody or mucous discharge or strange inclusions in his stool, be sure to make an appointment with a pediatrician.

Many parents notice that their newborn baby screams in his sleep. First of all, you should examine the crib and the position in which the baby is resting to rule out physical discomfort as a cause.

Experts also name other reasons why a baby cries and screams during sleep. Provoke baby crying can:

• colic, which we already talked about above;
• nervous fatigue;
• teething;
• any disease;
• hunger;
• horrible dream;
• detection of mother's absence.

Many experts do not recommend waiting until the child finally wakes up, otherwise he simply will not want to sleep later. It is best to stroke the baby and rock it a little. If the crying doesn't stop, you can pick him up and rock him a little.

Crying while bathing

Another question that worries parents is why the child cries while bathing. The reasons for tears during water procedures are many-sided. Highlight Several main factors that influence a child’s behavior during bathing:

1. Uncomfortable water temperature. The baby may react negatively to excessively cold or hot water. It also affects your well-being and the temperature of the bathroom. Before swimming, it is important to make sure that the water and air temperature are optimal.
2. Bathtub too big. Some children are frightened by the large volumes of an adult bath. In this case, experts advise wrapping the child in a diaper before lowering him into the water. This reduces psychological stress.
3. Fear of swimming. Negative emotions arise due to soap suds getting into the eyes or water getting into the mouth or ears. A child in such a situation interferes with the water procedure in every possible way.
4. Uncomfortable position. Many mothers are afraid of harming their baby, so they hold him too tightly. This leads to the fact that newborns begin to express dissatisfaction and protest during bathing.
5. Related factors. Feelings of hunger and colic can worsen a child’s mood. To understand what exactly caused the dissatisfaction, the signs that we have already discussed above will help. In order for water procedures to proceed calmly, you need to get rid of unpleasant symptoms.

Some neurological problems are also accompanied by reluctance to bathe. However, crying and screaming can also occur during sleep or eating. In this case, it is important to contact a neurologist for a comprehensive examination.

Every mother is able to find an approach to her own child if she watches him carefully. Even if at first a child’s cry always seems the same to parents, but then, as communication is established, literally every squeak will be filled with its own special meaning.