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Infant crying and abuse

Sijmen A Reijneveld1, Marcel F van der Wal, Emily Brugman

  • 1Department of Health Sciences, Groningen University, PO Box 196, 9700 AD Groningen, Netherlands. s.a.reijneveld@med.rug.nl

Lancet (London, England)
|October 12, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Infant crying can lead to detrimental parental actions like smothering or shaking, affecting 5.6% of babies. Parents from non-industrialized countries, unemployed, or those with excessive crying concerns face higher risks.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Child Psychology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Child abuse and neglect are significant factors contributing to child morbidity and mortality.
  • Infant crying is a common trigger for parental stress and potentially harmful behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the prevalence of potentially detrimental parental actions in response to infant crying.
  • To identify risk factors associated with these harmful parental behaviors.

Main Methods:

  • A study involving 3259 infants aged 1-6 months in the Netherlands.
  • Parents reported on actions such as smothering, slapping, or shaking their baby due to crying.

Main Results:

  • 5.6% of parents reported engaging in detrimental actions at least once.
  • Higher risks were observed in parents from non-industrialized countries, those unemployed or with short work hours, and those perceiving excessive infant crying.

Conclusions:

  • Clinicians must recognize the heightened risk of abuse in infants who cry excessively.
  • Targeted interventions for parents are crucial to help them manage infant crying and prevent abuse.

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