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Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood
08:09

Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood

Published on: February 11, 2017

Excessive crying beyond 3 months may herald other features of multiple regulatory problems

Rüdiger von Kries1, Helen Kalies, Mechthild Papousek

  • 1Division of Pediatric Epidemiology at the Institute of Social Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany. prof.von.kries@gmx.de

Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
|May 3, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Persistent infant crying beyond six months is linked to increased sleep and eating problems. Early identification and support for parents are crucial for managing these regulatory issues.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Developmental Psychology

Background:

  • Excessive infant crying is a common concern for parents.
  • Understanding its long-term impact on infant development is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the duration of excessive crying in infants.
  • To examine the relationship between prolonged crying and sleep/eating disturbances.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional population-based study in Germany.
  • Utilized random digit-dialing survey of birth cohorts (1999-2003).
  • Assessed excessive crying (modified Wessel's criteria) and severe eating/sleeping problems in children up to 4 years.

Main Results:

  • Prevalence of excessive crying was 16.3%; beyond 3 months was 5.8%; beyond 6 months was 2.5%.
  • Crying beyond 6 months significantly increased the prevalence of eating disorders (19.1%) and sleeping disorders (12.8%).
  • Crying only in the first 3 months did not correlate with increased disturbances.

Conclusions:

  • Prolonged infant crying beyond six months is associated with higher rates of eating and sleeping difficulties.
  • Parents of infants with persistent crying require comprehensive support for regulatory problems.
Abstract

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