Infant crying among recent African immigrants

Studies in non-Western cultures have shown that infants cry very little, probably because they are carried constantly by caregivers. Western literature suggests that the bouts of persistent crying found in infants at least in part result from Western caregiving practices. This study was conducted to describe crying patterns of a small sample (n = 8) of infants born to recent African immigrants to the United States. Audio-recorded interviews were analyzed using content analysis and descriptive statistics. Some infant crying occurred but less than for typical Western babies. Mothers provided reasons why increased crying occurred. Nursing implications of the findings are discussed.