Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 30, 2026
11:50
Clinical Practice Protocol of Creative Music Therapy for Preterm Infants and Their Parents in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Published on: January 7, 2020
The crying baby: what approach?
Pamela S Douglas1, Peter S Hill
1University of Queensland, Herston, Queensland, Australia. pameladouglas@uq.edu.au
Current Opinion in Pediatrics
|July 30, 2011
Summary
Infant crying, or cry-fuss behavior, is common and complex. Management requires a tailored, family-centered approach, addressing factors beyond just organic issues for optimal infant and maternal outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neonatal Care
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Infant cry-fuss problems are a frequent reason for clinical visits in early infancy.
- These issues can negatively impact maternal and infant well-being.
- While organic causes are rare (5%), management often overlooks multifactorial influences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent evidence on infant cry-fuss behavior.
- To update clinical management strategies for these common infant issues.
- To emphasize a comprehensive approach beyond simplistic interventions.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of recent research on infant crying.
- Consideration of organic disturbance, feeding, maternal health, sleep, and sensorimotor integration.
- Integration of neurodevelopmental needs and the brain-gut-microbiota axis.
Main Results:
- New evidence highlights the interplay of feeding, maternal health, sleep, and sensorimotor factors.
- The brain-gut-enteric microbiota axis is crucial in neonatal development.
- A transdisciplinary approach is needed to understand infant neurodevelopment.
Conclusions:
- Early intervention is vital for families with crying infants.
- Assessment and management should address potentially treatable problems.
- Cross-disciplinary collaboration is key for optimizing infant and family outcomes.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Attachment
Attachment is vital for infant development, as warm social interactions support growth and well-being. In a classic 1958 study by Harry Harlow, the significance of warmth and comfort in forming attachments was examined. Harlow separated newborn monkeys from their mothers and provided two artificial "mothers": one made of cold wire and the other covered in soft cloth. Despite the wire mother offering food, the infant monkeys preferred the comfort of the cloth mother, demonstrating that physical...
01:15Techniques of therapeutic communication I: Active Listening, Sharing Observations, Validation, and Using Touch
The history of therapeutic communication can be traced back to Florence Nightingale, who emphasized the importance of developing trusting relationships with patients. She taught that the presence of nurses with patients results in therapeutic healing.
Therapeutic communication is not the same as social interaction. Social interaction has no goal or purpose and consists of casual information sharing, whereas therapeutic communication has a plan or purpose for the conversation. Therapeutic...
Therapeutic communication is not the same as social interaction. Social interaction has no goal or purpose and consists of casual information sharing, whereas therapeutic communication has a plan or purpose for the conversation. Therapeutic...
01:21The Nativist Approach
The nativist approach to infant cognitive development proposes that infants are born with inherent knowledge structures that allow them to interpret the world almost immediately. This perspective contrasts with earlier developmental theories, such as those proposed by Jean Piaget, which emphasized a more gradual acquisition of cognitive abilities through interaction with the environment. One key concept in this approach is object permanence — the understanding that objects continue to exist...
01:20Coping Strategies: Emotion Focused
Emotion-focused coping refers to a set of strategies aimed at managing the emotional impact of stressors, rather than directly addressing their causes. This approach involves altering one's emotional response to stressful situations to reduce their psychological effects. For example, individuals might talk with a friend or engage in activities like journaling to express their feelings. Such actions can help achieve emotional clarity or release, providing the psychological stability needed to...
01:30Socioemotional Development during Infancy
Socio-emotional development in infancy is primarily shaped by early emotional responses and social connections, with temperament playing a central role. Temperament refers to the consistent patterns in an individual's emotional and behavioral responses, observable even in infancy. By examining temperament, researchers can better understand an infant's unique ways of interacting with the world, influencing subsequent personality and socio-emotional growth.
Primary Temperament Types
Stella Chess...
Primary Temperament Types
Stella Chess...
01:14Piaget's Stage 1 of Cognitive Development
The sensorimotor stage, the initial phase of Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, spans the first two years of a child's life. During this period, infants actively engage with their surroundings, building cognitive awareness through direct interaction with the world. This interaction is primarily based on sensory perception and motor actions, allowing infants to gradually understand basic physical properties and predict how objects interact within their environment.
Exploration...
Exploration...