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The impact of infant crying on the parent-infant relationship

Sarah Oldbury, Karen Adams

    Community Practitioner : the Journal of the Community Practitioners' & Health Visitors' Association
    |March 28, 2015
    PubMed

    Insights

    Infant crying can cause parental distress, anxiety, and frustration, negatively impacting the parent-infant relationship. Early support and coping strategies are crucial for parents managing infant crying and preventing potential harm.

    Area of Science:

    • Parenting and Child Development
    • Mental Health
    • Pediatrics

    Background:

    • Infant crying is a common yet distressing experience for parents.
    • Excessive infant crying can negatively affect parent-infant bonding and attachment.
    • Parental frustration from infant crying is a risk factor for child abuse.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To review the impact of infant crying on parents.
    • To focus on the effects of infant crying on the parent-infant relationship.
    • To identify effective interventions for parents coping with infant crying.

    Main Methods:

    • A non-exhaustive literature review was conducted.
    • Twenty qualitative and quantitative studies published between 2003 and 2013 were analyzed.
    • CASP (Critical Appraisal Skills Programme) tools were used for study analysis.

    Main Results:

    • Parents reported experiencing anxiety, depression, helplessness, anger, and frustration due to infant crying.
    • Negative impacts on parent-infant bonding, attachment, and parental perception of the infant were identified.
    • Some parents experienced thoughts of harming their infant, leading to guilt and shame.

    Conclusions:

    • Universal interventions are recommended to prepare parents for crying and promote positive responses.
    • Facilitating discussions about parental feelings towards the infant is vital.
    • Early identification and assessment of parents struggling with infant crying, including abuse risk, are essential, with health visitors playing a key role.

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