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Feeding and temperament as determinants of early infant crying/fussing behavior
R G Barr1, M S Kramer, I B Pless
1Department of Pediatrics, McGill University Faculty of Medicine, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Insights
Infant temperament, not feeding choice, significantly predicts early crying and fussing duration. While feeding method influences crying patterns, temperament is the key factor in overall crying frequency and duration in newborns.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Psychology
- Infant Behavior
Background:
- Infant crying and fussing typically peak around 6 weeks of age.
- Understanding predictors of infant crying is crucial for parental support and clinical assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate feeding choice and early infant temperament as predictors of early crying and fussing.
- To analyze the relationship between feeding methods, temperament, and crying patterns in the first 6 weeks of life.
Main Methods:
- Prospective observation of 374 healthy, full-term infants from birth to 6 weeks.
- Data collection included feeding choice, sociodemographic data, temperament questionnaires, and 24-hour behavior diaries.
- Statistical analysis using stepwise multiple regression models.
Main Results:
- Infant temperament score was the primary significant predictor of daily crying/fussing duration.
- Socioeconomic status, temperament, and feeding frequency predicted the frequency of crying/fussing.
- Breast-fed infants initially cried more frequently than formula-fed infants, but this difference diminished over time.
Conclusions:
- Early infant temperament is a significant predisposing factor for crying and fussing.
- Feeding choice has a limited, though observable, impact on specific crying patterns, particularly in the evening.
- Temperament is a more robust predictor of overall crying duration than feeding method.
Abstract:
In the first 3 months of life, crying and fussing in normal infants tend to increase until 6 weeks of age and decrease progressively thereafter. To determine whether feeding choice and early infant temperament are predictors of early crying, 374 healthy, full-term infants were observed prospectively from birth to 6 weeks of age. Feeding choice and sociodemographic characteristics were ascertained in the first few days postpartum. Parents completed a 17-item early infant temperament questionnaire at 2 weeks of age and a 24-hour behavior diary for 8 days at 6 weeks of age. Initially breast-fed infants cried and fussed more frequently throughout 24 hours compared with those who were formula fed, and increased frequency and duration of crying and fussing were predicted by "more difficult" temperament. Furthermore, a different pattern of crying and fussing within the day was found for infants who were changed from breast- to formula feeding. However, according to stepwise multiple regression models, daily duration of crying/fussing was significantly predicted only by the temperament score (but not initial feeding choice), which accounted for 7% of the variance. Frequency of crying/fussing were predicted only by socioeconomic status, temperament, and feeding frequency, which accounted for 12% of the variance. Breast- or formula feeding at 6 weeks of age was independently associated with crying/fussing only during the evening. It was concluded that early infant temperament predisposes to early crying and fussing but is of limited use as a clinical predictor. Later crying/fussing behavior is not predicted by initial feeding.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)