Irritable infant syndrome: theoretical perspectives and practice implications

M R Keefe1

  • 1Children's Hospital, Denver, Colorado.

Conceptually weak and unsubstantiated theories attempting to explain the origins of infant colic have led to inconsistent and ineffective approaches to the management of the infant with persistent crying. A new theoretical perspective that views excessive crying as a developmental behavioral disorder is presented. The clinical implications of this model for nurses working with families of irritable infants are discussed.

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