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Related Experiment Videos

Nursing interval and maternal responsivity: effect on early infant crying.

R G Barr1, M F Elias

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, McGill University Faculty of Medicine, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Pediatrics
|April 1, 1988
PubMed
Summary

Frequent feeding and quick maternal responses significantly reduce infant crying in the first two months. These factors, particularly feeding intervals, are key to soothing early infant distress but less impactful later on.

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Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Infant crying in the first three months is common but often unexplained in industrialized societies.
  • Early crying behavior is thought to be influenced by biobehavioral factors distinct from later crying patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of feeding and caretaking behaviors on early infant crying.
  • To differentiate determinants of crying during the early (2 months) versus later (4 months) stages.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of home observations and diary records from two American middle-class subcultures (La Leche League and standard care mothers).
  • Comparison of crying frequency and rhythmic crying behavior between groups with differing feeding and caretaking practices.

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Main Results:

  • Infants fed more frequently cried less, both at 2 and 4 months.
  • At 2 months, shorter feeding intervals and faster maternal response latencies were independent determinants of reduced cry/fret frequency.
  • Feeding interval was also linked to less rhythmic crying at 2 months, but these associations diminished by 4 months.

Conclusions:

  • Feeding practices, specifically interval between feedings, significantly influence early infant crying, independent of maternal response time.
  • The impact of feeding intervals on crying is most pronounced in the early months and less significant later.
  • Findings highlight the importance of feeding regularity in managing infant distress during the initial developmental period.