Transitional newborn infants in a hospital nursery: from first oral cue to first sustained cry

Before crying, newborns exhibit oral cues. This study determined time and behavior between first oral cue and first sustained cry (2 minutes of crying) in 15 clinically normal infants postbirth (mean age 64 minutes). Mean minutes cue to cry was 31. Mean tonguing frequency was 108; hand-to-mouth (70); hand-passing-mouth (57); whimpering (49); rooting (19); empty sucking (14); startle (6); yawn (3); and sneeze (2). Mean minutes of intrinsic mouthing was 2.9; digit sucking (1.6); tongue sucking (1.2); sucking hand (1.1); fussing (1.0); and no cues (3.4). Mean minutes of crying was 1.1; hard crying (0.9). Mean longest single cry was 25 seconds. Mean inter-cry interval was 2 minutes. Crying occurred 13% of the time. During the physiologically critical period postbirth, responses to cues, rather than demands (cries), might prevent crying, decrease physiologic compromise, and foster appropriate care giver-infant interaction. This may enhance physiologic-psychosocial development.