Related Experiment Videos
Bases for maternal perceptions of infant crying and colic behaviour
I S James-Roberts1, S Conroy, K Wilsher
1Thomas Coram Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London.
Archives of Disease in Childhood
|November 1, 1996
Summary
Infant colic is often defined by intense crying, but research shows most infant distress is fussing. The unpredictable, prolonged, and unsoothable nature of crying is more indicative of colic than its audible features.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infant Behavior
- Auditory Analysis
Background:
- Infant colic is commonly defined by paroxysmal crying.
- The audible characteristics of infant crying are often used to diagnose colic.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the audible features of infant crying in relation to colic.
- To determine if the common definition of colic accurately reflects infant vocalizations.
Main Methods:
- Maternal reports and 24-hour audio recordings were used to analyze infant distress vocalizations.
- Infants were categorized into 'persistent criers,' 'moderate criers,' and 'evening criers.'
Main Results:
- Most infant distress was characterized as fussing, not intense crying.
- Persistent criers had a higher crying-to-fussing ratio than moderate criers, but intense crying was infrequent.
- Periods of colic-like crying were not paroxysmal in onset or more intense than other persistent crying.
Conclusions:
- The audible features of infant crying may be less significant in diagnosing colic than its duration, unpredictability, and unsoothable nature.
- The common definition of infant colic may not fully capture the phenomenon observed in infants.