Infant Cry Nov04

							Infant and Toddler Crying: To
  Soothe or Not to Soothe?

        Josh Thompson
          Lydia Leeds
Use the index card to record
just the answers to our survey
Write 1- 5 down the left hand margin of the index
    card


     1.
     2.
     3.
     4.
     5.
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just the answers to our survey
1. At what age does crying peak?
A. 4 weeks
B. 6 weeks
C. 16 weeks
D. 24 weeks
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just the answers to our survey
2. How much time per day does the normal
    3 month old spend crying?
A. 15 minutes
B. 30 minutes
C. one hour
D. three hours
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just the answers to our survey
3. At what time of day do infants cry the
    most?
A. morning (6am – 12pm)
B. afternoon (12pm – 6pm)
C. evening (6pm-12am)
D. late night (12am-6am)
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just the answers to our survey
4. At what age is crying most related to
    language development?
A. 15 months
B. 18 months
C. 24 months
D. 36 months
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just the answers to our survey
5. Choose the best phrase to complete this
   sentence: “Picking up a three-month-old
     every time she cries …
A.   …   is likely to spoil a child.”
B.   …   teaches the child to be demanding.”
C.   …   reduces frequency of crying.”
D.   …   teaches the child to trust.”
Use the index card to record
just the answers to our survey
Turn the card over and write the word that
 best describes you:

                 Mother
                 Father
               Not a parent
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  card, please return the card
  now.

         If you have a white card, you may
    voluntarily return the card at the end of
                                 this session.

Note the consent form being passed around.
1. At what age does crying peak?
  B. 6 weeks
2. How much time per day does the normal 3
    month old spend crying?
  C. one hour
3. At what time of day do infants cry the most?
  C. evening (6pm-12am)
4. At what age is crying related to language
    development?
  B. 18 months
5. Rate the following behavior "Picking up a
    three-month-old every time she cries“
  D. teaches the child to trust
The Normal Crying Curve
                4
 Time (Hours)




                3
                2
                1
                0
                    0   2   4       6         8   10   12
                                Age (Weeks)
The Nature of Crying

“[N]eonatal crying is a species-specific
  behavior which achieves its likely
  evolutionary function (infant survival)
  by reliably eliciting responses from
  caregivers.” (Gustafson 1990 p.45)
The Nature of Crying

Three primary functions:
             Sign
           Symptom
            Signal
The Nature of Crying

Sign
Neurological organization
 – Normal
 – Natural
 – Cyclical patterns
The Nature of Crying

Symptom
  of disequilibrium
  of state of being
This shift is common, predictable, and
 independent of caretaker.
The Nature of Crying

“Temperament is innate: It’s not a product
  of the environment, your responses, nor
  of your child’s attempts to elicit some
  response from you.” (McKay, When Anger
  Hurts Your Kids p. 38)
The Nature of Crying

Crying is a   Signal that something is not okay
                                colic
              hunger

  pain
                                     discomfort
                        boredom
       distress
Back to the Curve
                4
 Time (Hours)




                3
                2
                1
                0
                    0   2   4       6         8   10   12
                                Age (Weeks)
Off the curve


Colic – Rule of 3
“…one who, otherwise healthy and well-
  fed, had paroxysms of irritability, fussing,
  or crying for a total of three hours a day
  and occurring on more than three days in
  any one week.” (Wessel, et al, 1950)
Off the curve


Trauma – physical or emotional,
 which has resulted in
 prolonged disequilibrium
Off the curve


Disability – neurological
 disruptions, chronic pain, or
 genetic abnormalities
Observation & Assessment

Observer/participant
Become fluent in the “language” of crying
Competent secure care
Observation & Assessment

Sign – note: it’s a good thing
Neurological organization
Observation & Assessment

Symptom – not personal, it just is, a
  state of being
Disequilibrium
Observation & Assessment

Crying is a   Signal that something is not okay
                                colic
              hunger

  pain
                                     discomfort
                        boredom
       distress
Observation

        FATT       DRIP
Frequency             Duration

Age of the child          Rhythm

Time of day           Intensity

Tone                        Pitch
Goodness of fit
Soothing strategies

 Assisted self-soothing
 Caregiver assisted soothing
 Unassisted self-soothing
Soothing strategies

 Assisted Self-soothing
 Pacifiers
 Swing
 Blankets
 Music
 Teddy bears
Soothing strategies

Caregiver Assisted soothing
 Holding
 Swaddling
 Infant massage
 Singing (to)
Soothing strategies

 Unassisted self-soothing
 Thumb-sucking
 Rocking
 Self-stroking
 Humming
Toddler Strategies

           Describe
           Distract
          Disengage
Caregiver coping strategies
 1. ID the cry
 2. Try the obvious
 3. Speak softly, bring the pitch and volume
    down
 4. Hold his arms and body to avoid startles
 5. Swaddle him
Caregiver coping strategies
 6. Pick him up to cuddle
 7. Try massaging his back and limbs gently
 8. Sing to him
 9. Walk with him
 10. Use white noise or motion
 11. Use a “football hold.”
   (Brazelton, 2003, pp 19-20)
Caregiver coping strategies
 Caregiver self check:
 Excessive exposure to crying may tip the
  motivation from a concern with the infant’s
  distress to a desire to alleviate his or her own
  discomfort in listening to the cry.
Caregiver coping strategies

 Competent secure care
  – walk away
Questions & MORE Questions

When is it appropriate to soothe a crying
 child?
When do we let them cry it out?
Lydia Leeds MA MEd SNLLeeds@yahoo.com

Josh Thompson PhD
Assistant Professor Early Childhood Ed
Texas A&M University-Commerce
Josh_Thompson@TAMU-Commerce.edu

Presentation Website:
Faculty.TAMU-Commerce.edu/
  JThompson/Resources/InfantCry.htm