Infant and Toddler Crying:
To Soothe or Not to Soothe?
Josh Thompson
Lydia Leeds
Texas Association for the
Education of Young Children
Annual Conference
October 9, 2004
A survey of knowledge about
Infant & Toddler Crying
1. At what age does crying peak?
A. 4 weeks
B. 6 weeks
C. 16 weeks
D. 24 weeks
A survey of knowledge about
Infant & Toddler Crying
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
A survey of knowledge about
Infant & Toddler Crying
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)
A survey of knowledge about
Infant & Toddler Crying
4. At what age is crying related to language
development?
A. 15 months
B. 18 months
C. 24 months
D. 36 months
A survey of knowledge about
Infant & Toddler Crying
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.”
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 (1996) 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
A three month old infant “… 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) for
more than three weeks.
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
(Brazelton, 2003, pp 19-20)
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
(Brazelton, 2003, pp 19-20)
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.”
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 your 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
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