Soothing a Crying Infant

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Soothing a Crying Infant
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Why Do Infants Cry?

• An infant may cry because he or she
• is hungry
• wants to suck (pacifier/finger)
• is too hot or cold
• has diaper rash
• is tired
• has colic
• is reacting to caregivers stress
• is bored and needs attention

• needs to burp
• needs a diaper change
• is getting sick and cranky
• is teething
• is over-stimulated
• has gas pains
• is in pain
• needs to be held and comforted

ORit is just that time of day!
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Why Do Infants Cry? (cont.)

• Many reasonsit is their only way to communicate!

Feeling You say Infant says
Hunger When is dinner? Im starved. Waaa!
Boredom What is there to do? Im bored. Waaa!
Over-stimulation I need some alone time. Waaa!
Tired I have had a long day. I need some sleep. Waaa!
Pain Ouch. This shirt label is scratching my neck. Waaa!
Infants cry an average of two to three hours per
day. Twenty to thirty percent cry more than two
to three hours per day.
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Crying and Visual Cues
Cry Cry sound Visual cues
Hungry cry Short continuous bursts Hands in mouth, rooting (head turns to side)
Tired cry Whimper, gradually turning into loud, distressed cries Looks away, rubs eyes, eyes droopy, yawning
Pain cry Short, high pitched piercing wail breathing stops then wail starts again Facial grimaces, bearing down
Discomfort cry Forceful bursts on and off N/A
Fussy cry Whimpers in short bursts N/A
Note These are guidelines only.
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Common Crying Behavior

• The National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome
  (NCSBS) coined the acronym PURPLE for the
• Peak
• Unpredictable
• Resistant
• Painful-looking
• Lengthy
• Evening

crying of a typical, healthy infant.1
1 The Period of PURPLE Crying is a trademark of
the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome.
(2003). The Period of PURPLE Crying. Brochure
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Common Crying Behavior (cont.)

• Many healthy infants show PURPLE crying
  behavior
• Crying reaches its peak frequency and duration at
  two months of age
• Crying is unpredictable and may start and stop
  without obvious cause
• Crying can be resistant to all efforts to comfort
• Infant may appear to be in pain, with knees
  pulled up and painful expression
• Crying can be very lengthy and may continue for a
  half-hour or longer
• Late afternoon and evening are often the times
  when crying is the loudest and longest

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What To Do

• Respond right away
• Avoid infant working him/herself into a frenzy
• You usually find out what is wrong
• Remember You cannot spoil an infant

• Address obvious possibilities
• Hungry Feed
• Dirty diaper Change
• Air/Gas Burp
• Needs attention Hold
• Cold/Hot Wrap up/remove excess clothing and/or
  blankets
• Needs to suck Give pacifier or clean finger

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Responding To An Infants Cry

• The 5 Ss of Soothing an Infant by Dr. Harvey
  Karp, M.D.
• Techniques especially helpful in the first three
  months
• Swaddling
• Side/Stomach
• Shushing
• Swinging
• Sucking

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Swaddling

• Especially helpful when calming to prepare for
  sleeping
• Like being in the womb (small, warm, cozy)

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Swaddling Steps

1. Fold one corner of the blanket down.
2. Place the infants head in the middle of the
   fold.
3. Pull the left side across the infant's chest.
4. Lift the infants left arm and tuck the blanket
   under the body.
5. Bring the bottom of the blanket up and tuck it
   into the first swathe.
6. Pull the last corner of the blanket across the
   infants chest, securing the left arm near the
   body.
7. Tuck the blanket under the infants back as far
   as it will go.

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Side/Stomach

• Hold the infant on the side
• Helps the infant feel secure and supported
• Left side aids in digestion

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Shhhhhhh

• Shhh into the infants ear, loud enough to hear
  over own crying
• Other calming noises to try
• Clothes dryer
• Dishwasher
• Hair dryer
• Fan
• Vacuum
• Running water
• CD with white noise (e.g. ocean waves)

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Swinging

• Movement similar to being in the womb
• Back and forth more than side to side
• Rock in rocking chair or baby swing
• Ride in stroller or baby sling (or other wearable
  carrier)

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Sucking

• Give the infant something to suck on
• Pacifier
• Clean finger
• Mothers breast
• Bottle
• Calms the infant
• Use with other techniques

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More Ideas

• Sing or play soothing music to distract the
  infant
• Show the infant something to look at
• Give the infant a warm bath
• Rock the infant gently
• Put the infant in a new position and gently pat
  or rub the infants back
• Run a vacuum cleaner nearby the infant
• Take the infant for a walk in the stroller
• Carry the infant around with you
• Put the infant in an infant seat and play
  peek-a-boo or a clapping game