Many parents, especially mothers, ask the question of why a newborn constantly cries. Almost all children scream a lot during the first three months of life; they can do this for up to four to five hours a day. Gradually, the mother will learn to determine the reason for this behavior of her baby in order to immediately calm him down. However, it is necessary to know what may cause a baby’s crying in order to better understand the child and quickly help him.

There are several reasons why:

1. After the birth of the baby, the “memories” of his birth may be disturbing. The process of childbirth is a huge stress for both mother and child, so it takes some time for the baby to forget this moment.

2. A common reason why a newborn often cries is hunger. Modern pediatricians advise feeding the baby on demand. If he starts crying, give him a breast or a bottle.

3. The baby is in pain. As you know, children suffer from intestinal colic during the first months of life. To ease your baby's suffering, hold him upright after each feeding and place him on his tummy to sleep.

4. The child is hot or cold. The best temperature in the room where the baby lives is +20-22 degrees. A baby who is overheated turns red and may develop heat rash. In this case, it is best to completely undress and wash him. If your baby is cold, swaddle him and hold him close - the baby will immediately warm up at your chest. If only your arms and legs are cold, undershirts with closed sleeves and socks will help.

5. The next reason why newborns cry is fatigue. Even though the child is still small, he is capable of getting tired. The baby gets tired from sucking, moving his own legs and arms, massage, from what he saw during the day. An overtired child often “asks” for help. In this case, you need to swaddle the baby and rock him. Dim lights and calm melodic music also help the child fall asleep quickly.

6. Some just before wetting the diaper. In this case, the baby first whines quietly, then may scream sharply. When you learn to recognize such crying, start dropping your baby off, thereby saving on diapers and clean diapers. The reason why newborns cry during urination may be a lack of fluid in their body and, therefore, a high concentration of urine, which causes a burning sensation in the urinary canal. Give your child more water throughout the day and the problem may go away.

7. It is uncomfortable for the baby to lie down. During the first days of life, a child does not know how to change his body position at all, so he may get tired of being, for example, on his left side. Helping your child in this situation is easy. You need to shift it to the other side, back or tummy, and the baby will calm down. If a child has a messy diaper, a tight elastic band on his pants, or a wet diaper rubbing against him, he may worry and cry. Changing his clothes is enough to console him.

8. Why do newborns cry when there is no apparent reason for it? It turns out that the baby may simply want to be closer to his mother, because he still cannot imagine himself without her. Take your baby in your arms more often, without fear of spoiling him: children who lack parental love feel much worse than those who were constantly cuddled and kissed from the first days!

A child's audio system includes two lungs, vocal cords and a mouth. He uses these organs for communication. Almost all models do not have a verbal communication function pre-installed, so the first attempts at “communication” will seem pointless to you. This is a common mistake most newbies make. These audio signals, called cries, contain a huge amount of information!

A child cries when his diaper is wet, he is hungry, he is hot or cold, he is tired, he is tormented by gas, he is sick, he needs affection and comfort. Some models cry just to hear the sound of their voice. If your baby cries, the pitch and frequency of the audio signals will help you determine their meaning. Different types of crying signal different conditions. If you were able to determine the cause, remember the type of crying so that in the future you can immediately understand what is happening to the child.

Wet or soiled diaper. The smell system will help you determine if the diaper is soiled. By inserting one finger inside the diaper, determine whether it is wet. Replace it if necessary - the crying should stop.

Hunger. The child experiences hunger about 7-10 times a day. Offer him food. Your baby may need to calm down before he starts eating. If the crying stopped, then the cause was hunger.

Hot or cold. Most models cry much more often if they are hot. The baby's body temperature may rise, but it does not have a user alert system. Check what clothes he is wearing and change them if necessary. Carefully examine your child to determine if he is feeling hot. His skin may be red or wet to the touch. Don't put too many things on it.

Fatigue. While crying, the baby may rub his eyes, yawn or nod off, which means he needs to go into sleep mode.

Gases. If your baby fidgets or lifts his legs towards his stomach, there may be excess gas in his digestive system. Help him burp or hold him so that the gases come out.

Affection and consolation. If your child feels like he or she has been left alone for a long time or is overly agitated, he or she may just need a hug and reassurance. Try putting a sedative - natural or artificial - into his mouth.

Disease. If the baby is sick and feels discomfort, he begins to cry. First, make sure that the above reasons are not the cause of your crying. If your baby cries continuously for 30 minutes, contact your healthcare provider.

ATTENTION. Sometimes it is extremely difficult to determine the cause of crying. Don't panic and try again to understand why your baby is crying.

In fact, most newborns begin this important ritual of infancy immediately after birth. The first cry of a newborn plays an extremely important role - it helps fill his lungs with air and stop him from being dependent on the oxygen that his mother's circulatory system supplied him. Now he can breathe on his own. Even without explaining the circulatory system of the fetus and newborn, you probably don't need us to tell you that the cry of a baby in the delivery room is the most awaited event for everyone. It usually announces the birth of a happy, healthy baby, and almost universally this cry is met with tears of joy and relief. What kind of crying may occur in the following days can vary greatly from baby to baby, but you are more likely to find a baby who sleeps almost all the time and only cries when he wants to eat.

For all babies and young children, crying is a form of communication; he only expresses needs. Thus, in most cases, crying is a response to hunger, discomfort (eg, wet diaper), or separation from a parent, and stops when needs are met (eg, feeding, changing a diaper, and comforting). This crying is normal and tends to decrease in duration and frequency after 3 months of age. However, crying that persists beyond routine needs and comforting, or that lasts longer than is typical for the child, should be examined to determine the specific cause.

Why is the child crying?

An experienced and observant mother can determine the cause of crying by:

• the hungry cry begins with a call, gradually turning into a choking cry. When the mother comes, but for some reason hesitates to feed, crying
  turns into an angry, demanding cry, and during pauses the child makes searching movements with his head;
• painful crying has a connotation of deep suffering, turning into hopelessness. It has an even, continuous character, directly related
  with pain. Periodically gives way to a desperate cry, reflecting increased pain and a call for help. With the cessation of pain, the child stops crying and falls asleep;
• when urinating and defecating, the baby makes a squeak, whimper or grunt, which is replaced by an angry cry if the mother does not help the child and does not put him on the potty;
• if a child wants to fall asleep, but is tired or nervous, as a rule, he whines monotonously and plaintively, yawning and often closing his eyes.

When a newborn has slept after the extreme sensations of birth and opened his eyes to the huge new world that has opened before him, you can bet that any of them will inevitably and immediately begin to cry. It must be said that one of the first and most useful lessons to be learned from this is that children do not always cry for the same reasons as adults. After all, most of us cry when we are either hurt or sad. We believe that it is for this reason that many parents become upset at the sound of their child's crying and feel completely helpless if they cannot stop the child's crying, and stop it immediately, considering it a cry for help. Babies, on the other hand, have an uncanny ability to burst into tears (without tears, of course, which usually don't appear until the first month or so, see below) if they are scared, hungry, hot or cold, tired, wet, bored , restless, they are tormented by gases... well, you get the picture. We look at this situation this way: children are forced to cry a lot for only one reason - they do not have other ways to express their feelings in sufficient quantities. If you remind yourself that crying isn't always synonymous with pain or distress, you'll be much less likely to be on the verge of tears yourself in the coming months.

Loudly and without tears

Most babies literally don't shed a tear - not because they don't cry enough, but simply because their tear glands aren't fully developed yet. While you may not think of your baby's crying as a gift (at least not after the first cry in the delivery room), you may actually feel very touched when your baby gets past the tearing stage and cries real tears for the first time.

Myths about the signal cry

Most books tell you that parenting instincts develop quickly, and you will soon be able to determine the reason for every single cry of your baby. We certainly don't want to minimize the importance of taking crying seriously, and we wholeheartedly agree that you should try to understand the true meaning behind each of your baby's cries, but in our experience this is often easier said than done. When you're not entirely sure why your baby is crying, look first for the obvious reasons - hunger, a dirty or wet diaper, tiredness - and also try to make sure that there is not a potentially serious reason behind the crying: a high temperature, a stuck pin or a stray hair or knot. , wrapped around a finger (the two commonly cited reasons that we were forced to list here are actually very rare). But for those of you who still haven't been able to determine why your newborn is crying or has been crying, and feel hopelessly incompetent as a result, we hope we can persuade you to be less critical of yourself by saying that we haven't always thought of the definition either. reasons why your newborns cry is an easy task. We did the best we could and gave the baby literally everything (sometimes our “everything” was limited in part by our own endless sleep deprivation). If our children could remember their infancy and could publicly discuss our own parental “inadequacies” with them, they would probably say that we fed them when it was time to change their diaper, put them to bed when they were hungry, and over-fed them. entertained when they were tired. There will probably be times when your child's needs are obvious, but it's best to keep in mind that there will also be times when you're not sure about anything at all, except perhaps that you want to rip your hair out.

A calculated cry

In the first weeks and months, remind yourself that it is completely normal for your baby to cry. Typically, newborns will increase the amount of crying they do during the day from about 2 hours at two weeks of age to 4 hours by three months. Light at the end of the tunnel: the number of crying babies begins to gradually decrease from this point on, and over time the reason usually becomes much easier to understand.

Is this colic?

Open any book on baby care, and you will probably find a mention of what many parents with horror call “colic.” Even though the rule of thumb is that colic does not occur until about three months of age, we have included this issue in the chapter on crying without reference or qualification, since some parents begin to worry about it almost from the birth of their baby and then continue to do so at every cry or slight nervousness of the baby, considering them only one step towards full-blown colic (or the beginning of it). Quite often, people think about colic when a seemingly healthy child cries for a long time. For convenience, we like to think of crying due to colic as a broad spectrum - from those who cry sporadically for a few minutes to those who cry for hours without a break. Only time will tell you whether your newborn is truly a “colicky” baby, that is, one who has regular bouts of crying, most often in the evenings and for no apparent reason. The good news is that most babies with colic (and even those who don't) outgrow their period of excessive crying by about 3 to 6 months of age.

Colic control

Since no one knows the true cause of colic, and many parents and experts continue to attribute crying to stomach pain and/or poor nutrition, the most practical and logical analysis of colic (and what to do about it) was recently given to parents in a nursing book. for babies "The Happiest Baby on the Block" by pediatrician Harvey Karp. Dr. Karp carefully studied previous theories of colic, and then proposed five rules for parents: swaddling; position on the side/stomach while the child is awake; reassurance; rocking and sucking. Both he and we consider these rules to be very effective in calming a colicky baby during the first few months of life.

Does soothing mean pampering?

You definitely don't have to stop yourself from responding to your newborn's cries for fear of spoiling him. In fact, over the next few months, you can completely cross the word “pampering” off your list of parenting worries. Every time you try to quickly respond to your newborn's cries, you are simply sending a signal to your baby that you are there and will always help him.

How to calm a crying baby

But how to understand exactly what he needs? Although we've already told you that it's not always easy, you'll likely notice after a few days that every time your baby falls asleep, he cries in a characteristic way. Or perhaps he has a special cry that ends immediately after he starts eating. As you begin to pick up on these cues and respond to them accordingly, your baby will begin to feel comfortable in the knowledge that he can communicate with you, at least partially. If you can't determine the type of crying, think about the last time your baby ate, slept, or had a diaper changed. If several hours have passed, it may be time to do each of these three steps again. Below are a few other ways to calm your baby.

• Professional help. In most books, the worst scenarios are saved for later. But not in ours. We want you to know right away that if at any time your baby seems to be inconsolable or is crying unbearably for a long time, or he seems sick or is crying choking, put the book aside and immediately call your pediatrician: that is what they are there for !
• Calm down yourself. So, now we will decide that you have assessed the situation and believe that medical intervention is not required. The next step is to take a deep breath and try to relax. Children are able to pick up on stress around them and may start crying if they sense negative vibrations. Sometimes the best step you can take is to calm yourself down first, even if that means putting the crying baby somewhere safe and giving yourself a little break.
• Swaddle tightly. Try swaddling your baby tightly (as described earlier). We think this is justified because all newborns spend 9 months with the familiar feeling of tightness and security in a very small space inside the uterus. By simulating this sense of coziness and security, swaddling techniques often help manage crying and promote sleep.
• Let everything move. Any newborn who has spent a sufficient amount of time in the womb is simply not used to living without movement. As a result, you may find that your child may buy into the idea that a lack of movement and activity can be pleasant and calm. In the meantime, you can try time-tested movement methods: carrying, rolling in a stroller, rocking a crib, or riding in a car are sure to please your crying or fussy baby. The very popular vibrating baby seats or baby swings also serve the purpose of soothing the baby with movement. Just keep in mind that you should always securely restrain your baby according to the instructions, monitor him when you use such devices, and buy accessories designed for the comfort of babies (additional headrests, seat belts that securely secure the child, low seats on automatic swings, etc. .).
• Simple sound effects. Your baby may also enjoy soothing, muffled sounds, similar to the waves of amniotic fluid or the mother's heartbeat and pulsating blood vessels. You may find, as many before you have no doubt discovered, that the sound of a vacuum cleaner, a washing machine, water running from a shower, or a person's heartbeat (hold a baby at your breast or play a tape recording of a heartbeat) works wonders. In addition to the efforts made to calm the child, you will receive a tidy apartment, washed clothes or a clean body as a bonus! No matter whether you are musical or not, try humming or playing a melody. Research has shown that some newborns are particularly good at calming down to a song or songs that we hum or play to them before they are even born!
• The opposite attracts. Touch your baby's hands and feet. If they are cold, put some more clothes on him or wrap him in a blanket. If he is hot or sweaty, remove one layer of clothing. Look, maybe he is interested in changing the situation: if the light is bright, turn it off, if it is dark, turn on some lamp. If it is very noisy, turn down the volume. If it's unusually quiet, try one of the simple sound effects described above. Too calm? Walk with him. Bottom line: There's no real science here, it's all about finding and tweaking your own simple, easy-going solutions.
• “Pass.” If there is someone nearby, don't refuse their help until you are ready to try again on your own.
• Give it time. If all else fails, simply put your baby down and wait patiently until he calms down on his own. Crying itself won't hurt your baby, so if you're not in the mood to stop it, it's okay to let your baby cry for a while. If you're running out of patience and need a break, don't feel guilty about putting your baby somewhere safe (in a crib or in a car seat) until you come to your senses.

When the crying doesn't stop

Now that we have tried to explain to you why newborns cry, we want to give you a general rule regarding newborns and crying. Even if inconsolable crying does not always mean that there is some serious internal reason that caused it, still, always call a doctor in such cases.

If a child cries

A baby's crying can be caused by hunger, fatigue, abdominal pain, fever, heat, cold, or wet diapers. If you have checked everything, and the child continues to scream, you need to look for the cause with your pediatrician. Frequent crying or screaming of the baby may indicate some kind of disease or problems with breastfeeding. In the absence of both, there is only one way left: go to an appointment with specialists who deal with the problems of children's crying. After all, constant screaming not only exhausts the child himself and contributes to the development of a chronic anxiety state, but also greatly exhausts the nervous system of the parents. Therefore, it is better to resort to the help of professionals sooner rather than later. You can get information about consultations on the problems of children's crying at family centers, parent clubs or children's clinics (as a rule, for medical issues it is better to contact the child's health office).

What can you do yourself

Screaming children often become a great challenge for parents. Constant crying can sap your self-confidence, especially if this is your first child. First of all, you must make sure that neither hunger nor illness is behind the crying.

If you cannot find the cause, try the following tips:

• As a first step, try to calm yourself down. Concentrate on your breathing, lower your shoulders and try to accept the situation as it is.
• Take the baby in your arms. Close skin-to-skin contact will help reduce your baby's stress. Sit down in some not too bright, quiet corner where you usually feel good.
• Ask other family members not to disturb you for the next half hour to make it easier for the child to calm down.
• Don't try to "turn off" the crying. Sing your baby a quiet song and rock him gently in your arms. Wait patiently until the baby gradually calms down on his own.
• If you are a nursing mother, then put your baby to your breast. This also has a calming effect. Or give him a pacifier so he can suck on his tension.
• Carrying a child on you in a scarf or backpack has proven its effectiveness many times. Ask your midwife to explain the technique of tying the scarf. Feeling the warmth of your body, the child calms down faster.

Help with bloating

Relief is brought by special preparations (for example, with fennel) or ointments. A small amount should be rubbed with the entire palm clockwise around the baby's navel. Then you should lift the baby into your arms, tummy down, and lightly swing him in the air like an airplane. In this case, one hand, passed between the baby’s legs, firmly supports his tummy. And the other hand creates support for the chest, with the head lying on your forearm. Another remedy to help with bloating is a slightly warmed bag of cherry pits, which should be placed on the baby's tummy for about 10 minutes.

Causes of baby crying

Cardiac:

Gastrointestinal:

Cause	Suspicious symptoms	Diagnostic approach
Constipation	Anal tears or fissures. History of decreased stool frequency and hard, lumpy stools. Stretched belly	Clinical assessment
Gastroenteritis	Hyperactive bowel sounds. Loose, frequent stools	Clinical assessment
Gastroesophageal reflux	History of burping, arching, or crying after feeding	Study of the swallowing process. Sample from the esophagus to determine pH
Intussusception	Severe abdominal pain with periods of rest and absence of pain. Stool with the consistency of currant jelly	X-ray of the abdominal cavity. Air enema
Milk protein intolerance	Bloating. Vomit. Diarrhea	Heme stool test
Volvulus	Bloody stool. No bowel sounds. Painful stomach	Abdominal x-ray

Infection:

Cause	Suspicious symptoms	Diagnostic approach
Meningitis	Fever. Inconsolable, irritable behavior. Meningism	Lumbar puncture for CSF testing
Otitis media	Erythematous, opaque, distended eardrums	Clinical assessment
Respiratory infections (bronchitis, pneumonia)	Fever, shortness of breath, wheezing, decreased breath sounds on auscultation	Chest X-ray
Upper respiratory tract infections	Fever > 3 days. No other symptoms	Urine analysis and culture

Injury:

Cause	Suspicious symptoms	Diagnostic approach
Corneas	Crying without other symptoms	Fluorescein test
Fracture, overdose	Tumor, ecchymatous lesions of the extremities	X-ray examination of the skeleton to identify current and old fractures
Hair tourniquet	Swollen tips of the toes, fingers, or penis with hair wrapped around the organ proximal to the swelling	Clinical assessment
Head injury with intracranial bleeding	An inconsolable, piercing cry. Localized tumor on the skull	CT head
Shaken Baby Syndrome	Inconsolable, piercing cry	CT scan of the head Retinal examination

Other:

Reason for crying:

• organic in<0,05% случаев,
• functional in 95%.

Organic. Organic causes, although rare, should always be taken into account. The causes that need to be considered are classified as cardiac, gastrointestinal, infectious and traumatic. Of these, heart failure, intussusception, volvulus, meningitis and intracranial bleeding due to head trauma are potentially life-threatening.

Colic is excessive crying that has no obvious organic cause and lasts at least 3 hours a day for more than 3 days a week for more than 3 weeks.

One of the most important tasks for the mind and feelings of new parents is to learn to recognize the reasons why a child cries and to respond correctly to crying. In most cases, crying is a consequence of the fact that the stomach is empty and the diapers are full, and the baby is calmed by taking the proper measures. But even in these ordinary cases, newborns cry as much as they can - persistently, irritably and desperately. Their cry sounds like an accusation: “I don’t like the way you’re courting me!”

If you hear a statement in your child's cry that he is uncomfortable or something is bothering him, do not panic: you are doing everything right. If you're sleep-deprived, your body is sore (especially after a C-section), and your body's hormones are raging, you may find yourself harboring thoughts about how difficult it is to deal with a newborn. Such thoughts come to mind even the most devoted parents.

How do you feel and what should you do when your baby cries? First of all, it is very important to understand the purpose of crying. Remember that a newborn is completely helpless and cannot do anything for himself except suck the breast or bottle (or one or two of his own fingers that accidentally ended up in his mouth). If adults do not meet all his needs, he simply will not survive. For a baby, crying is the only - and most effective - way to motivate others to action. The crying of a newborn is especially disturbing and annoying because it is designed to evoke a variety of unpleasant feelings, especially in those who are closest to the child. Actions that usually stop crying - food, clean diapers and clothes, carrying, caressing and cooing - simultaneously satisfy the most pressing, vital needs of the baby.

During the first three months of a child's life, there is no need to wonder whether he has good reasons for crying. He is not at all trying to deliberately anger you, manipulate you, test how much you can do, or drain the last of your strength and poison your life. So you definitely need to do something, and not cover your ears, hoping that the crying will dry up on its own. At this age, a child cannot be spoiled, and in the early stages of his life it is better to overdo it with attention and care than to give it too little. The baby, although he is not able to express his gratitude or pleasure to others, is in dire need of peace, caring hands and constant love. This is not the time for futile attempts to “educate”, “build character” and “discipline” a child. (In a few months, you'll have plenty of opportunities to take on these important tasks.)

What is a child trying to say when he cries? Most likely, this is what it's about:

• He is hungry and wants to be fed.
• He has wet or dirty diapers.
• He feels damp, hot, cold or uncomfortable.
• He wants to be held.

Somewhere between two weeks and three months, you will at least once suspect that something terrible has happened to the baby. Just a day or a few days ago you knew how to calm him down. To do this, it was enough to feed him every few hours, change diapers, rock him to sleep and coo. And now he is cranky in the afternoon or early evening, and nothing helps for a whole hour... two hours... three hours...

And sometimes, for unknown reasons, the baby suddenly begins to shriek or scream in the middle of the night. What's happening? You can never know for sure. But it will make you feel better if you realize that many babies cry every now and then, some of them every day, and others seem to be determined to set a world record for the longest time they cry.

Crying: the reason is not only hunger or wet diapers

Your offspring's achievements will include new ways of expressing dissatisfaction: you will notice that crying has become an effective way for him to expand his “vocabulary.” In different cases, the baby will be indignant in different ways: he will “say” about hunger in a different way than by expressing dissatisfaction with the unceremoniousness of the doctor examining him, and he will react to the vaccination in some completely unexpected way. A newborn cries the same way for any reason - persistently and monotonously. And a child older than four months tries to attract the attention of adults to the events of his life with the help of screams, which, depending on the situation, vary greatly. Watch and listen carefully, and you will learn to distinguish “I’m hungry” from “I’m bored” or “I want the toy I just threw on the floor.”

The ability to distinguish between the intensity and intonation of crying will help you understand whether you need to immediately rush to your baby, or whether he is quite capable of waiting until you finish your business. In the first year of life, the child will discover that, to his great indignation, he is not the center of the Universe - in in any case, that part of it that he had already managed to master. If the baby is fed, his diapers are dry, and everything else is in order, then hesitate a little before approaching him, wanting to calm down the furious roar of “I need attention right now.”

Assessment of crying in children

Story. Assessment of the clinical history focuses on the onset of crying, its duration, response to attempts at comfort, and the frequency or uniqueness of the episodes. It is necessary to ask parents about related events or conditions, incl. recent vaccinations, trauma (eg, falls), contact with siblings, infections, drug use, and the association of crying with feeding and bowel movements.

The review of systems focuses on symptoms of causative disorders, including constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, arching of the back, explosive and bloody stools (gastrointestinal disorders); fever, cough, wheezing, nasal congestion and difficulty breathing (respiratory infection), and obvious pain during bathing or changing a diaper (trauma).

Medical history should include previous episodes of crying and conditions that may predispose to crying (eg, heart disease, history of developmental delay).

Medical examination. The examination begins with a review of vital signs, especially fever and tachypnea. During the initial observation, the infant or child is assessed for signs of lethargy or distress and notes how the parents interact with the child.

The infant or child is undressed and examined for signs of respiratory distress (eg, supraclavicular and subcostal depressions, cyanosis). The entire surface of the gel is checked for swelling, bruising and abrasions.

Auscultatory examination focuses on identifying signs of respiratory infection (eg, difficulty breathing, wheezing, decreased breath sounds) and cardiac compromise (eg, tachycardia, galloping rhythm, holosystolic murmur, systolic click). The abdomen is palpated for signs of tenderness. The diaper is removed to examine the genitals and anus for signs of testicular torsion (eg, red-ecchymotic scrotum, pain on palpation), penile hair, inguinal hernia (eg, swelling in the groin or scrotum), and anal fissures.

The extremities are checked for signs of fracture (eg, swelling, erythema, tenderness, pain with passive movement). Fingers and toes - for the presence of hair strands.

The ears are checked for signs of injury (such as blood in the canal or behind the eardrum) or infection (such as a red bulging eardrum). Corneas are stained with fluorescein and examined under blue light to rule out corneal abrasion, and the fundus is examined through an ophthalmoscope for signs of bleeding. (If retinal hemorrhage is suspected, examination by an ophthalmologist is recommended.) The oropharynx is examined for signs of thrush or oral abrasion. The skull is carefully palpated to identify a fracture.

Warning signs. The following symptoms are of particular concern:

• respiratory failure,
• bruises and abrasions,
• extreme irritability,
• fever and inconsolability (meningitis),
• fever in an older child<6 недель.

Interpretation of results. A high index of suspicion is warranted when assessing crying. Parental concern is an important variable. If there is great concern, the clinician must be cautious even in the absence of conclusive evidence, since parents may be reacting subconsciously to subtle but

significant changes. Conversely, very low levels of concern, especially in the absence of parental interaction with the infant or child, may indicate a bonding problem or an inability to assess and manage the child's needs. Inconsistency between the history and clinical presentation should raise concerns about possible violence.

It is useful to distinguish between common concerns. For example, in the presence of fever, an infectious etiology is most likely; respiratory distress without fever indicates a possible cardiac etiology or pain. A history of bowel movements or abdominal pain on examination is consistent with a gastrointestinal etiology. Specific symptoms often suggest specific causes.

Setting a time frame for crying is also helpful. Crying that is intermittent over a period of days is less disturbing than sudden and constant crying. It is helpful to know if the screaming only occurs at certain times of the day or night. For example, recent onset of nighttime crying in an otherwise content, healthy infant or child may be associated with night terrors or constipation.

The nature of the cry is also indicative. Parents can often distinguish between a cry that is painful in nature and one that is reckless or fearful. It is important to determine visual acuity. An inconsolable baby or child requires more attention than a healthy baby or child who is easily comforted.

Testing. Testing is aimed at identifying a possible cause and focuses on potential life-threatening conditions unless the history and physical examination are sufficient to establish a diagnosis. If there is little or no specific clinical evidence and if testing is not immediately indicated, careful observation and re-evaluation may be appropriate.

Treatment of crying in children

The underlying organic disorder must be treated. Support and encouragement are important for parents when the infant or child does not have an obvious underlying condition. Swaddling your baby in the first months of life can be helpful. Carrying in your arms and responding to crying as quickly as possible helps reduce the duration of the cry. For parents who are worried about their baby's crying, an important incentive is to take a break from the crying baby and put him down in a safe environment for a few minutes. Educating parents and “giving permission” to rest is helpful in preventing violence. Providing help to parents who seem overwhelmed can prevent future problems.

Finally, a long-awaited baby was born in your family with healthy somatics and examined by all medical specialists. But, nevertheless, he is somehow restless and this causes a lot of trouble for the whole family. Mom immediately begins to look for the reasons for this concern. There are many seemingly small reasons why a child somehow wants to tell you that he needs help. It often happens that the parents themselves contribute to such behavior in the child.

Main reasons for crying

Firstly, the child may simply be cool or hot. Perhaps he is swaddled inconveniently or needs to be turned over to the other side. Secondly, the baby may have diaper rash, especially if he already has a full diaper. Thirdly, a scab often forms on the child’s crown, causing itching. He may also be worried about real diathesis. In the end, the baby may simply be hungry, or, on the contrary, his tummy is full, which often leads to the formation of gas.

How to understand the reason for a child's crying?

The main problems of even an adult are, of course, hunger, as well as fear and pain. Therefore, it is in these situations that a newborn baby begins to cry angrily and loudly.

Crying when hungry. If the baby is hungry, he begins to cry intermittently and gradually his crying becomes increasing and prolonged, the child begins to choke. When the baby just begins to feel hungry, his crying becomes inviting.

Young mothers will find this advice useful: when your baby is hungry, he will definitely start looking for the breast when he is in his mother’s arms.

Crying in pain. When a baby experiences pain, he begins to cry very plaintively with varying intensity in his voice, in which notes of despair slip through. If a newborn baby experiences pain, he immediately begins to cry loudly and loudly.

Crying in fear. When frightened, the baby begins to cry suddenly, very loudly and hysterically. Crying from fear usually stops as suddenly as it started. Parents should quickly respond to such crying, and not wait for the baby to calm down on his own.

Sometimes babies have cry of appeal, which means the child’s desire to tell his parents about the troubles that have arisen. In this case, the baby cries quietly and briefly at short intervals: he will scream a little, and then, as it were, waits for a response. If there is no reaction, the crying becomes constant and gets louder. When a baby experiences discomfort due to wet diapers, he begins to whine, while fidgeting and trying to move. When a baby has a full diaper, he shows dissatisfaction, even while being held.

Why does a child cry if nothing hurts and he is not hungry?

When the baby begins to freeze, he begins to sob and his crying turns into hiccups, while his skin becomes pale and cool. If, on the contrary, the newborn is overheated, he also begins to cry, his face turns red, he waves his arms and legs, and his body becomes hot.

It happens that the baby is overtired. Then he becomes capricious, cries even when he is entertained and calms down only when they begin to rock him. When a child just needs communication or just contact with his parents, he begins to cry invitingly and becomes calm only if he hears his mother’s steps.

There are other situations when a baby cries. For example, when swimming, the water is too hot or cold. Therefore, you should always test the water before every swim.

During feeding: Newborn babies may experience pain due to ear and throat infections. Crying can also be caused by teething or stomatitis. In the end, the child simply may not like the taste of milk, so mothers should not overuse products that have a pungent taste and strong odor.

The baby may cry in his sleep. The reasons for such crying can be different: the baby wants to eat, he had a bad dream, or he simply doesn’t like the position in which he is lying.

What needs to be done?

An attentive mother always has her own right way out. She will warm the baby or remove the extra blanket, feed him, or, on the contrary, will not overfeed him before bed. Does not give “new food” at night, treats diaper rash, softens the scab on the crown of the head with warm oil and carefully removes it with a small comb. If your baby develops diathesis, you should consult with doctors about how to properly feed your baby and care for his skin. Thanks to the mother’s warm hands making circular movements over the baby’s tummy, the gases accumulated in it will be released. Experts also advise placing the child on the right side so that gases can more easily pass through the sigmoid colon, which is located on the left edge of the abdomen. Sometimes a pediatric gas tube can be used.

Mostly, restless behavior in children occurs at the time when they need to go to bed. The child cannot calm down and often wakes up at night, which brings a lot of suffering to everyone in the household. Not every family has a clear routine when everyone sleeps at night. The “night” mode almost always suffers. Due to anxiety or illness of their beloved baby, parents pay extra attention to him: they begin to put him to bed later than usual, rock him in their arms, put him in their bed, not realizing that by doing this they are violating the child’s correct routine. And the baby, in turn, very quickly gets used to the regime, which is inconvenient for the parents.

Mistakes parents make

If the parents watched TV for a long time several times in a row, while the baby also did not sleep, then the next evening he will definitely not fall asleep at the allotted time. Sometimes it happens that a child falls asleep to the noise of the TV, and if the house is quiet, he cannot fall asleep. Scientists have proven that young children experience turbulent family situations very acutely. If there is a quarrel in the family or guests stay too long, the baby will definitely react to this with his restless behavior. If yesterday the child was rocked in his arms for a long time, today he will no longer fall asleep “just like that.” If he was under his mother’s side for several nights, then how can he now fall asleep alone?

In ancient times they said that “a child cries to the wind.” Scientists also speak about this, proving that the wind causes many infants to cry due to the feeling of discomfort that arises. There is an opinion among psychiatrists that there are particularly sensitive children who cry “for no reason.” Loving and sensitive mothers and fathers always understand why their baby has difficulty falling asleep and always find the optimal solution.

Newborn and infant, we will tell you in this material.

Crying is a way of communication

A newborn and a toddler who cannot yet speak needs crying as a means of communicating with the world. A loud roar is the only way available to a baby to express his dissatisfaction, sound an alarm, and ask for help. And nature has provided for everything in such a way that all people new to this world are perfectly able to handle such a formidable weapon as crying.

The first cry immediately after birth can tell an experienced neonatologist a lot:

• Strong and confident roar The appearance of a baby indicates that the baby is full of strength, healthy, and active.
• Lack of crying or quiet and lethargic squeaking instead of loud crying- alarming symptoms that force doctors to more carefully examine the baby in order to identify what pathologies prevent him from fully executing the program laid down by nature.

Difficulties in interpreting the reasons for the screams and tears of a newborn for parents usually arise only in the first days and weeks after discharge from the maternity hospital. Then mothers sensitively detect special intonations, changes in volume, tone and mood in the child’s cry. This allows them to gradually begin to understand their son or daughter without words, only through crying.

Crying itself, from a medical point of view, is a psychophysical reaction to an external or internal irritating factor. The roaring process is associated with changes in blood pressure and breathing. Babies have very narrow airways, and crying loudly sometimes allows them to make up for the lack of oxygen by pumping their lungs hard.

Children, unlike adults, can cry without tears. And for all infants, crying, among other things, is a reflex reaction to pain.

As we grow older, this reflex weakens and ceases to exist, like many other infant reflexes.

In medicine, it is customary to define three main types of infant crying:

• main - as a means of communication;
• angry - as a way to give an emotional coloring;
• painful - as a reflex manifestation of pain.

I cry to the usual Basically, from a physiological point of view, they are characterized by pauses, blurriness, and smoothness of intonation.

When crying in pain the child begins to scream sharply and piercingly until he exhales completely, and then, after a convulsive short inhalation, the roar resumes.

Angry crying- a special intonated way to attract attention. In this case, the child can actively change his facial expressions and cry hysterically, mainly while exhaling. There are no piercing notes until full exhalation, as in pain. Angry crying can be the longest of all types of baby crying.

Most medical publications and encyclopedias, when considering the issue of infant crying, highlight another type - manipulative crying. With its help, children who currently do not need to satisfy certain physiological needs can achieve their own, what they want at the moment. It is always somewhat artificial; the child does not take deep breaths and exhales.

Crying can also be pathological and it is usually associated with serious disorders of the central nervous system and organic lesions of the brain.

There is such a thing as violent crying it is sometimes observed in patients with multiple sclerosis and pseudobulbar palsy. But such cases are very rare.

Most common reasons

Understanding why a baby constantly cries is not so difficult if you know the main reasons why he does it. An infant may loudly alert others for certain reasons:

Hunger

The strongest physiological factor that makes a child scream. In this case, babies usually use the so-called angry cry. This is the most common cause of roaring. Due to the structural features of the digestive organs, newborns eat little and often - their stomach is still very small. Any change in the amount of food supplied (usually to a lesser extent) causes a violent protest in the child.

At the very beginning, if the child has recently become hungry, the cry has inviting notes. If the mother does not respond and there is no food, the hungry cry becomes prolonged and very emotional. They usually talk about him - he sobs avidly or “rolls over”.

To find out if your baby is hungry, just put your finger on his cheek and lightly tickle him. If he reacts to this by turning his head towards the finger, opening his mouth, and expressing “searching” movements of the facial muscles, then there is no doubt that the child is definitely hungry. Usually the screaming stops after the baby is fed. Frequent hungry crying is a reason to reconsider the baby's diet. Perhaps he does not have enough mother's milk to completely satisfy his hunger.

A pediatrician will help you understand this issue by assessing the baby’s rate of growth and weight gain and suggesting the right solution.

Thirst

This is another strong physiological factor of protest, since water is vital for a child. Babies who are fed breast milk are less likely to cry from thirst than formula-fed babies. If the baby eats formula, sucks out a sufficient amount of nutrition for his age, but still goes on noisy “marathons” between feedings, then you need to consider thirst as the main reason.

It’s easy to check the version - just offer your baby boiled warm water from a bottle or spoon. If the child calms down after drinking, the mother has no reason to worry. It is quite difficult to distinguish crying from thirst from hungry crying, but it is possible.

He also has an angry character, but when demanding water, the baby will not scream excitedly; rather, it will be a more tedious and monotonous cry.

Pain

Painful sensations cause reflex crying in the child. In other words, crying occurs before the desire to cry appears. Painful crying is always sharp. The screaming episode lasts until the child exhales completely; the child screams as far as his lung capacity.

If the pain is mild, the pain is dull and prolonged, then the crying becomes monotonous, aching, prolonged and plaintive. It should be noted that different health problems cause different types of crying, more about this below.

Fear, fright, psychological reasons

It just seems that a newborn does not understand anything around him. In fact, from the first days of their independent life, children learn to feel and experience. As a result, the baby, who is only a week and a half old, perfectly knows how to express boredom, fear, and loneliness. Naturally, he will do all this by crying.

As the child grows, the range of emotions that will cause a child to cry and cry will expand - by 3-4 months the child begins to distinguish who is with him and, when attached to his mother, can cry in his father’s arms. A child can cry when his mother leaves home, and can also protest against being left alone in the children's room.

Very often, such crying quickly becomes manipulative.

Discomfort

Crying in a child can cause any violation of his ideas about a comfortable existence.

Wet or soiled diapers usually cause loud crying of protest that does not stop even when the baby is picked up. In any case, the child will cry until the diaper is changed.

The baby may cry - pitifully and invitingly with sobs - from the cold, if he is frozen, or from the heat, if he is sweating.

Children also feel uncomfortable in situations where they receive increased attention from a large number of people. So, from overwork, if the daily routine is violated, the baby can be capricious. The crying will be aching, sad, somewhat monotonous, with short pauses.

First of all, it is necessary to exclude the physiological causes of children's roar.- hunger, thirst, discomfort. It’s quite simple to calm a baby down when crying like that - you need to feed the hungry one, put the tired one to bed, change the wet one, and warm the cold one.

If the baby is full, he has been given something to drink, he is wearing dry diapers or a fresh diaper, the room is not hot or cold, and the crying continues, you need to think about the causes of pathological pain associated with pain. And there are so many options here that it doesn’t always make sense to figure out the issue yourself. Sometimes it's easier to call a doctor.

Pathological causes of crying

While eating

Roaring while eating can be associated with a variety of disorders. The most common cause is a stuffy nose and impaired nasal breathing. If the baby cannot inhale through his nose, then it will be quite difficult for him to suck. He will drop the breast or bottle, cry for a while, and then eagerly eat again. The mother will be able to guess this reason by the characteristic angry sniffling of her child.

The nose can be cleared of accumulated mucus using an aspirator and vasoconstrictor drops can be instilled. The problem will be solved.

When using vasoconstrictor drugs, the main thing to remember is that they can cause persistent drug addiction, so you should definitely consult a doctor.

A child may cry during feeding due to otitis media. In children, the auditory tube is designed quite interestingly - it is short and more horizontal, and therefore nasal mucus and fluids easily penetrate into it. This makes otitis media one of the most common diseases at an early age.

With inflammation of the middle ear, babies cry quite characteristically. At first - from hunger, and when they are offered breast or formula, then, as soon as they start sucking, they give up and burst into a piercing cry. The fact is that during sucking movements, the pain in the ear intensifies.

You can help your child by first making sure that the cause of the crying is otitis media. If you lightly press your finger on the tragus (the cartilage before inhaling into the auricle), then a child with ear inflammation will react sharply to this action - the pain will intensify, and so will the crying. If such a test gives a positive result, you should definitely call a doctor and get prescriptions - drops in the ear, possible recommendations for physical procedures.

Some oral problems may also prevent your child from eating normally. For example, stomatitis. In this case, anxiety and crying will not be of a sharp and piercing nature; rather, the baby will whine, complaining of unpleasant sensations in the mouth during sucking. Examination of the child's mouth and gums is carried out with clean hands, helping oneself with a small flashlight. If you find so-called thrush in the mouth, as well as ulcers, you should definitely call a doctor and get a prescription for treatment.

A child may cry while eating because he does not like the taste of milk. For example, mom ate garlic or something spicy, and the baby’s taste buds are very well developed.

With a shrill cry while eating, babies signal that air has entered the esophagus. This is possible if the baby swallows air while sucking, if the mother violates the breastfeeding technique, and also with artificial feeding.

For artificial babies, you need to use high-quality special anti-colic nipples and make sure that the baby does not swallow air. You can cope with such crying by making the child feel better. To do this, the baby is turned into an upright position and lightly tapped on the back so that excess swallowed air comes out. After burping, the baby usually loses the feeling of pressure in the stomach and esophagus, and the crying stops.

If none of the listed reasons is present, and crying during meals is constant, then you should definitely show the child to a doctor to examine the condition of his gastrointestinal tract in order to exclude serious pathologies, including congenital malformations.

After eating

Crying after eating may indicate that the child is suffering from infant colic. This phenomenon usually accompanies the first 3-4 months of a baby’s life. Due to imperfections in the digestive system and possible overfeeding, gases accumulate in the child’s intestines and put pressure on the intestinal walls. At the same time, the baby cries loudly and shrilly, draws in his legs, shakes his arms and legs.

A warm diaper, ironed and placed on the tummy, laying on the tummy before meals will help to alleviate the baby’s condition, as this stimulates intestinal motility, as well as drugs based on simethicone - “Bobotik”, “Espumizan”. It is useful to give your child a tummy massage in a clockwise circular motion.

This usually helps, but if there is no result, you should again consult a doctor to rule out intestinal problems.

Between meals

It happens that the baby wakes up earlier than expected and begins to cry. If he ate well at the previous feeding, then there is no point in offering him food, this will only lead to overfeeding. In addition, many babies refuse milk themselves when they are not hungry.

The reason for such unscheduled wake-ups may well be unpleasant sensations due to a wet diaper, tight swaddling that hinders movement, and the baby’s arms become numb. Cold or heat also prevents the baby from sleeping peacefully. The fix is ​​quite simple.

It is necessary to ensure that the temperature in the room is no higher than 20-21 degrees Celsius, and the air humidity is at the level of 50-70%. Diapers should be true to size, not too tight or loose. Under them there should be no diaper dermatitis, diaper rash, or irritation.

An uncomfortable climate can cause crying attacks when changing clothes or changing a diaper.

If the room is too cold, then these actions cause pronounced discomfort to the baby. An allergic reaction also interferes with normal sleep. Any dermatitis accompanied by skin rashes causes itching and discomfort, to which the child reacts by crying. The crying itself in this case has the character of a plaintive, quiet, anxious one.

Uncomfortable clothes, the seams of which irritate delicate baby skin, are also a common cause of tiny tears. If this is the reason for the crying, then after the baby is provided with comfortable, seamless clothing made from natural fabrics, waking up and crying will stop.

During and after swimming

There may be several reasons for such a roar. Firstly, it is the water temperature. It can be unpleasant for the child - too hot or too cold. It is best to stick to the “gold standard” and warm the bathing water to 37 degrees.

Secondly, the cause of crying may be simple hunger, because many parents bathe the child in the evening immediately before feeding.

In this case, it is worth reviewing the evening exercise routine and shifting bathing half an hour earlier, when the baby has not yet become very hungry, or half an hour later, when what is eaten is absorbed and will not be expelled during water procedures.

During the massage

Babies very often react to massage by crying. If it is done by the mother, then roaring during manipulation is less common. The invited massage therapist is a stranger to the child, his touches are unfamiliar to the baby, so they are not pleasant for him. A heart-rending cry during a massage may indicate that the pressing movements of an adult are carried out with excessive force; the child is simply in pain.

It is not worth continuing the massage if the baby is crying. This procedure is health-improving, and it should bring pleasure. You should wait until the child calms down and try again, replacing the pressure with stroking movements, and the angry tone with a gentle song.

Therapeutic massage, the task of which is to correct certain pathologies (increased muscle tone can hardly be considered a pathology, since it is characteristic of almost all newborns), always causes certain pain in problem joints and muscles, crying is more than appropriate here.

If it is not possible to refuse the procedures, then you just have to endure it.

Same time in the evening

This is a very common problem in families where a baby is growing up. Many parents blame colic for this. However, doctors are more inclined to another explanation for this phenomenon - emotional crying. The child is tired during the day, has received new impressions, in the evening, as a rule, a lot of events happen in his life - massage, bathing, and air baths. Therefore, evening crying, which is what systematically repeated sobs are called, is a kind of emotional “release,” because babies also need to somehow get rid of their worries.

In this case, the nature of the child’s crying can be any- some children, tired, whine, others scream hysterically and burst into tears. If a child cries before going to bed, does not calm down when rocked to sleep, or calms down but not for long, you just need to treat this with understanding. Usually the phenomenon goes away without a trace after a couple of months, when the child’s nervous system becomes somewhat stronger. If the problem persists, you should show your baby to a neurologist; he may need help with herbal sedatives, as well as herbal baths.

With kids who are impressionable and noisy in the evenings, you need to walk more in the fresh air during the day and let them express their emotions.

During urination or defecation

A child who cries loudly and shrilly before urinating, immediately after this action, may well be suffering from the acute pain that accompanies cystitis and other problems of the genitourinary system. It is imperative to have your child’s urine tested and show the baby to the pediatrician.

If a child cries and strains, it is quite possible that he has problems with bowel movements or constipation. Typically, defecation should not cause any discomfort to your baby. The baby grunts, but does not scream.

The appearance of screaming and tears during bowel movements always indicates that the child has health problems. It is necessary to show the child to a pediatrician and, if necessary, do an ultrasound of the abdominal organs to make sure that the child does not have obstruction, intestinal loops, or hernias.

Constant crying

A baby who cries most of the day and night definitely needs a thorough examination by a neurologist and pediatrician.

Quite often, the reason that the baby wakes up every hour, arches his back and cries loudly is increased intracranial pressure.

Disturbances in the functions of the central nervous system can be indicated by heart-rending prolonged or long monotonous (on one note) crying for no apparent reason. In other words, the child is fed, dry, comfortably dressed, he has no constipation or bloating, but there is a protest.

Painful signs include roaring, which is combined with:

• motor dysfunctions;
• violations of the position of the oculomotor muscles;
• convulsions;
• intermittent breathing, in which the child wheezes between bouts of crying.

All these conditions should be immediately examined by doctors. In some cases, it is worth calling an ambulance.

How to learn to understand a baby?

It's actually not difficult at all. As soon as mom and dad get to know their baby better, get acquainted with his preferences and character, they will be able to guess quite accurately by the nature of the crying what the child needs at one time or another.

Until the baby has mastered speech, you will have to put up with the fact that crying will be accompanied by teething, nausea, and attention deficit. All babies, without exception, want to be loved and require communication.

If no physiological or pathological reason for crying has been found, and doctors just shrug their shoulders, you need to reconsider your style of communication with the baby, ask yourself whether the baby is given enough attention and affection, love and care.

Newborns almost never cry without a good reason. But already at 2-3 months the child is quite capable of showing his mood, emotions, fears and concerns. Parents should listen more carefully to their child. This does not mean that the entire family should tiptoe around and please the new family member. But all adults can know the true reasons for crying and take certain measures that correspond to their parents’ ideas about upbringing.

Having learned to hear and understand the motives of one child’s crying, you should not think that from the experience gained you will be able to quickly understand another baby.

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When begins to hear and see

He fell and cried. They weren’t allowed to sit in front of the TV - she was crying. They forced her to put away her toys and she started crying again. In general, he always cries, for any reason and even without it. Yes, this is your child. Whiner, crybaby, capricious - you can call him whatever you want, but this will not change his behavior. At first it frightened you, then it irritated you, and now you are simply in a panic, because you understand that if the problem is not solved, then either you yourself will go crazy, or you will bring those around you to this state. Don't panic. You are not alone. In the sense that almost every second family experiences similar problems. So a child crying for any reason is not your personal punishment, this is the harsh reality of many Russian fathers and mothers.

Misconceptions and myths about baby crying

Most adults have already forgotten how difficult it is to be a child. They look down on their children and do not understand them at all. Misunderstanding leads, at best, to indifference, and at worst, to aggression. At the same time, adults are confident that they already know what needs to be said to a crying little person and how to behave correctly with him. Alas, they don’t know. Therefore, it’s time to debunk some myths about baby crying.

Myth No. 1. Children always cry over nothing.

In the world of adults there is a clear gradation: grief - problem - trouble - trifle. This classification is unknown to a child. For him, everything is grief. Losing a toy is a disaster. Can’t find the second sock – an absolutely hopeless situation. Mom, leaving for work, was in such a hurry that she didn’t have time to kiss her - how can you even live after that? This is a child's characteristic - a heightened perception of anything. So children don’t cry over trifles. They don't have trifles.

Myth No. 2. The phrase “men don’t cry” is the key to raising boys properly.

Who and when was the first to utter these words, for which more than one generation of men are paying with their health, is no longer important. It is important to understand that they are categorically incorrect and extremely harmful. After all, everything is quite the opposite: men cry, and the category of masculinity is not determined by the number of unshed tears. It is no coincidence that all psychologists unanimously recognize this method of raising boys as monstrously erroneous.

Myth No. 3. It will go away on its own.

Many parents are convinced that if you don’t pay attention to a crying and naughty child, then sooner or later he will calm down on his own. Like, the less you react to tears, the less often they will be shed. Maybe so. Maybe the child will actually calm down for a while. The only problem is that children’s tears always have a reason, and if they are suppressed, the reason will remain unidentified, and therefore the problem will remain unresolved.

Why do children cry?

First, let's rule out medical factors - we take the child to a neurologist and endocrinologist. If doctors discover health problems, we will get treatment. If the child is fine from a medical point of view, we look further for the reasons for children’s tearfulness.

The following options are possible:

• Your child is a great manipulator. Once he realized that his tears did not leave you, the parents, indifferent, he began to shed them at every opportunity to get what he wanted from you. And you are happy to be deceived, as long as your dear blood doesn’t get upset or, in the worst case, just shut up.
• The child is actually in pain. Mentally or physically, it doesn’t matter. It is important that you feel this and understand that tears are not a whim, but a medicine. This is exactly the case when “it won’t go away on its own.”
• The child lacks your attention. He knows that as soon as he cries, everyone will fuss around him. The first time it happened by accident, and then, driven by loneliness or some other negative state of his, the child called you to him again and again through tears. Maybe he just wants to be close to you, and you don’t even know it.
• Your child has increased sensitivity, so his tears are always somewhere nearby. His hyper-emotionality simply does not allow him to react to the world around him with more restraint. Therefore, the child will learn about him through crying - both when he feels good and when he feels bad. And it is unlikely to change with age, which should not be a cause for concern for you. After all, sensitive people are kind. And kindness is in short supply these days.
• Your child has low self-esteem. He cries because he feels sorry for himself, and he feels sorry for you too, because he is sure that you are unlucky with him: he is a bad child.
• There is an unhealthy atmosphere in your family. Adults at home are constantly arguing, shouting at each other and at the children. What else can children do in such a situation but cry with or without reason? Their nervous system becomes more unstable day by day, and tears are almost the only means of protection from the aggression of the outside world, crying as an emotional release.
• The child has not developed social communication skills. He does not know how to establish contacts with other children, and other children feel this, they begin to tease and bully the loser, who bursts into tears, which causes another wave of bullying, and so on in a circle.

Do you still think that children cry over nothing? No? Then let's decide what to do next.

How to help a child who is crying

It is forbidden

• Suppress, shout, threaten, resort to physical violence. “If you don’t shut up now, then I don’t know what I’ll do to you!”, “Stop crying, I said!”, “If you don’t stop crying, that stranger over there will take you away” - familiar phrases, right? But by saying them, you yourself become a manipulator. And very aggressive. Meanwhile, the child will withdraw into himself and harbor a grudge. And she won’t stop crying.
• Ignore the tears. It’s like an ostrich hiding its head in the sand, and a child, in case of danger, folding his hands over his head and saying: “I’m in the house.” The illusion of not being involved in the problem will only make it worse.
• Forbid the child to show his feelings. Suppressing emotions can lead to a nervous breakdown.
• Succumb to obvious tearful provocations and follow the lead of the little manipulator.

It is possible and necessary

• Talk to your child as often as possible - he must learn to express his desires in words, not tears. He will be able to cry later, after he tells what worries him. True, then he most likely won’t want to cry anymore.
• React calmly, without shouting, to a child’s cry. If a child’s crying is joined by an adult’s hysteria, the result will be a collective hassle. The rule of silence and calm will be especially useful if the child tries to pressure you with his tears. As soon as he realizes that nothing is working out for him, he will calm down himself.
• Switch the child's attention. Was the baby upset, offended, or hurt by something? Distract him from this childhood tragedy, find a reason for childhood joy. Children have short memories. A few minutes - and he will forget about the reasons for his tears.
• Accept a sensitive child for who he is. Do not reproach him for weakness, but, on the contrary, praise him for his kindness and sensitivity.
• Be there when the child feels bad, and rejoice with him when he feels good. This way he will have before his eyes a personal example of an adequate emotional response.
• Strictly, clearly, but without malice, explain to the child every time in case of whims that crying is allowed only for a reason, and crying for no reason is no longer good.
• Come up with a reward system for the child’s good behavior. Celebrate every day without whining and whims.
• Reconsider your own parenting behavior. In the end, children's crying is a reaction to our adult world, which children cannot change yet.

In general, in order to teach your child to adequately perceive the world around him, without hysterics and crying, you first need to pass the parental aptitude test yourself. And then the child’s crying will no longer be a punishment for you, but will become a signal that the little person really needs help.