Crying baby -what can parents do?

A crying baby is not necessarily hungry.

Recognize the child’s need for love and human contact.

Drugs cannot solve all the problems; have an open mind and explore other avenues discussed in the article for dealing with a crying baby.

Consult a doctor when a physical disease is suspected.

Quite often we come across a mother who complains that her baby (usually below six months) is crying excessively. It is not easy to define what constitutes excessive cry because each mother will have her own threshold for tolerance. Yet being such a common complaint it requires some elaboration.

Many mothers seem to think that babies cry only due to hunger, assume that they are not getting enough breast milk and ask whether they should give any other milk.

It is very important to remember that babies cry for other reasons as well-physical discomfort due to rough clothes, wet napkins, excessive clothing in hot weather is one example. Often a small insect may be the culprit.

Mothers should carefully look for these before rushing to a specialist. Sometimes a few sips of clean warm water may be enough to stop crying.

After feeding, the infant should be placed on the shoulder and burped. This will facilitate removal of any air, which might be swallowed while feeding. This will prevent crying due to any abdominal discomfort as a result of air swallowing.

Another reason that is generally not appreciated is the need of a crying baby for being cuddled. Many times it can be seen that a baby stops crying as soon as he/she is picked up.

A hungry baby will certainly not stop crying if merely picked up and cuddled. Even a newborn baby craves for love.

A few people have even told me on their own that the baby starts crying when simply left on the cot but stops crying when picked up as if it is wrong on the part of the child to demand maternal attention!

Often an overanxious mother does not hold the baby properly while trying to breastfeed. Due to uncomfortable position the baby cannot suck properly. This results in more crying compounding the mother’s anxiety and setting up a vicious cycle. I have discussed the correct technique of breast feeding separately.

A human being is not just a physical body but a soul encased in a body and endowed with a mind. The soul interacts with the external world through the senses and the mind. Thoughts produce vibrations in the atmosphere and these vibrations in turn affect the mind.

Most of us experience a sense of peace when we visit a holy place. Daily prayers and chanting hymns produce vibrations which have a calming effect on the mind.

In contrast to this, in today’s typical family there is daily quarreling and shouting. We need not be surprised if the consequent unfavorable vibrations adversely affect the delicate mind of the baby causing irritability.

Parents should try to analyze and reform themselves instead of depending solely on drugs for all the problems. They should make every effort to create a good atmosphere at home.

Daily prayers at home, playing cassettes or CDs containing devotional songs and regular spiritual retreats-practices which are considered as old fashioned, should be reestablished.

When a mother is mentally disturbed certain chemical changes take place in the blood.

As breast milk is produced from blood it is quite likely that there will be corresponding changes in the breast milk. These changes may have some negative influence on the baby.

It may not be possible to prove these things scientifically, but the close relationship between the state of the mind and the functioning of the body is a well-established fact. Hence it is extremely important for the mother to be calm particularly while feeding her infant.

Try musical therapy: Some babies go on crying everyday usually at the same time. Indian music has been found to have tremendous influence over the mind. There are thousands of ragas. Some ragas evoke a particular feeling. Parents can try playing ragas like NEELAMBARI, KEDARAM, YADUKULA KAMBHOJI and REETHIGOWLA at the time when the baby usually cries.

Physical diseases can sometimes cause excessive crying. Consult your doctor if you have any doubt. Ear pain due to ear infections is common in infants suffering from cough and cold. Do not give sedative drugs to your crying baby unless advised by a pediatrician

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