CRYING

Most newborn babies cry very little. However, after the first month of life, crying greatly increases in babies. This is normal. Some 6 week old babies can cry as much as 2 to 3 hours per day, usually peaking in the early evening hours when everyone is tired. Please refer to our section on infant colic starting page 109 of this handbook for a more detailed description and management of this condition. Thankfully, after the age of four months, the incidence of crying in a small child decreases dramatically.

Continual crying in an infant is not normal. Many times, continuous crying can signify a medical problem. Please refer to the section on infant colic. If these measures are not helpful in calming your child and he has cried continuously for more than two hours, you should notify the physi- cian. The doctor will arrange to have your child seen at our office, in the emergency room or in the General Pediatric Clinic at Arkansas Children's Hospital. There is no way to identify the cause of crying by telephone.

See our section on infant colic for more information for very young infants.