Crying and Colic
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With a Colicky baby, crying is often very misunderstood. Parents make the mistake of thinking their baby is crying because it is hungry, when really he/she is crying in pain. After many sleepless nights and crying bouts, parents will generally seek advice from their pediatrician. Most Pediatricians will tell parents that their baby is not crying because he is in pain. Although this may be true in some cases, it is important to know what a baby who is crying in pain sounds like. D.R. Scharenberg, D.C. maintains that a baby will only cry if it is hungry or hurting. To understand the differences between a hunger cry and a hurting cry, read the articles below. |
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The two characteristics of Crying
Babies may cry for many reasons, most of the time their cry varying in sound depending on why they are crying. The two most important characteristics of crying are VOLUME and PITCH. When your baby is crying, listen carefully to how the cry sounds and ask yourself these two questions:
Volume: How loudly the baby is crying?
Pitch: How high pitched or low pitched is the baby's cry?
Volume: How loudly the baby is crying?
Pitch: How high pitched or low pitched is the baby's cry?
What Does a Baby in Pain Sound Like?
Sharp pains can cause a baby to exhibit various symptoms of colic, but when the pain is severe, the baby will start to cry. Understanding the sound of a baby crying in pain will help the parent determine whether a baby is hungry or hurting.
If you were in pain and had a stomach ache, how would it sound if you were crying? A baby in pain usually has a cry that increases and decreases in intensity as the pain increases and decreases. The baby will have a high pitched and loud cry if it is in a lot of pain, and a lower pitched, softer cry if the pain is not as severe. An important characteristic of a painful cry is that it varies in volume and pitch, depending on the intensity of the pain.
PAINFUL CRY = Varying Volume + Varying Pitch
If you were in pain and had a stomach ache, how would it sound if you were crying? A baby in pain usually has a cry that increases and decreases in intensity as the pain increases and decreases. The baby will have a high pitched and loud cry if it is in a lot of pain, and a lower pitched, softer cry if the pain is not as severe. An important characteristic of a painful cry is that it varies in volume and pitch, depending on the intensity of the pain.
PAINFUL CRY = Varying Volume + Varying Pitch
What does a Hungry Baby Sound Like?
It is possible for a baby to be in pain and hungry at the same time. However, if the baby is just hungry, usually the volume and pitch are more monotone than a painful cry. The pitch of a hungry baby's cry may be high or low, but usually the pitch and the volume will stay constant instead of increasing and decreasing.
HUNGRY CRY = Monotone Volume + Monotone Pitch
HUNGRY CRY = Monotone Volume + Monotone Pitch
