Crying - excessive (0-6 months)
Alternative Names
Excessive crying (infants 0-6 months)Considerations
Infants normally cry a total of 1 - 3 hours a day. It is perfectly normal for an infant to cry in an attempt to communicate hunger, thirst, discomfort, tiredness, or loneliness. It is also normal for a baby to have a fussy period in the evening.
However, if an infant cries too often it may suggest a disorder that requires treatment.
Causes
- Boredom or loneliness
- Discomfort or irritation from a wet or dirty diaper, excessive gas, or feeling cold
- Hunger or thirst
- Pain
- Major illness
- Minor illness
- Medications
- Infection (a likely cause if the crying is accompanied by irritability, lethargy, poor appetite, or fever -- consult your baby's health care provider)
- Normal muscle jerks and twitches that disturb the sleep
- Teething
- Colic
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