involuntary reaction to pain, hunger, and tiredness.
Therefore, crying is the means by which the infant
communicates these physiological imbalances to the
caretaker.
Other physical imbalances may include excessive
energy or tension in the muscles. Since newborn
babies do not have a way to relieve stress, it is thought
that crying is also a way for them to discharge the en-
ergy or tension.
The cries of a young newborn are short, high in
pitch, and repetitive. They are short in duration due
to the infant’s underdeveloped lungs and muscles.
The loudness and intensity of the cry can vary accord-
ing to the newborn’s needs. For example, crying due
to hunger can be differentiable from crying due to
pain. A hunger cry is rhythmic in nature which starts
with a whimper and becomes louder and more sus-
tained while a cry from pain starts with a shriek fol-
lowed by a second of silence, as the baby gets a breath,
and continues with more rigorous, high intensity
cries. Studies have shown that mothers can identify
the baby’s need just by hearing the cry.
The Crying of Infants
Over the first few months psychological develop-
ment allows the infants to move from involuntary
cries, which speak exclusively of physiological de-
A crying toddler may depend more on internal feelings and moods
rather than physiological needs. (Anna Palma/Corbis)
mands, to voluntary cries that now become an integral
part of the infant’s expressive and emotional develop-
ment. The infant begins to show these psychological
advancements by smiling and engaging with the
mother. As a result, the infant now holds the capacity
to cry because of anger and because of a need for at-
tention.
During this time, the infant also undergoes physi-
ological changes, which allows the infant more volun-
tary control over vocalization. The cries now become
more sustained, and the pitch increases with a melan-
choly undertone. An anger cry is similar to a hunger
cry in that it is rhythmic, but it is much more intense.
Between seven and nine months, the infant expe-
riences a cognitive development that results in addi-
tional reasons for crying. For example, the baby now
cries because of fear, whether it is due to strangers or
a strange place. Separation from the parent can also
elicit fear, which is commonly illustrated by a crying
baby at bedtime. Furthermore, an infant’s more active
memory can lead to uncertainty of a situation. Crying
ensues as the infant attempts to make sense of the un-
familiar events or surroundings.The Crying of Toddlers
At seventeen to twenty-four months of age, the in-
fant’s self-awareness increases. Fear of failure, under-
standing of rules, and consequences if those rules are
broken all become part of the child’s psychological
make-up. The child now cries because of an unfair sit-
uation such as wanting a toy that they cannot have.
Henceforth, the source of crying depends more on in-
ternal feelings and moods rather than physiological
needs, although they still retain the ability to unleash
cries of pain in emergency situations.
Finally, the toddler becomes more mobile at this
stage of development, therefore becoming more ac-
tive and inquisitive of his or her surroundings. Frus-
tration often sets in when he or she cannot perform
a certain task correctly such as fitting a square peg
into a round hole. Crying could be the toddler’s
method of reducing the stress and frustration of the
situation.The Duration of Crying
Infants typically cry between thirty minutes and
two hours a day. Over two hours a day is too much and
may be an indication of a physical ailment. It has been
estimated that an infant will experience 4,000 crying
episodes before the age of two. Many studies have
been conducted around the world in an effort to de-
termine whether or not different circumstances can
affect the amount of crying by an infant. Surprisingly,104 CRYING