Child abuse pediatrics

Crying

Crying can last from 2-3 hours a day. In fact, a healthy baby may cry up to 5 hours a day! Crying tends to peak in the evening, when parents and caregivers are tired too!

Crying is a common trigger for child abuse, especially the abuse of infants. All infants cry. Crying is normal. It is the way infants express themselves. This crying usually begins in the first month of life and peaks between 2 and 4 months. Most people are stressed by the sound of an infant's cry. For caretakers who have not had sufficient sleep or who have other worries, crying may be particularly stressful.

If you know someone who is struggling with their child's crying, here's how you can help:

• Offer to listen or be the person they call if they are feeling frustrated. 
• Let them know all babies cry a lot and it is hard for most parents to listen to their infant's cry. It doesn't mean something is wrong with the child or that they are not being a good parent. 
• Encourage them to check the baby to see if the baby is hungry, wet or sick. If not, crying may just be a way for the baby to release tension. The baby may just need to cry.
• Crying will not harm the child. If someone is frustrated because the infant will not stop crying, they should put the child in a safe place like a crib or a bassinet and take a break.
• Encourage the parents to call their child's doctor if they are concerned that the child is ill.

Related

Media

• Audio | 9:01 Coping with Crying
• Video | 0:58 Child Abuse Prevention

See also

• If you suspect child maltreatment, what should you do?
• Overview of Child abuse pediatrics
• Recognize abuse and neglect
• Stressors and situations

Stories

• Protecting children from abuse

Content last reviewed: April 2010