Crying - excessive (0-6 months)

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Crying, excessive (0-6 months)

Overview

Treatment

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.

Common 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

Review Date: 11/16/2004
Reviewed By: Philip L. Graham III, M.D., M.S., F.A.A.P., Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of New York, Columbia University, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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