What is sobbing? Why do babies cry?

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Nguyen Thi An - Pediatrician - Neonatologist - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Ha Long International General Hospital. He was former Head of Pediatrics Department, Quang Ninh Provincial General Hospital. He has successfully treated many preterm infants with low birth weight and gestational age from 800 grams and 28 weeks or more, severe respiratory failure requiring invasive mechanical ventilation.

Colic is a phenomenon of crying for many hours in infants, from 2-3 weeks to 3 months of age, usually appearing in the afternoon, evening or night.

Every night, children often start crying, fretting, not sleeping peacefully, or sleeping children sometimes wake up startled, crying. Children cry at night or stretch out, forehead sweat a lot, skin is often pale, body is sluggish, tired or sleepy, mouth and breath are cold, loss of appetite, long, clear urine, loose stools, tongue pale and thin white tongue moss. The child's expression is intense crying and accompanied by signs of the whole body becoming red, the back is arched, the hands are clenched and the legs are pulled towards the abdomen, which is a sign of pain.
Signs of a crying baby:
Crying for more than three hours/day Crying for three days or more/week Crying for more than three weeks/month. Children crying at night, or crying at night, will affect the health and development of children, not only that, but also affect the health, psychology and sleep of others in the family due to staying up at night, Not getting enough sleep leads to fatigue, anxiety and affects the next day's work.
According to experts in pediatrics, so far there is no specific scientific evidence to explain the cause of nighttime crying in babies, and there is no effective treatment. fruit.

The phenomenon of stomach crying often occurs in babies under 6 months of age due to increased intestinal motility. Normally, normal bowel movements do not cause pain, but suddenly for some reason, bowel movements increase irregularly, leading to severe abdominal pain, making the child cry, stop the attack.
Crying is often caused by children not being taken care of properly every day such as: eating and sleeping without a certain time, during the day or before going to bed, playing too much makes the nerves tense and overstimulated. Children with malnourished rickets also often cry. Babies who cry at night have weak adaptability and are easily frightened by external stimuli.
However, it is necessary to distinguish the baby crying at night, night crying, and other common night crying disorders that cause loud, prolonged crying during the night in babies such as:
Children in pain: Causes of pain in babies include ulcers. mouth , earache or skin irritation caused by wearing rough diapers. Through skin contact between mother and baby, if the skin is hot, it is necessary to check if the baby's crying is caused by an illness such as fever, diarrhea, vomiting, ... In this case, it is necessary to take the baby to a medical facility, because In the age group of infants with fever and including the above symptoms, if not detected in time, it will lead to undesirable consequences. Teething causes fever and itching Diapers or clothes that are too tight for babies make them uncomfortable, dirty diapers, feces cause skin irritation, if not cleaned can cause burning pain making babies fussy. The baby is hungry or thirsty: usually, babies suckle continuously and the times of feedings are also very close in the growth phase. By about 3 months of age, the interval between feeds will be 2 to 4 hours. Babies crying a lot during the night may be because the baby is not fed enough. Babies cry due to incomplete sleep: crying babies in the night can also be because they want to sleep, so it is necessary to put the baby in a soft, well-ventilated position to help the baby easily come to sleep. Children who eat too much milk make their stomach bloated, which is also the cause of prolonged discomfort that causes the baby to cry.

Colic : the normal interval in time and degree of crying during the day compared with other infants, if the baby's mood is always stable during the day but often persistent fussiness at night , then it is a sign of abdominal pain. This can also be the baby's reaction after a long day with influences from relatives and the environment... the main cause of prolonged crying in the early stages after birth. After three months of age this phenomenon will disappear. Children are tired because relatives have strong movements: when playing with children, unfortunately, relatives have strong shaking effects due to sudden changes in the surrounding environment. Allergies to foods in the mother's diet: foods such as eggs, milk and nuts, and wheat in the mother's diet can directly affect the composition of breast milk. These foods can sometimes cause a reaction to a child's immature digestive system, causing colic, diarrhea, constipation, etc. In addition, infants may be allergic to these foods. proteins found in cow's milk or other dairy products consumed by the mother, if the infant is breastfed, causes the infant to wheeze, vomit or have diarrhea. If your baby is already drinking formula, replace it with another formula that is hypoallergenic. Symptoms of cow's milk protein allergy in children include: fussiness and blood in the stools during defecation.

Symptoms of stomach crying, prolonged crying in infants are more or less causing anxiety and confusion for fathers, mothers and especially when the baby cries in the afternoon, evening or at night. However, according to the advice of medical experts, in addition to the pathological causes, in cases where the baby is feeding well, has not lost weight, and the baby is still developing normally, the most important thing when comforting the baby is to: Mothers must stay calm and comfortable, reduce the baby's discomfort by showing love for the baby to feel such as:
Hold the baby in your arms or put the baby next to the mother so that the baby can feel the heartbeat and warmth from the mother. Mother gently lullaby baby with lullabies or let baby listen to soothing music. Put the baby to sleep in a soft, quiet space, creating a comfortable feeling when sleeping. In an exception, it is possible to introduce your baby to low-pitched noises. Regularly massage, gently massage the baby's whole body and abdomen with herbal essential oils... Avoiding stress in the mother when breastfeeding, thinking that the cause of crying in the baby is due to hunger, At the same time, you should not force your baby to eat too much if he has objectionable actions. Because eating too much will make the baby cry because of gas or colic. Do not arbitrarily give your baby any medicine, without consulting a pediatrician. In summary, infantile colic does not require specific treatment, unless the mother notices unusual signs of the baby's health, such as crying lasting nearly 4 hours, crying accompanied With fever, vomiting, diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, the child shows signs of fatigue, it is necessary to take the child to a medical facility. On the contrary, if after prolonged crying, the baby returns to normal, happy, healthy, and sucks well, then mothers need to rest assured and try to calm down and wait for the first 3 months of the baby's life to pass.
As a key area of ​​Vinmec Health system, Pediatrics Department always brings satisfaction to customers and is highly appreciated by industry experts with:
Gathering a team of top doctors and nurses in Pediatrics : consists of leading experts with high professional qualifications (professors, associate professors, doctorates, masters), experienced, worked at major hospitals such as Bach Mai, 108.. Doctors All doctors are well-trained, professional, conscientious, knowledgeable about young psychology. In addition to domestic pediatric specialists, the Department of Pediatrics also has the participation of foreign experts (Japan, Singapore, Australia, USA) who are always pioneers in applying the latest and most effective treatment regimens. . Comprehensive services: In the field of Pediatrics, Vinmec provides a series of continuous medical examination and treatment services from Newborn to Pediatric and Vaccine,... according to international standards to help parents take care of their baby's health from birth to childhood. from birth to adulthood Specialized techniques: Vinmec has successfully deployed many specialized techniques to make the treatment of difficult diseases in Pediatrics more effective: neurosurgery - skull surgery, stem cell transplantation. blood in cancer treatment. Professional care: In addition to understanding children's psychology, Vinmec also pays special attention to the children's play space, helping them to have fun and get used to the hospital's environment, cooperate in treatment, improve the efficiency of medical treatment. If your baby has unusual symptoms, make an appointment right away for professional advice and care.