Babies sleep many hours throughout the day, and sleep patterns differ from one baby to the next. During the first few weeks, babies should sleep in the parents' room. Babies should be placed on their backs. Infants need stimulation. Appropriate stimulation includes talking to, singing to, and holding the baby.
Babies cry when they are hungry, sick, angry, in pain, or have a wet diaper.
Whenever a baby cries, the caretaker should consider these reasons first. Sometime, babies also cry for no apparent reason, except that they may be irritable. Colic usually disappears after a few months. A good time to find a pediatrician is before the baby is born. In addition, providers will screen for common childhood conditions and provide immunizations.