Older children and adults cry for emotional reasons, such as pain, fear, sadness , or embarrassment. Premature infants frequently do not have a cry reflex. Infants can cry for 1 to 2 hours each day for the first few weeks of life and at 6 weeks of age may cry for 2 to 4 hours per day. No one fully understands why infants cry so much, but many believe that crying helps infants expend energy and may be a reflection of the normal development of the central nervous system . Baby animals cry in response to isolation or loneliness, in an effort to locate their parents.
Many parents learn to differentiate and interpret their infant's cries.
While understanding that infants cry for many reasons, the stress and anxiety that parents experience in response to the constant crying of their infants can be devastating. Check his physical safety. Check to see that he is breathing easily and that his fingers, toes, and lips are pink and warm. Check to see he is not in pain and not hungry. Check his skin for bleeding , swelling , reddened areas, wetness, rashes , cold fingers and toes, twisted arms or legs, folded earlobes, or pinched fingers or toes.