Crying - excessive (0-6 months)

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Crying, excessive (0-6 months)

Excessive crying (infants 0-6 months)

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.

• 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: 11/23/2006
Reviewed By: John Goldenring, MD, MPH, JD, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital, San Diego, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.