CRYING BABIES

Grey River Argus, 12 May 1945, Page 2

CRYING BABIES

(By the Department of Health) Before a baby can talk, his only way of demanding food, company 01 attention is by crying. Dus ishis wav! of telling adults he wants some thing or is upset or unhappy. A baby who’s getting insufficient food will cry almost constantly. A well fed baby getting attention and company at the right times will alternate y sleen and play and be a happy littlperson almost the day long. If a baby cries unduly or has persistent screaming fits, make sure there’s no disease. Your doctor must check the baby over. For example, congenital heart disease may be a cause of screaming that lasts 101 some minutes and then suddenly subsides Undrn; screaming sometimes indicates a mentally defective child. But don’t imagine physical abnoi.nai ities as a cause of screaming once your doctor has told you the baby is healthy. It’s more likely to be plain “Faddy”, or your own lOrgetfulness in failing to bring up baby s wind during and after feeding. The normal infant is happy and contented, crying very little, -bother must see baby’s needs are satisfied. It’s a full time job looking after a baby yet one mustn’t go running after baby immediately and every time he cries. If so, he soon , learns to turn on a screaming or crying nt, as a means of bringing mother to heel He’s got to learn to wait a little a little frustration is wise disciP1 However, it doesn’t pay to neglect the scream of fear, nor to allow the screaming of anger to go on till he s exhausted and cried out.. Adult reassurance is needed,, especially it he s frightened by a noise at night. . A baby does not like noise, day or night. Any unaccustomed noise scares him. Screaming is his way of dealing with this anxiety. So mother has to go and reassure him —a touch, or the sound of her voice may be enough. Reassurance will be less needed, as baby grows older. In. the meantime crying fits call for a mixture of attention or discipline, according as mother’s mothering instinct distinguishes the cause.