Maternal Ratings of Infant Intensity and Distractibility
Relationship With Crying Duration in the Second Month of Life
Nathan J. Blum, MD;
Bruce Taubman, MD;
Loretta Tretina, RN;
Rosyln Y. Heyward, RN
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2002;156:286-290.
Objective To investigate the relationship between infant temperament characteristics
assessed at 4 weeks of age and the duration of infant crying and fussing during
the second month of life.
Design Families were enrolled in this prospective study during prenatal classes,
and 60 infants completed the study. Temperament was assessed when the infant
was 4 weeks of age using the Early Infancy Temperament Questionnaire, and
crying and fussing was assessed on 16 days during the second month of life
using a parent-completed infant behavior diary.
Results Ratings of the total duration of infant crying and fussing correlated
significantly with the sum score on the temperament questionnaire (r = 0.36; P = .005). A longer duration of
crying and fussing was associated with infants with high intensity (r = 0.43; P = .001) and low distractibility
(r = 0.37; P = .003).
Conclusions The finding that mothers rating their infants as having high intensity
and low distractibility is associated with increased crying duration supports
a growing body of literature suggesting that infants with high levels of crying
are more reactive to sensory stimuli and harder to soothe than those who cry
less. Physicians counseling parents of infants with persistent crying should
recognize the infant characteristics associated with increased crying.
From the Divisions of Child Development and Rehabilitation Medicine
(Dr Blum) and Gastroenterology and Nutrition (Dr Taubman), Children's Hospital
of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (Drs Blum and
Taubman), and the Parenting Education Department, Pennsylvania Hospital (Mss
Tretina and Heyward), Philadelphia.
THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES
Changing Our Understanding of Infant Colic
Barr
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2002;156:1172-1174.
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