Science may have found the answer to how to calm crying babies. Don’t miss the results of this interesting Japanese study.
If you have babies, you’ve probably wondered how to calm their crying. Seeing them cry is one of the most stressful situations for any parent. And if they don’t know why they’re crying or how to comfort them, the anguish and despair become intolerable.
Well, a recent Japanese study, published in the journal Current Biology , could bring the scientific formula to calm and put babies to sleep when they cry. We tell you all about it!
Moving the baby soothes his crying
Science has been concerned with the study and understanding of the human being at all stages. To this volume of research, a very interesting one has just been added that focuses its attention on a common way of expressing oneself for the very young: crying.
Thus, the aforementioned publication highlights the importance of movement to calm crying infants, as well as the role of walking in arms with babies to calm them, this being the most effective way to calm their crying in a short time.
21 babies up to 7 months old were studied
To analyze how to calm crying babies, 21 infants up to 7 months old were studied. Although it is a small sample, the rest of the methodology is solid.
The study was based on 32 sessions in which infants were monitored using electrocardiograms and video cameras to record their expressions and movements.
4 methods to calm them down
The researchers compared four methods: carrying babies for walks, sitting while holding them, keeping them in a stationary crib, and using a rocking crib.
The first and last methods were successful in calming the babies, suggesting that holding them is not enough, they need movement, as we will see below. After 5 minutes of walking, no baby was crying and 45% of them had fallen asleep.
Results
Ohmura, Okuma and colleagues have shown that the quickest way to calm a crying baby is when the mother holds the baby in her arms and moves with the baby , that is, when she walks while carrying the baby. They also determined that this should be done for a period of between 5 and 8 minutes, after which time the baby can calm down.
Not only does it stop crying, but this practice also helps to lower babies’ heart rates , allowing them to calm down in less time and even helping them fall asleep more easily.
It is also recommended to continue holding the baby in your arms for the same amount of time, i.e. 5 to 8 minutes, while sitting on the sofa, and not to put them to bed immediately. In this way, the effects of the technique become much more established and their sleep becomes more stable.
This technique therefore requires a maximum time of 16 minutes in total. For many parents, this time is very short compared to the time they spend calming their babies using other types of strategies.
An interesting find
This study showed that when it comes to understanding how to calm crying babies, the movement produced by carrying a baby in one’s arms helps them to calm down and fall asleep more easily. However, and curiously, it was determined that although the technique is effective in crying children, this is not the case for those who are calm.
In other words, crying babies who are held in motion usually calm down within 8 minutes at most, after which time they usually fall asleep. But this technique does not seem to work to get babies who do not cry to sleep .
Although the technique may not work in all cases, it is a strategy that can achieve positive results. In addition, it is a simple and quick intervention to apply.
Other ways to reduce crying
Before you try to calm a baby’s crying, you should first find out why they are crying, so you can act more effectively against their reaction. There are many reasons why a baby cries , including the following:
- He may be crying because he is hungry.
- Another reason is that he has stomach pains or intestinal spasms. These ailments usually occur because he has eaten too much or has not passed gas.
- It is also very common for him to cry because he has colic .
- Uncontrollable tears may occur as a result of the discomfort of having a wet or dirty diaper.
- Likewise, he may cry because he is too cold or too hot.
- He is oversaturated and overwhelmed by external stimulation: noises, lights, contact, etc.
Don’t be alarmed if your baby cries all the time, as this is the only way he or she has of communicating with you. Crying is so common that the Mayo Clinic staff estimates that a newborn cries for approximately more than an hour a day.
In this context, your job will be to determine why he does this and then decide what to do. Don’t think that by giving him the attention he needs you are spoiling him. Remember, he is a baby who needs your support.
Here are some other strategies for calming crying babies, suggested by the American Academy of Pediatrics and pediatricians Patti Ideran and Mark Fishbein :
- Wrap your little one in a light blanket to give them a feeling of protection.
- Place your baby in your arms, positioning him on the left side to improve digestion or with his stomach facing down to provide support.
- Provide light strokes on the back . At bedtime, make sure your baby is lying face up in his crib.
- Turn on a soothing sound. Noises that evoke the womb environment, such as a white noise machine, the rustling of a fan, or a recording of your heartbeat, can be comforting.
- Observe the little one and allow your eyes to meet .
- Talk to him while looking at him.
- Place your hand on his chest.
- He places his arms crossed over him or bends his legs towards his abdomen.
- Turn it so that it is on its side.
- Offer him a pacifier to suck on.
- If you think it can calm him down, give him food.
Responding to your baby’s cries is essential for their development. Every infant is different and what works for one may not work for another. It is important to be patient, tolerant and observant so that you can act more assertively and accurately.
Conclusion
Crying is a means of communication for infants and through this act they seek to satisfy their most immediate needs. For many parents these tears are indecipherable and they do not know how to proceed.
Current biology research offers these parents an easy, quick and effective solution to calm their crying babies: moving. Moving around allows the infant to calm down and reduce his crying.
Finally, it is essential to keep in mind that each infant is unique, and what works for one may not be effective for another. Therefore, it is essential that caregivers are flexible in their interventions and always seek the best way to meet the baby’s needs.