Question
My 45-day-old baby cries every hour from midnight to 6 a.m., and in the past two days, it has escalated to crying for 1 to 2 hours. The crying is accompanied by tears and kicking, and feeding or holding does not soothe the baby. What could be the cause? Are there any ways to improve this situation?
Answer
A baby’s crying can be categorized into two types: physiological and pathological. Physiological crying is a natural response for infants to express emotions and needs, such as hunger, feeling too cold or too hot, being startled, or dreaming. In these cases, simple soothing techniques from parents can help the baby return to a calm state. Pathological crying, on the other hand, may be due to diseases causing pain or itching, such as fever, eczema, rickets, oral ulcers, pinworm infection, or intussusception. When a baby cries without apparent cause during the night, parents should initially consider physiological reasons before considering pathological possibilities.