Managing infants who cry excessively in the first few months of life

Community cohort studies report that a fifth of parents say that their otherwise healthy baby has cry-fuss problems at two months of age.1 2 Excessive crying is usually a transient neurodevelopmental phenomenon, although it may herald problems that are more long term and serious. Various studies have found that it is often difficult for parents to access the help they need when they experience problem crying; that they resort to use of multiple health services, including of emergency departments; and that they receive conflicting advice.3 ^w1 We review evidence from heterogeneous studies across multiple health disciplines to provide a practical guide to the management of term infants who cry excessively in the first few months of life. Our review is aimed at paediatricians, general practitioners, community child health nurses, and midwives. Although definitions of infant crying vary considerably, for practical purposes we use the terms cry-fuss behaviour, excessive crying, colic, and unsettled infant behaviour interchangeably to refer to any crying behaviour that parents report …