Neighborhood Doctor: How to Soothe a Crying Baby
Welcome to "Neighborhood Doctor" where Dr. Ryan, a pediatrician and a dad, am here to address the most common questions from my patients. If you have an infant who seems to be crying all the time, making it challenging to get a good night's sleep, feed them, or even step out of the house, worry not. Babies cry to communicate, and in this podcast, we'll explore how you can effectively soothe your crying little ones.
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Our Host
Dr. Ryan Hassan
Transcript:
Dr. Ryan Hassan: (00:02)
I am Ryan, pediatrician, and dad here to answer my patient's most common questions. So you have an infant child who seems to be crying all the time, making it hard to sleep, eat, or to go outside of the house. What do you do? Babies cry to communicate. Today we're gonna talk about how we can help crying. Babies. Most common reasons the babies cry are gonna be if they're hungry and they need to eat. Or if they're tired, they're ready for sleep. If they're overtired, they might cry so much they can't sleep, which can be very challenging. Or maybe they've got a squishy hy and they need a diaper change 'cause that's uncomfortable. These are pretty straightforward, easy things that we can manage, and it's helpful to go through that checklist when your baby's crying. But there's a lot of other reasons baby might cry too.
Dr. Ryan Hassan: (00:44)
The same reasons that an adult or older child might get upset could also be a cause for a baby to be upset. So if they feel sad or angry or irritable, if they have an itchy rash, if they're too cold or too hot, or maybe they just feel a little lonely and they need some physical affection, they want to be held or talked to. The most important thing that you can do as a parent when your child is crying is just to attend to them, to show them that you're there, that you're gonna respond to their needs. Ask what they need, even though they can't tell you and can't use words. Talk to them like a person. Tell them it's okay if they need to cry, listen to them. Young babies really like to be held swaddled tightly rocked and talked to or sung to.
Dr. Ryan Hassan: (01:23)
It also helps to acknowledge and validate their feelings because our children need to know that we love them no matter what, including when they cry and we can't help them. I think the important thing to know is you can't always stop your child crying. It's not about that. It's just about helping respond to their needs however you can, and just being there for them. That's my show. If you have medical questions you'd like me to answer, reach out to Boost Oregon online.