It goes without saying that if there is clear suspicion of a physical cause for weeping, there followed a trajectory to treat this cause.
Crybaby look: all alert eyes, big eyes usually circles underneath, pale skin and often a slender build.
Did you know that only 3 treatments are which has been proven in scientific research to have impact? Without that precisely the opposite is proven in other scientific studies (as in homeopathy.) *
- Hypoallergenic diet for children with allergies
- Baby massage
- Rest and regularity advice either without swaddling
That insurance companies reimburse certain treatments is a bonus for parents, but it says nothing about the work. Insurance companies now want to once especially as many paying members.
We go deeper into some commonly used treatments for this moment:
Hypoallergenic Diet
There has been much research into the possible causes of crying, for example, to the immaturity of the intestines, food type, hypersensitivity to cow’s milk protein and lactose. Research shows that giving hypoallergenic diet is an effective treatment for cry babies who visit general practice. Insufficient evidence is there for soy milk, casein, milk with low lactose, sucrose, herbal teas and behavior modification (Lucassen et al, 1998; Wade and Kilgour, 2001; Garrison and Christakis, 2000).
1.5 to 3% of babies have an allergy to cow’s milk protein.
More interesting information can be found in Cara Vision Dutch Journal of asthma and COPD, in October 1997.
Baby Massage
Research shows that premature babies who are massaged daily, more rapidly in weight and height. Moreover, they are alert, active and score higher on behavioral tests. These children could be discharged from hospital earlier, had come home happier and less likely to get sick. Eight months after discharge interacting with parents was less disturbed and they developed more quickly than babies in the control group (Clarcke, etc.).
Baby massage is healthy for premature babies. This is scientifically proven.
Not all the effects of baby massage are measurable, but certainly very important. Baby massage is for example an excellent way to promote bonding between parent and child. How important is a good adhesion, needs no further explanation. Pedagogue Rien van IJzendoorn (received the Spinoza Prize for his research on attachment in 2004) showed that 1 in 3 children is attached unsafe. He also states that it is very important to avoid adhesion problems in the first year of life or resolve.
Secure attachment has everything to do with the sensitivity of the parent for the signals that give their children and respond well. There is (except wit) sensitivity and intuition needed. This sensitivity is not for every parent equally obvious, and these feelings are sometimes (also by parents themselves) suppressed in a hospital situation. But every healthy parent can learn to develop this (again). Baby massage is the tool of choice for this: It develops sensitivity and intuitive feelings. Techniques is not difficult, though one parent might be some easier than others. It’s in baby massage to apply when the parent responds to the signals that his / her child. It gives the child a very safe and familiar feeling and it makes the parents more comfortable with touching. Parents better understand the body language of their child and that gives confidence.
Swaddling
From 2001-2005 has from the Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital in Utrecht ran a study on the effectiveness of various treatments in babies who cry a lot / whine. Nearly 400 babies up to the age of 13 weeks and their parents could participate and were then three months supervised and monitored. All parents were given advice in the area of incentive reduction (rest), predictability and regularity. Half of the parents also taught the ancient technique of swaddling and so has been the added value were revealed.
Reducing incentives and applying predictability and regularity led to a dramatic decrease in crying. After one week it was crying already decreased almost by half! After 2 weeks, with the half and after 8 weeks by 75%.
On the first day, the researchers noted a direct sharp decline howling at the swaddled babies. By contrast, an increase in crying when the babies that were not swaddled. After 5 days the cry in both groups decreased significantly.
Swaddle mainly gain in young infants. Swaddling is always a tool, not a solution.
A difference was found in age categories. In very young infants took cry off at the swaddled babies, but the babies between 8 and 13 weeks of age of onset, decreased crying stronger incentive to reduction (rest), predictability and regularity.
Opinion research:
Reducing incentives and applying predictability and regularity has impact and reducing incentives and applying predictability and regularity combined with swaddling also effect!
For parents, this means that they can take into consideration – with or without appropriate advice – to start to reduce the incentives for their baby and to introduce simultaneously predictability and regularity. Very important here is no regularity to pursue on the clock, but a regularity from the needs and the baby’s pace.
If you can afford it if parents do not (anymore) or see little or no effect within 5 days, please do not hesitate and temporarily apply the swaddling to avoid a further increase of crying (Bankers et al, 2005).
