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Understand your baby's cries

Your baby's tears break your heart, but they may also make you a better parent. And that inconsolable wail? It could be a sign that all is well. Read on for more weird and wonderful facts about crying

Teresa Pitman,

Originally published in Today's Parent September 2009

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The six characteristics of crying

Yes, your baby is unique. But when it comes to crying, he’s probably not all that different from other babies. Ron Barr, a University of British Columbia professor of paediatrics who has studied infant crying extensively, describes six characteristics of crying that seem to be universal. He has coined the PURPLE acronym to help explain:

P Crying tends to peak during the second month, then declines and stabilizes when the baby is four or five months old.

U Many bouts are unpredictable, unexpected and unrelated to things like hunger or wet diapers. In other words, sometimes babies just cry (and, yes, you can drive yourself nuts trying to figure out why).

R The baby can be resistant to soothing and, sometimes, utterly inconsolable...

P …and she often appears to be in pain even when she is not.

L Crying bouts can last a long time, especially in the early weeks, going on for 35 to 40 minutes and sometimes for hours.

E Most of the crying happens in the evening or the late afternoon.

Intense crying is so universal that Barr has said a baby who doesn’t go through a period of it may be missing an important developmental milestone. That’s right — crying his heart out probably means your baby’s normal!