The 4 types of crying of babies and their functions

Although crying is a lifelong human function, it is of much greater importance in early childhood; Until they develop more complex behavioral patterns, such as gestures and language, crying is the spontaneous way that babies convey their needs to adults.

In this article we will describe the functions of crying focusing on the 4 main types described by Peter H. Wolff: the one of hunger, the one of anger, the one of pain and the one of attention or frustration. Each one has a different presentation pattern, although anger is a variant of hunger and attention or frustration is not always taken into account.

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Functions of crying in babies

Crying is the primary mode of communication for babies. The little ones respond to their bodily states of discomfort through the movements, sounds and physiological reactions that make up this phenomenon; Although there is no communicative intentionality, adults respond naturally when they see or hear a crying baby.

In particular, scientific research has shown that mothers have responses similar to anxiety or stress When your babies cry: the heart rate accelerates and the conductance of the skin increases as a result of the increased secretion of sweat.

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Theoretical perspectives

From the evolutionary perspective, crying is understood as an adaptation of the human species to life in society. Throughout history our body has adapted to express crying and to respond when it occurs in others. In babies, crying would have been especially effective in facilitating survival by promoting help.

T. Berry brazelton, author of the well-known Neonate Behavioral Assessment Scale, hypothesized that crying has as general function the emotional discharge when the baby is subjected to overstimulation environmental. It would be, therefore, a way of maintaining homeostasis in the nervous system.

On the other hand, Aletha Solter, an evolutionary psychologist who studied with Jean Piaget, stated that crying can be helpful in releasing tension when it is not due to hunger, pain or other easily identifiable causes. Solter, like other experts, said the best way to handle babies crying is to hold them and let it end naturally.

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The 4 types of crying

Through his clinical observations Peter H. Wolff identified four basic types of crying in infants and toddlers. In addition to its functions, these types of cry differ in their physical characteristics, so it is usually possible to discover what happens to the baby from the topography of crying.

Of course, there can be variations of each type, and in fact parents have been shown to distinguish the cries of their own babies more easily than those of others. This is associated with familiarity and the fact that children imitate the timbre of their parents' voice, the main influence on their communication development.

1. Starving (basic)

The basic cry it's regular and rhythmic: first the baby lets out a short cry, followed by a pause of shorter duration in which an inspiration occurs; then the cries and inspirations alternate. This type of crying usually appears in response to feelings of hunger.

2. Of anger

This type of cry is similar to that of hunger, although in this case the cries are more intense and abrupt because the amount of air that the baby expels is greater. In addition, the duration of the crying periods compared to the inspirations is greater than in the basic type.

3. Of pain

Crying in pain moves away from the basic pattern. In this case the explosion of crying is not preceded by complaints, so it is more sudden. On the other hand, after crying, the baby holds his breath, unlike what happens in the cry of hunger and in the cry of anger.

According to research, adults are prepared to respond more quickly to crying in pain than the basic cry, which is logical considering that it is much more striking.

4. Of attention or frustration

According to Wolff, crying to get attention or to express frustration begins to occur later than the rest, from the third week of life. It is a more limited cry than the previous ones since it is constituted by the appearance of two or three whines. In this case, no breath holding is detected.

Many classifications of the types of crying do not include attention or frustration, although its distinctive characteristics make it relevant to separate it from the rest of the types.