Children who cry for abnormal periods of time during much of their infancy are more likely than their peers to exhibit hyperactivity and academic problems during their middle childhood.
Infants were considered persistent criers if they regularly cried for many hours a day, and the period of unexplained crying lasted longer than the normal colic period for babies, which occurs in the first 3 months of life. Colicky babies who can also be fussy and seemingly inconsolable have not been found to exhibit any long-term consequences from their early crying.
Researchers at the University of Hertfordshire, UK assessed 64 persistent criers as infants who were diagnosed at an average of 4 months of age. They were later assessed for behaviour problems when they were between the ages of 8 and 10, and compared them with 64 of their peers. The researchers surveyed parents, children and teachers to determine whether the children exhibited hyperactivity disorders or antisocial behaviours, such as bullying, stealing, and cruelty to animals.
They reported that 19% of the early criers were hyperactive during their middle childhood years compared to only 2% of their peers. In addition, persistent criers tended to perform worse than their peers in certain academic subjects, such as english and geography. Parents of early criers and the children themselves reported that they exhibited more antisocial behaviours than their peers. The link between early, persistent crying and later behavioural problems is likely due to a combination of both neurodevelopment problems and the attitude towards the child. Infants could possess certain genetic factors that predispose them to having problems with behaviour control, which could explain both persistent crying and the behaviour problems. Families with infants who persist in their excessive crying beyond 3 months of age may require additional support in the form of individually structured behavioural programs.
Pediatrics June 2002, Vol. 109(6)