Pamela High, MS, MD, co-director of the Infant Behavior, Cry and Sleep Clinic at the Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, discusses the phenomena of infant crying and the impact it has on families. In most cases, infant crying will peak and resolve in the early months, but infant irritability can increase the risk of maternal…

In the last 10 years, over 80% of adults surveyed report some familiarity with Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) and the dangers of shaking infants younger than 2 years of age ([Dias et al., 2005] and [Russell and Britner, 2006]). Hence, in the context of SBS prevention, the question of whether caregivers knew the safety risks of shaking an infant…

Objective: Managing a crying infant is a challenge universally faced by new parents. This study examined whether parental interpretations, feelings, and behaviors following exposure to a 2-minute videotaped segment of a crying infant varied as a function of child physical abuse (CPA) risk and exposure to cues of hostility (i.e., hostile priming).…

Objective: To examine the underlying mechanisms of adults' intended caregiving responses to cry sounds in a behavioral genetic design and to investigate the role of cry pitch and perceived urgency in sensitive and harsh caregiving responses. Methods: The sample consisted of 184 adult twin pairs (18-69 years), including males and females, parents…

Objective: Shaken baby syndrome (SBS) is preventable; however, an estimated 21-74 per 100,000 children worldwide are victims annually. This study examined the effectiveness of an SBS prevention program in the US. Methods: A descriptive, secondary analysis of the Prevent Child Abuse Ohio (PCAO) "Love Me...Never Shake Me" SBS education program…

Thirty nonparent adults were classified as high or low on the Child Abuse Potential Inventory. Their heart rate and skin conductance were assessed as they listened to audiotapes of "normal" phonated infant cries and high-pitched, hyperphonated cries, and subjects rated the cries. Marginal differences were found between groups.…

This study, involving 15 nonparental female clients, found that the perceived anxiety and arousal elicited by infant crying were significantly diminished after stress management training. Anxiety measures were strongly correlated with both perceived arousal and the clients' evaluation of infant crying. (Author/JDD)

Discusses the causes of shaken baby syndrome and how to recognize, respond to, and prevent it. Identifies horseplay to avoid and recommends never shaking baby even for apnea. Offers 12 tips for working with crying babies and includes ten discussion questions to test knowledge of the syndrome. (DLH)

A study investigated the performance of high- and low-risk (for child abuse) mothers on cognitive measures in a cry (crying infant) and no-cry condition. High-risk mothers had lower conceptual ability, cognitive flexibility, and problem-solving skills. The difficulty high-risk mothers have in using feedback to modify their behavior is discussed.…