Article: Study Says Comforting Better Than Crying

[BellyBelly]

June 1, 2006 - 8:29AM

Comforting babies is better than letting them cry and ultimately results in fewer tears, at least during the first few weeks of life.

British researchers who compared the benefits of soothing bawling babies or letting them settle themselves found that holding and comforting them minimised the crying.

"The hands-off approach appeared to backfire: babies fussed and cried 50 per cent more at two and five weeks," New Scientist magazine said.

"And they were still crying more after 12 weeks," it added.

Ian St James-Roberts, of the University of London's Institute of Education, examined the benefits of different approaches used by British, Danish and American parents who kept a diary of their baby's behaviour and their own responses.

Some parents held their babies for up to 16 hours a day and quickly answered their cries while others had them in their arms much less and left them crying for awhile.

St James-Roberts said comforting the baby on demand, rather than a very high level of comfort and care, minimised the tears.

"But it makes no difference to the unsoothable bouts of crying that are the core of colic," he told the magazine.

[Liz]

I think that's true

People have commented on how content Tallon is. If we go out somewhere.. he'll happily sit in his pram or his rocker and just look around at everyone. Some have said that if their babies were awake they were crying.. and they're astonished at how happy & placid Tallon is! And they also said this back when he was about 5-6wks old.

[bon]

Definitely agree with that. I think Grace has been a very contented baby because I have always comforted her on demand. She is always happy to sleep in her cot because she knows if she gets upset I will come to her.

[EllyBoo72]

I definitly agree. There is nothing more rewarding than soothing a baby out of their distressed state -If that makes sense?. It definitly pays off later too. I could never let my baby cry himself to sleep and never will.

[Ambah]

I agree 100% as well.
We would always cuddle and comfort Aidyn when he cried, and I believe it has helped shape his happy, placid, gentle and affectionate nature.

[Kara]

yay, I like these kinds of reports. Mum's want to comfort their babies. It feels wrong to let our babies cry (you get that really knot-in-the stomach feeling). Hopefully more mothers will follow their gut feelings after reading reports like this....

[DiannaQ]

About time people realised that they are babies and that they don't have a body clocked tuned in with ours....besides i love a good cuddle - nothing upsets me more than seeing a sad baby let alone my little one