Determining the Factors Influencing Excessive Crying and Nocturnal-Waking Problems in Infants

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine crying and sleep problems in infants, perinatal and maternal factors influencing infant crying and sleep behavior, and to evaluate the emotional and behavioral reactions of the mothers towards excessive crying and nocturnal-waking problems. Method: A questionnaire including 30 questions related maternal, infantile and perinatal features was used in this descriptive study. Totally 107 infants aged between 0-12 months were followed in the neonatal outpatient clinic comprised the study sample. Mothers not having communication problem and postpartum depression and volunteered to participate to the study were interviewed face to face. Descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation and Mann Whitney U test were used for data analysis. Logistic regression analyses were utilized to determine risk factors for excessive crying and nocturnal-waking in infants. Results: There was a positively significant correlation between total crying hours during a day and the frequency of nocturnal-waking at the 1st month p0.005 . Birth by cesarean was identified as a risk factor for excessive crying OR=2.661 and prolonged stay in incubator OR=1.031 was revealed as a risk factor for nocturnal-waking p=0.021 . The findings concluded that a high median of infant crying was associated with maternal negative feelings including sadness, helplessness, anger and guilt. The behavioral reactions of the mothers toward infant crying favorably dispersed including breastfeeding 69.2% , taking in arms 30.8% , checking diaper 20.6% , burping 14.0 , and walking around at home 8.4% . Conclusion: In the presence of delivery by cesarean and prolonged stay in incubator, excessive crying and the frequency of nocturnal-waking in infants were found to increase more. Mothers should be supported whose babies born by cesarean and stay prolonged time in incubator in terms of excessive crying and nocturnal-waking problems