18 votes

Should you let babies 'cry it out'? Debate reignited by new study.

7 comments

  1. CptBluebear
    Link
    Y'know, it just sounds like you have to take the obvious stance here: the middle ground. As a parent you'll hear when your own child is being an asshole and when they really need some attention....

    Y'know, it just sounds like you have to take the obvious stance here: the middle ground.

    As a parent you'll hear when your own child is being an asshole and when they really need some attention. Even in the former case you can vary in severity. Just go and give them a hug anyway, but maybe wait a bit?

    I find that studies around babies are exceedingly difficult to prevent researcher bias creeping in on account of the baby not being able to actually express themselves (beyond the crying of course). It's all conjecture in the end.

    20 votes
  2. C-Cab
    Link
    The more important study, in my mind, is longitudinally following up with these families at various points to see how the children are doing. It's great that they aren't seeing any outwardly...

    The more important study, in my mind, is longitudinally following up with these families at various points to see how the children are doing. It's great that they aren't seeing any outwardly expressing issues with the infants, but I do wonder how events early in development may manifest psychologically later in life.

    10 votes
  3. [5]
    Mullin
    Link
    I've got a one month old, and I can't say that I let her "cry it out" very often, it feels a bit weird to do so. This far, almost always the crying has had some associated issue, she's hungry, or...

    I've got a one month old, and I can't say that I let her "cry it out" very often, it feels a bit weird to do so. This far, almost always the crying has had some associated issue, she's hungry, or she needs to burp/tummy is upset, or she peed/pooped and needs changing. Not once have I thought she was being fussy just for attention or comforting, maybe she's just too young and that's a thing they may do later, but my gut tells me it's a bit farfetched. I don't think infants have strong grasp on attention or wanting it, they are just going to respond in the way they know how. If nothing is wrong she's perfectly content to just be in her crib or bassinet just looking at stuff, she doesn't seem too focused on wanting to be held or our presence being necessary in her world.

    Edit: that said I'm a realist and do know that the baby crying is not an emergency, once I figure out what's up it will still take me some time to get a bottle ready, or if she's just fussy in another room it might be a minute before I go grab her, sometimes I'll wait after the first small cry if she's really distressed or not with subsequent crying. You'd think sometimes she were starving when she wails despite having eaten literally less than an hour prior, haha.

    5 votes
    1. [2]
      philosurfer
      Link Parent
      Infants shouldn't really start considering sleep training until ~6 months so the cry it out method shouldn't really be considered / implemented until after that time if being used for sleep...

      Infants shouldn't really start considering sleep training until ~6 months so the cry it out method shouldn't really be considered / implemented until after that time if being used for sleep training just FYI.

      4 votes
      1. Mullin
        Link Parent
        I don't even really know what that means, we have been putting her down to sleep even if she's awake if it's night time, and she's already sleeping pretty well with just 1-2 night feedings, but...

        I don't even really know what that means, we have been putting her down to sleep even if she's awake if it's night time, and she's already sleeping pretty well with just 1-2 night feedings, but she's also a chonk at 80th percentile length/weight, so she might be a bit advanced even for a month and a half haha.

    2. knocklessmonster
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      I have a nephew anout to hit one year and it seems similar. The only difference is he cries with displeasure at the end of a book, too, but that's a reason. Everything else still applies, and if...

      I have a nephew anout to hit one year and it seems similar. The only difference is he cries with displeasure at the end of a book, too, but that's a reason.

      Everything else still applies, and if he's crying for no reason, it's probably a non-reason amplified by something else: sleepy, hungry, full diaper, etc.

      2 votes
    3. lou
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      I would argue that, if this article is conducive to a change in behavior or perspective, such change would probably not include 1-month-old babies. I have one myself, and it is quite apparent that...

      I would argue that, if this article is conducive to a change in behavior or perspective, such change would probably not include 1-month-old babies.

      I have one myself, and it is quite apparent that it is true that humans are born one trimester too soon in many regards.

      1 vote