Quieting during early infancy: evidence for a developmental change?
The ability to terminate crying (quieting) without intervention was studied from 0 to 18 weeks. Two groups were involved: 11 newborns during the first hour after birth and a longitudinal group of 14 infants seen every 3 weeks from 3 to 18 weeks. Most newborns who cried showed quieting with and without hand-mouth contacting. In the longitudinal group quieting with hand-mouth contacting appeared for the first time at 9 weeks (quieting without hand-mouth contacting being present from 3 weeks). Quieting with hand-mouth contacting was frequently accompanied by hand chewing/sucking. Explanations for the disappearance in quieting with hand-mouth contacting and its reappearance at 9 weeks concern changes in movement and posture. Explanations based on notions of intentionality in quieting were not supported by the data.
Hopkins
B
B
Department of Developmental Neurology, University Hospital, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Janssen
B
B
Kardaun
O
O
van der Schoot
T
T
D001519:Behavior; D003448:Crying; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000254:growth & development*; D008297:Male