title: Normal early infant behaviour patterns.
abstract: As part of a wider study, infant behaviour was reviewed prospectively, using a 24 h diary completed by the mother. Infants' sleep, awake, fussing, crying and feeding behaviour were recorded at 1,2,4,6 and 8 weeks. Completed records were obtained from 21 infants. As expected most time was spent asleep, with a mean of 16.2 h at 1 week and 15.5 h at 8 weeks. Most sleeping occurred between midnight and 4 a.m. even by week 1 and there was a progressive fall in the average duration of feeding during that time interval over the 8 week period. Fussing and crying were mostly noted between 4 and 8 p.m. with an additional peak between 8 a.m. and noon, the latter disappearing by week 4. There was also a progressive drop in both the average feeding and fussing/crying times by week 8, reflecting increased settled and awake periods. It is against a background of normal early infant behaviour patterns that one can evaluate interventions aimed at altering such behaviour and dealing with the vexed problem of 'colic'.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Menahem
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001315:Australia; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000208:ethnology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D003448:Crying / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000208:ethnology / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007224:Infant Care; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000502:physiology