Parental perceptions and experiences of infant crying: A systematic review and synthesis of qualitative research.

This is a synthesis of parents' accounts, not a test of any intervention; it cannot show that advice, soothing techniques, diet changes, or health professional support reduce crying or improve outcomes. Most participants were mothers; the review reported only three grandmothers and seven low-income mothers, did not usually report ethnicity, and included only biologically related parents, so it may not represent fathers, adoptive or other family structures, or ethnic minority groups. The included studies used different labels for crying, such as colic, persistent, inconsolable, or excessive crying, and some themes emerged mainly from particular populations, so the findings may not apply equally to all families. One included study was rated poor quality but was not excluded, and some diet-related findings came from study authors' recommendations rather than parents' own accounts. Parents with specific mental health conditions were excluded, so findings may not apply to that group.

The authors report no specific funding and no conflict of interest.

Do not read parents' reported anger or thoughts of harm as evidence that crying causes abuse or that these parents should be judged; the review describes feelings and coping, and the authors state it does not identify parents at risk.