A Longitudinal Comparison Of Irritable and Nonirritable Infants

Abstract

Infantile colic is characterized by persistent crying, diminished soothability, and excessive activity or restlessness. The purpose of this study was to explore the processes underlying the persistent, recurrent irritability by investigating behavioral and interactional differences in irritable and nonirritable infants. In this two-group longitudinal study, 40 infants and their mothers were followed over the first 4 months of life. Statistically significant differences between the two groups were found, with the irritable infants demonstrating an increase in the amount and intensity of crying, more disruption in sleep-wake states, and less synchrony in mother-infant interaction.

The Diagnosis of Acute Mountain Sickness in Preverbal Children

“…The previous use of the FS in the assessment of infant colic provides some validity to its use in preverbal children. 6,7 Occasional unexplained fussiness is common among young children; in the study cohort 1 child had an FS of 4 and another a score of 6 during the baseline observations at home (days 1 and 2). In all cases, when the FS of subjects increased after ascent, there was a return to control values 2 hours after descent, indicating that this scale is sensitive to the effect of altitude exposure.…”

“…The headache score was replaced with a previously established infant fussiness score (FS). 6,7 Fussiness was defined as a state of irritability without a readily identifiable cause, such as hunger, wet diaper, teething, or pain from an injury. Fussy behavior may include crying, restlessness, or muscular tension.…”

Colic and fussing in infancy, and sensory processing at 3 to 8 years of age

“…Inefficient physiological function such as higher cry thresholds and differences in heart rate variability also has been proposed for infants described as excessive criers (Lester et al, 1990;Zeskind, Marshall, & Goff, 1996). Immaturity of the nervous system is hypothesized to compromise infants' ability to regulate behavioral responses and efficiently process sensory information (Covington, Cronenwett, & Loveland-Cherry, 1991;DeGangi et al, 1993;Keefe, Kotzer, Froese-Fretz, & Curtin, 1996;Lester et al, 1990;Porges, 1993). An inefficient and hypersensitive nervous system may negatively influence the infant's capacity to maintain homeostasis, which is essential for self-regulation of physiological cycles such as sleep/wake, feeding, and digestion (DeGangi et al, 1993;Greenspan & Wieder, 1993;Lester et al, 1990;Papousek & Von Hofacker, 1998).…”

The development of negative reactivity in irritable newborns as a function of attachment

“…Compared to parents with non-irritable newborns, for example, parents of irritable newborns have reported higher levels of parenting stress and have displayed lower levels of parental sensitivity (van den Boom & Hoeksma, 1994). Such negative parental responses to newborn infant irritability may be at least one reason why irritable newborns, compared to their non-irritable counterparts, continue to be more negatively emotional and show less positive social behavior during the first year of life (e.g., Bates, Maslin, & Frankel, 1985; Keefe, Kotzer, Froese-Fretz, Curtin, 1996; Matheny, Riese, & Wilson, 1985; van den Boom & Hoeksma, 1994). This trajectory of negative emotionality is concerning because heightened negative emotionality has been associated with poor social competence and subsequent psychopathology (see Cole & Hall, 2008; Degnan, Calkins, Keane, & Hill-Soderlund, 2008; Kopp, 1989; Rothbart & Derryberry, 1981; Rothbart & Posner, 2006).…”

“…Given that irritable infants have been identified as at-risk for poorer emotional development (e.g., Bates et al, 1985; Keefe et al, 1996; Matheny et al, 1985; van den Boom & Hoeksma, 1994), it is particularly important to establish whether attachment quality can explain the development of negative reactivity in these at-risk infants. No study has yet examined this possibility.…”