Here's an interesting study:

 

A Randomized, Controlled Trial of a Behavioral Intervention to Reduce Crying
among Infants.  Jonna M. McRury, MD; Adam J. Zolotor, MD, MPH

J Am Board Fam Med. 2010;23(3):315-322.

 

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of videotaped instruction of a
behavioral intervention to reduce crying among newborns.

Methods: Mothers of healthy, full-term newborns were recruited from the
postpartum unit of a large community hospital for a

prospective, randomized, controlled trial of an intervention to reduce
infant crying. Mothers participating in the intervention

viewed a videotape with instructions involving swaddling, side positioning,
white noise, jiggling, and sucking. Mothers in the

control group viewed a videotape with instructions for normal newborn care.
Intervention was assessed by mean hours per day

of infant total crying (fussing, crying, and unsoothable crying) and
sleeping as recorded in a diary 3 days a week during the 1st,

4th, 6th, 8th, and 12th weeks of age; the Parenting Stress Index was also
used during the 6th and 12th weeks.

Results: Fifty-one mother-infant pairs were recruited; 35 completed the
study (18 intervention and 17 controls). Sixteen were

lost to follow-up. There were no statistically significant differences
between the groups in the hours of mean daily total crying

or sleeping during the 1st, 4th, 6th, 8th, or 12th weeks of age. For
example, during the 6th week of age mean daily total crying

was 1.9 hours for infants in the control group versus 2.2 hours for infants
in the intervention group (P = .4); sleep was 14.5

hours for infants in the control group versus 14.4 hours for infants in the
intervention group (P = .8). During the 12th week mean

daily total crying was 1.2 hours for infants in the control group versus 1.8
hours for infants in the intervention group (P = .8) and

sleep was 14.1 hours for infants in the control group versus 14.0 hours for
infants in the intervention group (P = 1.0). There

was no difference between the groups in the Parenting Stress Index during
the 6th week of age.

Conclusion: The behavioral intervention, when provided via videotape, does
not seem to be efficacious in decreasing total

crying among normal infants.

 

Diane Wiessinger, MS, IBCLC, LLLL  Ithaca, NY  USA


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