Stability and outcome of persistent infant crying

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Abstract

Six week old infants who fussed and cried for 3 or more hrs per day (persistent criers), evening criers, and moderate criers were assessed using researcher and maternal measures of infant, maternal and family characteristics at 6 weeks, 5 months and 15 months of infant age. Convergent evidence of stable individual differences in negative behavior was found between 6 weeks – 5 months and 5 – 15 months of age. Objectively hard-to-soothe infants, particularly, were distinguished on a range of researcher and maternal measures. Between 6 weeks and 15 months, infant negative behavior was not a stable characteristic, although mothers continued to rate the same infants as fussy/difficult. In multiple regression analyses, infant negative behavior at 6 weeks did not predict maternal or researcher measures of infant negativity, temperament, behavior problems or cognition at 15 months. Maternal and family variables mediated the development of infant negative behavior.

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    Ian St. James-Roberts, Thomas Coram Research Unit, 27/28 Woburn Square, London WC1H OAA, U.K.

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