question: Why don’t babies cry tears?
comment: Because when babies are born, their tear ducts haven’t full formed yet. It can take from 2 weeks to 2 months before they become functional.
passages: Section::::Misconceptions.
   Although crying is an infant's mode of communication, it is not limited to a monotonous sound. There are three different types of cries apparent in infants. The first of these three is a basic cry, which is a systematic cry with a pattern of crying and silence. The basic cry starts with a cry coupled with a briefer silence, which is followed by a short high-pitched inspiratory whistle. Then, there is a brief silence followed by another cry. Hunger is a main stimulant of the basic cry. An anger cry is much like the basic cry; however, in this cry, more excess air is forced through the vocal cords, making it a louder, more abrupt cry. This type of cry is characterized by the same temporal sequence as the basic pattern but distinguished by differences in the length of the various phase components. The third cry is the pain cry, which, unlike the other two, has no preliminary moaning. The pain cry is one loud cry, followed by a period of breath holding. Most adults can determine whether an infant's cries signify anger or pain. Most parents also have a better ability to distinguish their own infant's cries than those of a different child. A 2009 study found that babies mimic their parents' pitch contour. French infants wail on a rising note while German infants favor a falling melody.
   Section::::Physiology.
   Section::::Causes.
  
  Though colic is often assumed to be the cause of excessive crying in infants, there are others:
  
  BULLET::::- Trauma
  
  BULLET::::- Abuse
  
  BULLET::::- Corneal abrasions
  
  BULLET::::- Foreign body in the eye
  
  BULLET::::- Fractured bone
  
  BULLET::::- Central nervous system abnormality
  
  BULLET::::- Chiari type I malformation
  
  BULLET::::- Infantile migraine
  
  BULLET::::- Subdural hematoma
  
  BULLET::::- Constipation
  
  BULLET::::- Cow’s milk protein intolerance
  
  BULLET::::- Gastroesophageal reflux
  
  BULLET::::- Lactose intolerance
  
  BULLET::::- Rectal fissure
  
  BULLET::::- Infection
  
  BULLET::::- Meningitis
  
  BULLET::::- Otitis media
  
  BULLET::::- Urinary tract infection
  
  BULLET::::- Viral illness
  
  BULLET::::- Hair tourniquet syndrome
  
  Section::::Causes.:Colic.
   The term 'colic' was defined in 1954 as: " crying for more than three hours per day, for more than three days per week, and for more than three weeks in an infant that is well-fed and otherwise healthy." Colic and excessive crying by infants is synonymous to some clinicians. Colic is attributed to gastrointestinal discomfort like intestinal cramping. Clinicians often admit that colic can't be treated or that alternative treatments are ineffective. The protocol followed by clinicians to treat colic is described as "treating the parents" with reassurance.
  
  Section::::Maternal responses.
   Section::::Effects on young children.
   Sheila Kitzinger found a correlation between the mother's prenatal stress level and later amount of crying by the infant. She also found a correlation between birth trauma and crying. Mothers who had experienced obstetrical interventions or who were made to feel powerless during birth had babies who cried more than other babies. Rather than try one remedy after another to stop this crying, she suggested that mothers hold their babies and allow the crying to run its course. Other studies have supported Kitzinger's findings. Babies who had experienced birth complications had longer crying spells at three months of age and awakened more frequently at night crying.
   Infant crying is the crying of infants as a response to an internal or external stimulus. Infants cry as a form of basic instinctive communication. Essentially, newborns are transitioning from life in the womb to the external environment. Up to 27% of parents describe problems with infant crying in the first four months. Up to 38% identify a problem with their infant crying within the first year. Parents can be concerned about the amount of time that their infant cries, how the infant can be consoled, and disrupted sleeping patterns. Colic is used as a synonym for excessive crying of infants, even though colic may not be the cause of excessive crying.
   Babies may be in danger if a person who is easily irritated or has a temper or history of violence cares for or watches the baby.
  
  When "normal" causes of excessive crying are ruled out, some caregivers adopt alternative and complementary treatments for excessive crying. Those practices include: 
  
  BULLET::::- Eliminating milk products, eggs, wheat, and nuts from the diet of breastfeeding mothers
  
  BULLET::::- Feeding infants fiber-enriched formula; not proven to be of benefit for most infants
  
  BULLET::::- Counseling parents about specific colic-management techniques; not proven to be effective for most infants
   Co-writer Tom Douglas told The Boot about the story behind the song. "I had gone to the grocery store one day, had parked my car and was walking into the store when I saw this woman talking on a pay phone," he said. "She had mascara tears running down her face, and her little boy was weaving in and out of her legs while she was talking on the phone and she looked like an ice cream cone, melting. I went in the store, got my groceries, came back out, and wondered what happened to them. And then I passed by a car, and they were in it. And in the back of the car were newspapers and Chef Boyardee cans. And I thought, what should I do? And I did nothing except get back in my car and go home. And I was haunted by my paralysis and inability to do anything about that. And that feeling started this song when I sat down to write with Steve. I had that first verse, and actually the second vignette was more Steve's life than it was mine ... about putting the rose on the grave and talking to the wind. And then the third verse was kind of a combination of both of our lives, but being tied together by singing, 'I don't know why / They say grown men don't cry.'" 
   Crying in infants is associated with high stress levels and depression in mothers. Excessive crying has also been linked to maternal "physical aggression" and "angry speaking". The burden of care of the mother, that is, mothers without assistance in caring for the infant, are more prone to physical aggression and angry speaking. During evaluations of maternal depression responses to infant crying, sleeping problems are closely associated with excessive crying and may confound the conclusions of such research. Also, it is not always clear that when sleeping problems are associated with infant crying, whether the sleeping problems are descriptive of the mother or the infant or both. Maternal stress is associated with excessive crying.
   One definition used to study excessive crying in infants is crying for three or more hours per 24 hours. Excessive infant crying has been associated with a twofold increased risk of the overall problem behavior, conduct problems, hyperactivity, and mood problems at the age of 5–6. Excessive infant crying doubles the risk of behavioral, hyperactivity, and mood problems at the age of 5–6, as reported by their mother. Excessive crying is not the only factor in later childhood difficulties. Behavioral problems in childhood include the so-called regulatory problems, such as excessive crying, sleeping, and feeding problems, which occur in 20% of infants in multiproblem families. Excessive crying, whining and sleeping problems at 4–6 months are associated with decreased social development at 12 months.
   Several factors may contribute to, and partly explain, an association between excessive infant crying and later behavioral and emotional problems. During early infancy, the quality of the mother–child dyad can be considered to be a crucial vehicle for child’s healthy mental development. Both early maternal and early paternal reciprocity in infancy are predictive of social competence and lower aggression in preschoolers.
   Section::::Plot.
  
  Section::::Plot.:Prologue.
   The umbilical cord contains three vessels: two arteries and one vein. The two arteries carry blood from the baby to the placenta while one vein carries blood back to the baby.
  
  Section::::Care and feeding.
  
  Infants cry as a form of basic instinctive communication. A crying infant may be trying to express a variety of feelings including hunger, discomfort, overstimulation, boredom, wanting something, or loneliness.
   Colic is diagnosed after other potential causes of crying are excluded. This can typically be done via a history and physical exam, and in most cases tests such as X-rays or blood tests are not needed. Babies who cry may simply be hungry, uncomfortable, or ill. Less than 10% of babies who would meet the definition of colic based on the amount they cry have an identifiable underlying disease.
  
  Cause for concern include: an elevated temperature, a history of breathing problems or a child who is not appropriately gaining weight.
  
  "Red flag" indicating that further investigations may be needed include:
   Colic is defined as episodes of crying for more than three hours a day, for more than three days a week for at least a three-week duration in an otherwise healthy child. It is most common around six weeks of age and gets better by six months of age. By contrast, infants normally cry an average of just over two hours a day, with the duration peaking at six weeks. With colic, periods of crying most commonly happen in the evening and for no obvious reason. Associated symptoms may include legs pulled up to the stomach, a flushed face, clenched hands, and a wrinkled brow. The cry is often high pitched (piercing).
   Section::::Abuse.
  
  Section::::Abuse.:Normal crying.
  
  The physical abuse of infants is related to crying. Crying may be related to the abusive head trauma in infants. This is the most common cause of child abuse death. Fathers are often the ones who shake the infant. Shaking may occur many times. This shaking can cause serious injuries in almost 50% of the time. Some caregivers are unaware that shaking the baby can seriously harm or kill the infant. This type of abuse is being addressed by efforts to educate parents and caregivers with educational flyers and videos.
  
  Section::::Prevention and treatment.
   Infants do feel pain, but lack the language needed to report it, and so communicate distress by crying. A non-verbal pain assessment should be conducted involving the parents, who will notice changes in the infant which may not be obvious to the health care provider. Pre-term babies are more sensitive to painful stimuli than those carried to full term.
  
  Section::::Assessment.:Other barriers to reporting.
   Section::::Adaptations.:Internet radio show.
   Compared to other infants, excessive crying infants had a slightly lower birth weight and a slightly younger gestational age. Excessive crying infants more often had a single, lower educated mother, originating from a non-industrialized country, who reported more depression, a higher burden of infant care, and more aggressive behavior and had an authoritarian parenting style. Excessive crying was associated with a higher risk for hyperactivity/inattention problems, emotional symptoms, conduct problems, peer relationship problems, and overall problem behavior at the age of 5–6, as well as a higher risk for decreased pro-social behavior as reported by the mother. Excessive crying was also associated with mood problems as well as generalized anxiety problems at the age of 5–6.
   The cause of colic is unknown. Some believe it is due to gastrointestinal discomfort like intestinal cramping. Diagnosis requires ruling out other possible causes. Concerning findings include a fever, poor activity, or a swollen abdomen. Fewer than 5% of infants with excess crying have an underlying organic disease.
   In a later chapter Charity admits to her father that she discovered cutting six years earlier when she began struggling academically and socially at her middle school and "invented" a way to distract herself from the emotion pain she felt . Despite the high frequency of her cutting, she always managed to keep it a secret from her everyone, including her mother.
   Section::::Signs and symptoms.:Effect on the family.
  
  An infant with colic may affect family stability and be a cause of short-term anxiety or depression in the father and mother. It may also contribute to exhaustion and stress in the parents.
  
  Persistent infant crying has been associated with severe marital discord, postpartum depression, early termination of breastfeeding, frequent visits to doctors, and a quadrupling of excessive laboratory tests and prescription of medication for acid reflux. Babies with colic may be exposed to abuse, especially shaken baby syndrome.
  
  Section::::Causes.
   Section::::Music.
  