We all love to see our babies playing and laughing around. But everyone becomes worried when they see their baby’s painful crying face. Situations come where you can use all the means to comfort them, but nothing works. Purple crying in babies is when your little one cries for prolonged periods, and nothing seems to comfort and soothe them.
For most, purple crying may be something that they are hearing for the first time. So what exactly is purple crying? Does it mean the face turns purple? And what can you do when your baby is going through this phase? This article explains.
In This Article
- What is Purple Crying in Babies?
- Why Do Babies Cry So Much During the Purple Crying Period?
- When Does Purple Crying Period Start and End?
- What Can You do to Soothe Your Crying Baby?
- FAQ’s
What is Purple Crying in Babies?
As a new or first-time parent, it is difficult for you to understand why your baby is crying for so long. Purple crying is a phase of a baby’s life where they cry for a longer time, and it is tough to soothe them. And it is not like the baby becomes purple or red due to continuous crying.
Prolonged crying of a baby after the initial birth stage is often called purple crying. Basically, PURPLE stands for:
P – Peak of Crying
Newborns from the age of two weeks to three or four months reach their peak of crying.
U – Unpredictable
There is no particular reason for such prolonged crying.
R – Resistant to Soothing
It is difficult to soothe them even after trying all the tricks.
P – Pained Look on Baby’s Face
It is painful for you to observe the painful expression on your baby’s face. But during the Purple crying phase, babies aren’t feeling any physical pain.
L – Long-Lasting Cry
Your baby may cry continuously for four or five hours in this phase of life.
E – Evening Crying
Usually, babies at this age cry more in the afternoon or evening than in the daytime.
Why Do Babies Cry So Much During the Purple Crying Period?
Purple crying is a normal case for every child. Practically, for babies, crying is the only way to express their pain and discomfort. Though there is no specific reason for such tremendous and continuous crying, experts share some common causes.
- Discomfort
- Wanting a cuddle
- Tiredness
- Wind
- A dirty or wet nappy
- Being too hot or cold
- Boredom
- Overstimulation (noise, light, handling)
To make parents and caregivers understand and educate them about the phase of a baby’s life, experts developed a PURPLE crying program.
When their baby is crying excessively, parents and caregivers panic and resort to all sorts of techniques to quieten the little one. Sometimes they may even try to shake the baby aggressively to alleviate them. But this is extremely dangerous for the newborn and has serious swelling and brain damage. This is known as Shaken Baby Syndrome. After the awareness about the SBS, parents know the facts and act accordingly, which, in turn, avoids significant injuries to the newborns.
[Read : Top Reasons Why The Baby Is Crying]
When Does Purple Crying Period Start and End?
The Purple crying phase in babies usually starts just one or two weeks after birth. And it may continue till four to five months. In exceptional cases, this timeframe may vary, but this phase has a specific timeline. Every baby goes through this phase, and it will start and end automatically.
What Can You Do to Soothe Your Crying Baby?
There are several ways that our elders use to soothe a crying baby. But before applying those techniques, you must ensure that your baby is not crying due to obvious reasons like hunger, wet diaper, or any illness. When you are sure that these are not the reason for their crying, you can be sure that this is PURPLE crying. Try the below-mentioned techniques.
1. Try to Rock or Sway Your Baby
It is a super-effective way to soothe your crying baby. They like it when you gently rock them. Hold him closer to you and make smooth sway. Avoid aggressive jerking movements.
2. Try Giving a Pacifier
You can use the innate sense of sucking to soothe your baby. A pacifier works fine to distract their attention to the sucking action, and they stop crying.
3. Make Different Sounds
Try to distract your crying child by making different sounds. The sound of a bird, fan, or vacuum cleaner is a great way to stop the crying.
4. Try Swaddling Your Baby
Swaddling is also an effective way to soothe your crying baby. Creating a womb-like environment by saddling your baby may comfort them and stop them crying.
Crying is a natural act of babies. During the purple crying phase, it isn’t easy to comfort them. You can try the techniques mentioned for purple crying in babies. And if you are not able to soothe them, don’t worry. Purple crying in babies is natural, and they will pass this situation normally.
[Read : All About Swaddling A Baby]
FAQ’s
1. Does Purple Crying Happen to All Babies?
Yes, it is common in all babies. Some may continue longer, and others may pass this phase quickly.
2. Is the Period of Purple Crying the Same as Colic?
No, according to Dr. Ronald Bar, an expert in infant crying, colic and purple crying are different. Purple crying is a term to educate parents about the natural continuous crying of babies. Whereas colic is when a baby cries for more than 3 hours a day for three days in a week and more than three weeks.
3. What Connection Does Purple Crying Have to SBS?
To comfort your baby, you should not shake him aggressively. This may cause serious injury to the neck, spinal cord, and brain. This is a case of Shaken Baby Syndrome.
Read Also: Colic – And All About It
