Introduction

Abstract

Like a miracle of modern medicine, this book is both premature and overdue. It is premature because, despite many years of programmatic research and numerous published articles on infant crying, we know surprisingly little about the topic. This is probably more of a testimonial to the complexity of the phenomenon than anything else. That complexity is reflected throughout this volume and in other citations. Physiologically, crying involves the central and autonomic control of arousal/inhibitory mechanisms and the coordination of cardiorespiratory activity and the laryngeal musculature. Crying is a behavior; in fact, it is a sequence of behavior patterns that is part of the larger behavioral repertoire of the infant. And for the neonate and young infant, crying is the primary mode of expressing and communicating basic needs and events. It is a social behavior that has powerful effects on the parent-infant relationship, and it elicits strong emotions in parents. The cry is also an acoustical event that not only affects caregivers but also contains information about the functioning of the infant’s nervous system. Finally, as a form of communication, crying is the beginning of vocalization and may have implications for the development of speech and language.