Newborns do not sleep through the night most of the time. They usually wake up a couple of times to feed. This might however be accompanied by crying spells that might causes distress to the parents. Babies mostly communicate through crying as they cannot speak. Below are some of the reasons why babies cry during the night:
1. Hunger
Babies will normally feed every two to three hours. Hunger would easily keep them up at night crying uncontrollably. This would be accompanied by smacking of the lips and sucking on a fist. Keeping the feeding intervals regular and early response to their cues to feed will have them sleeping peacefully.
2. Gas in the Stomach
When a baby is hungry and they are breastfeeding quickly, they tend to swallow in air together with the milk. The kind of stomach upset observed characteristically comes right after breastfeeding. A baby will be fussy and cry instead of settling down to sleep after a feed. Feed your baby before they become frantically hungry and take short break burp your baby during breastfeeding or after a feed.
3. A Wet Diaper
Wet diapers should preferably be changed as soon as possible to avoid irritating the child’s skin. Delay in changing the diaper could also cause diaper rash which could also keep the baby awake at night.
4. Uncomfortable Swaddling
As you swaddle your baby during their sleep, do you check to ensure that one of their fingers or toes is not stuck uncomfortably? This might keep them awake and crying during the night due to the discomfort and pain that they are undergoing. Isn’t it sad they can neither speak nor point out the place of affliction?
5. Feeling too Hot or Cold
It gets very surprising when adults are hot during the night, have their windows open but let their baby sleep under five duvets. The extremes in temperatures will make the baby irritable and thus the crying all through the night. The cold will also make them uncomfortable.
6. Feeling Tired
Your baby may be tired but finding it hard to sleep. This could be due to a noisy environment or overstimulation like too much rocking and singing. Try taking your baby to a quiet room after feeding to help her calm down and sleep.
7. Colic
Colic is frequent, prolonged and intense crying or fussiness in a healthy infant. Colic can be particularly frustrating for parents because the baby’s distress occurs for no apparent reason and no amount of consoling seems to bring any relief. Colic is usually defined as crying for three or more hours a day, three or more days a week, for three or more weeks. These episodes often occur in the evening, when parents themselves are often tired. Episodes of colic usually peak when an infant is about 6 weeks old and decline significantly after 3 to 4 months of age. Excessive, inconsolable crying may be colic or an indication of an illness or condition that causes pain or discomfort. Schedule an appointment with your child’s doctor for a thorough exam if your infant experiences excessive crying or other signs or symptoms of colic.
8. Illness
When a child is sick, they will definitely cry. This will be indiscriminate on whether it is during the day or during the night. Other indications will guide you into thinking of an illness, for example a fever (Temperature more than 37.2 degrees), convulsions, lethargy or even refusal to feed. Seeking medical attention would be the best thing.
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Written by Dr. Joan Ruguru
Dr. Elizabeth Kiragu is a Paediatric Allergy Specialist and full time faculty based at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi. She attended the University of Nairobi and for her undergraduate degree and her Masters in Paediatrics and Child Health. She completed a 2-year Paediatric Allergy fellowship at the University of Cape Town. Dr. Kiragu has established comprehensive allergy services within the Paediatric Department of Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi. She has a special interest in food allergies, urticaria, asthma and allergy advocacy. She is committed towards advancing allergy care in Kenya at primary care level via presenting on a wide variety of topics at various National and Regional Conferences/Symposiums.
DR. JOY MUYONGA
DR. JUSTUS MAINGI SIMBA MBChB, PhD.
Dr. Barnabas Kigen
DR. JUSTUS MAINGI SIMBA MBChB, PhD.
Dr. Caren Ito Emadau
AFFILIATIONS: Gertrudes Childrens Hospital
Affiliation: Machakos County
AFFILIATIONS: Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Kenyatta University.
AFFILIATIONS:
AFFILIATIONS: Aga Khan University Hospital
AFFILIATION: Medical services Nairobi City County
DR. JUSTUS MAINGI SIMBA MBChB, PhD.
AFFILIATIONS: Aga Khan University Nairobi, Kenya.
AFFILIATIONS: Department of Paediatrics and Child health, University of Nairobi.
Denish Osodo works at Safaricom Limited as the Internal Audit Director. He has wide and deep experience in Assurance, Governance and Risk Services. Prior to joining Safaricom, he worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) for several years, offering audit and business advisory services to Companies in different industries during his stints in Kenya and United Kingdom offices. He left PwC as a Director in the Risk Assurance Services team focusing on the provision of Internal Audit and business Controls Advisory Services to clients across Africa.
Njeri Wahome delights in all things administration. With over 20 years of experience in operations management in the development sector, Njeri as hands-on experience in strategic planning, financial management, human resources management, administration and logistics planning. She has experience providing technical assistance to NGOs on institutional strengthening for growth and sustainability.
Fred Were is Professor of Paediatrics and Child Health specializing in Newborn Medicine. He presently holds portfolios of; Dean School of Medicine University of Nairobi (UON), Acting Principal College of Health Sciences (UON), Adjunct Professor of Newborn Medicine at the Aga Khan University (East Africa) and Executive Director/Chief Researcher of The Kenya Paediatric Research Consortium a wing of the Kenya Paediatric Association.
Dr. Lawrence Okong’o Owino is a lecturer at the department of paediatrics and child health at the University of Nairobi. He is also a consultant paediatrician at the Kenyatta National hospital as well as a consultant paediatrician and rheumatologist for all the major hospitals in Nairobi. He is a pioneer paediatric rheumatologist. His research interests are in the field of musculoskeletal health and immunizations. He has published papers in peer reviewed journals focussing mainly on childhood rheumatic disorders.
Thomas Ngwiri is Head Clinician at Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital since February 2010. He is also Director of the Paediatric endocrinology training centre for Africa (PETCA) – Nairobi which trains paediatricians from sub-Saharan Africa in the field of diabetes and other endocrine disorders. He has been a member of the Kenya Paediatric association executive since 2010 and is the immediate former National Chair of the association.
MBChB (UoN), MMed (UoN) M.Phil-MCH (UCT)). Dr Osano is a Lecturer in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Medicine, University of Nairobi, a consultant Paediatrician cardiologist at Kenyatta National Hospital. He has been the Program Coordinator for the NIH MEPI grant awarded to the University of Nairobi: Strengthening Maternal Newborn Child Health Research Training in Kenya. He has special interest in Maternal Child Health.
Dr. Joe Mbuthia is a graduate of the University of Oxford, with a specialty in Paediatric Infectious Diseases. He is an honorary Lecturer at the Department of Paediatrics and Child health, University of Nairobi as well as a Senior Technical Advisor to the HIV programme – Kenya Paediatric Research Consortium.
Dr. David Githanga is an accomplished medical professional with over 37 years of clinical practice experience. He holds a fellowship of the royal college of physicians of Edinburg (2021, a PhD in Medical Immunology from the University of Nairobi. (2019), Masters in public Health from the University of London (2010), He qualified in paediatric cardiology from the Royal Hospital for sick Children in Glasgow UK (1993), A Diplomate in Child Environmental Health from Athens Greece (2005, a Master’s degree in pediatrics from the University of Nairobi (1990) having obtained his MB,chB from the same University in 1984. Over the years he has demonstrated leadership capability and strategic thinking that has been instrumental in spearheading the growth, development and integration of the Kenya Pediatric Association (KPA) where he served in executive positions for a total period of 19 years.
Dr. Kibore received her bachelor’s degree in medicine and her master’s degree in Pediatrics and Child Health both from the University of Nairobi, Kenya, she then went on and completed a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Washington, USA.
Dr. Makeba Shiroya Wandabwa is a Paediatrician and Public Health Specialist, with a strong health systems background having worked in various capacities to develop child health policies and guidelines, implement and monitor high impact child health interventions at the international, national, sub national and community levels. She has provided technical, strategic, evaluation and operational support for RMNCAH/HIVAIDS health programs funded by USAID, DFID, Global Fund and World Health Organization.
Dr. Doris M.W. Kinuthia is medical professional with expertise in paediatrics and adolescent medicine, nephrology and HIV. She graduated from the University of Nairobi with medical qualifications MB.Ch.B and M.Med in Paediatrics. She has Certificates in Tropical medicine and Immunology from the same University. She did her fellowship in Paediatric Nephrology at the hospital for Sick Children in Great Ormond Street, London.U.K. She has a post graduate diploma and Master of Business Administration from Sunderland University U.K.
Denish Osodo works at Safaricom Limited as the Internal Audit Director. He has wide and deep experience in Accounting and Audit with along progressive career in Assurance, Governance and Risk Services.