Excessive infant crying: often not confined to the first 3 months of age

Excessive crying/fussing in infancy may account for serious problems in mother-infant interactions but is believed to be self-limiting around the age of 3 months. A random digit dialling telephone survey weighted by sex, age, and population density and yielding 662 children aged 9 to <36 months was used to estimate prevalence and the proportion of cases where this problem extends beyond the third month postpartum. Excessive infant crying/fussing during the first 3 months of age was found in 21.0% (95% CI 17.9-24.1) and persisted for longer in 39.6% (95% CI 31.5-47.7) of these. Professionals consulting parents on dying problems should take into account its possible persistence for longer periods of time. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.