What causes a child to cry at night?
Sep 17, 2023
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Ma Yan
Introduction
In general, nighttime crying in infants may be caused by hunger, environmental discomfort, indigestion, rickets, colic, or other factors. It is advisable to first visit a正规 hospital for evaluation and choose appropriate management based on the underlying cause. In addition, conditions such as intestinal colic and acute appendicitis may also lead to nighttime crying in children. Therefore, upon experiencing the above symptoms, timely medical evaluation and treatment at a正规 hospital are recommended.
Generally, a child crying at night may be due to hunger, environmental discomfort, indigestion, rickets, colic, or other causes. It is recommended to first visit a正规 hospital for evaluation and choose appropriate management based on the underlying cause. Specific analyses are as follows:
1. Hunger
If milk intake is insufficient, leaving the infant in a state of hunger, or if the diaper is wet, clothing or bedding is too cold or too hot, or the child is suddenly exposed to loud noise during sleep and becomes frightened, these factors may lead to nighttime crying. Usually no treatment is required. It is advised to establish a reasonable feeding schedule, change diapers promptly, and maintain a quiet sleeping environment.
2. Environmental discomfort
If the indoor temperature is too hot or too cold, it may cause the infant to cry. Generally, no treatment is needed; it is recommended to keep the room temperature at a comfortable level.
3. Indigestion
Excessive food intake combined with insufficient physical activity may lead to indigestion, which can also cause nighttime crying. Treatment may include medications such as domperidone suspension, Bacillus subtilis bivalent live granules, or Bifidobacterium triple viable powder, used according to medical advice.
4. Rickets
If rickets develops due to inadequate vitamin D supplementation, it may result in nighttime crying. Improvement can be achieved under medical guidance using vitamin D3 drops, cod liver oil, calcium gluconate oral solution, etc.
5. Infantile colic
Colic is common in infants and during episodes causes severe abdominal pain, leading to crying at night. This is a relatively common type of acute abdominal condition in babies, often caused by intense spasmodic contractions of the intestinal smooth muscle. Mild cases may resolve spontaneously, while severe abdominal pain may require medication such as amoxicillin granules or roxithromycin granules, taken under medical supervision.
In addition, conditions such as colic and acute appendicitis may also cause nighttime crying in children. Therefore, upon appearance of the above symptoms, timely visit to a正规 hospital for diagnosis and treatment is recommended.
