How Much Does a Normal Baby Cry?

In 1962, the famous pediatrician T. Berry Brazelton, MD., published a study of the crying patterns of 80 normal, middle-class infants. He found that their crying lasted for about two hours a day at two weeks of age, increased to a peak of almost three hours a day by six weeks of age, and then gradually decreased to about one hour a day by the time they had reached three months of age.

The generally accepted medical definition of colic is a young infant who is otherwise healthy and well fed, but who has bouts of irritability, fussing, or crying lasting for a total of more than three hours a day on more than three days of the week, according to William B. Carey, M.D. Sometimes, doctors add the stipulation that the baby’s excessive crying continue for a period of more than three weeks to be considered colic.

Carey emphasizes this simple point: Normal babies cry—a lot. So don’t assume that just because your child is putting up a fuss for three hours a day, he or she is abnormal. More than likely, it’s just your baby’s way of letting you know that he or she is healthy, energetic, and alive. Lastly, take solace in the fact that by three months of age, you’re likely to have a lot more peace and quiet around the house.

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