Crying As a Sign, a Symptom, and a Signal: Clinical, Emotional and Developmental Aspects of Infant and Toddler Crying

Crying as a Sign, a Symptom and a Signal brings the reader up to date on new evidence concerning the developmental and clinical significance of infant crying in the first few months and years of life. Initially studied as a sign of disease, crying is now being understood not only as a sign, but also as a symptom of problematic functioning in early development. We now know much more about normative patterns of development of infant crying and how they may be manifest in a variety of clinical settings (emergency room complaint, painful procedures, colic, temper tantrums, non-verbal and mentally challenged infants). This has brought about a new conceptualization of the significance of early infant crying which an international team of experts describe and examine. In this authoritative clinical text, both historical and methodological perspectives are brought to a multidisciplinary synopsis of the new understanding of this infant behavior.

Ronald G. Barr, MDCM, FRCP-C Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Ronald G. Barr, MA, MDCM, FRCP-C, developed and tested prevention materials referred to as the Period of PURPLE Crying in collaboration with Marilyn Barr. He is the Canada Research Chair in Community Child Health Research at the University of British Columbia and Professor of Pediatrics in the Faculty of Medicine at UBC.