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Interventions to Support Parents Whose Babies Cry Excessively: Systematic Review

Year: 2026

Type: review

Abstract: CONTEXT: Parents report that around 10% to 20% of babies cry a lot without an apparent reason during early infancy. This "excessive" infant crying can lead to adverse outcomes, including parental depression, breastfeeding cessation, impaired parent-child relationships, and, in extreme cases, infant abuse. Cost-effective parent-support services are needed. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of interventions designed to support parents of excessively crying babies. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, Embase, EconLit, Web of Science, Scopus, PsycINFO, CINAHL and CENTRAL were searched from inception to 8th April 2025. The NIHR CRN database and handsearching were used to identify further studies. STUDY SELECTION: Comparative studies reporting parental outcomes for any intervention supporting parents of excessively crying infants aged ≤1 year were included. DATA EXTRACTION: Two independent reviewers conducted data extraction and assessed risk of bias. Meta-analysis was performed when possible; otherwise, narrative synthesis was conducted. RESULTS: Meta-analysis found that educational interventions significantly reduced parental stress or anxiety. Narrative analyses produced mixed findings, but components common to successful educational interventions were indicated. Meta-analyses of studies administering probiotics to infants found significant improvements in parents' quality of life but not in parental depression. No safety data and limited economic evidence were found. LIMITATIONS: Few studies measured similar enough parental outcomes to be pooled in meta-analysis. Risk of bias ranged from unclear to high risk. CONCLUSIONS: Educational and probiotic interventions show promise for supporting parents of excessively crying babies. Additional controlled trials employing evidence-based interventions and outcome measures and cost-effectiveness analyses are needed to build on these findings.

Source: PEDIATRICS

DOI: 10.1542/peds.2025-075063

Authors: Ayten Bilgin, Alice Betteridge, Jayne Brown, Elaine M Boyle, Traolach Brugha, Francesco Fusco, Marie Stracke, Stephanie Louise Swift, Dieter Wolke, Ian St James-Roberts

Institutions: University of Essex, University of Warwick, Nottingham Trent University, University of Leicester, Cambridge School, University College London

Language: English

Topic: Infant Health and Development

Subfield: Pharmacy

Field: Health Professions

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

OpenAlex ID: W7170226528

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