22-05-2025
This parenting hack will help your baby stop crying in five minutes, say experts
Being a parent can be really hard work sometimes – there's no two ways about it. So when someone offers up a parenting hack, or tips to make the whole child-rearing process a bit easier, most weary mums and dads will pay attention.
One issue that many parents struggle with is their babies' endless crying, especially when they are fed, changed and have no obvious reason to be upset. Now, scientists have looked into the most effective methods for soothing a squalling infant, and concluded that carrying a baby and walking with it for just five minutes can help them stop crying and lull them back to sleep. The study showed that this method was more effective than simply holding the baby, as pacing triggers physiological changes, such as slowing their heart rate.
Twenty-one infants were monitored in experiments led by Dr Kumi Kuroda. The tests tracked changes in heart rate and behaviour of the babies as their mothers carried out different activities with them, including carrying, pushing them in a pram and holding them while sitting.
It turned out that crying babies calmed down quicker and their heart rates slowed within 30 seconds when they were carried and walked around. A similar effect happened when the babies were in a rocking cot, but not when they were in a stationary crib or when the mother held them while sitting.
All of the infants were more calm after five minutes of holding and walking, while nearly half had fallen asleep. It's important to flag though, those who were put down to sleep after being comforted often woke up as soon as their bodies were no longer in contact with their mothers. If the babies were held as they slept for longer before being laid down, they were less likely to wake up.
Dr Kumi said: 'Even as a mother of four, I was very surprised to see the result. I thought baby waking during a lay-down was related to how they are put on the bed, such as their posture, or the gentleness of the movement. But our experiment did not support these general assumptions.'
Monitoring the babies' heartbeats, scientists noticed how even the smallest change in movement affected them. For example, their heart rates went up when their mothers turned around and when they stopped walking.
Dr Kumi recommends carrying a crying baby steadily for about five minutes until they stop, then sit with them while they sleep for eight minutes, and then place them in their beds.
The significant results of the study have even led to the development of an app that will alert parents if they need to pick up their baby. But we're sorry to say, this isn't a magical fix that will work every time on every single child either. However, it's certainly worth a try. The study focused on mothers with their babies, but Dr Kumi believes the response is likely to be the same with fathers and other guardians.
