Chapin Hall

Use of Infant Crying Screening Tool Improves Family Support

Research has consistently found that excessive infant crying negatively affects caregivers, elevating their levels of depression and parenting stress and decreasing parenting self-efficacy. Pediatricians traditionally screen for infant crying problems only by asking parents about the amount of crying, but research suggests that parental perception of infant crying is a better predictor of parent well-being than the amount of infant crying reported. We developed a brief screening tool to identify families who need support with infant crying. In this pilot study, funded by the University of Chicago – Chapin Hall Joint Research Fund, we analyzed the tool’s utility in a pediatric clinical setting.

Please contact Tiffany Burkhardt for additional information.