A New Way to Calm a Baby in Seconds

A pediatrician's simple tutorial in calming a baby in seconds is a huge hit in YouTube. In fact, his video has garnered millions of viewers in just a couple of days.

Dr. Robert Hamilton, the pediatrician in the video, calls his technique as 'The Hold.' This simple technique in calming the baby can be sum up in four steps:

1. Pick the infant up and fold his arms across his torso.
2. Secure the infant's arms together with your hand. That hand supports the infant's chin.

3. Gently hold the infant's bottom along with your dominant hand. Make use of the fleshy portion of your own hand and not your fingers.

4. Move the infant in a down and up motion or you also can try shaking the infant's bottom. The key is to avoid jerky movements and keep the movement smooth.

Based on the video, the outcome of the technique is fast and excellent. The babies, who used to be irritated, calm down in just a few seconds. According to the pediatrician, this technique works well for babies who are just a few months old as older kids can be too heavy to be held. 

Hamilton, who has been in medical practice for 31 years, has been using the technique for decades. He is convinced that other pediatricians apply similar techniques.

While he observes that this works on over 90% infants, it does not work well on babies who are sick or hungry. 

Why Babies Cry 

There are several reasons why babies cry. And it's important for parents and other primary caregivers to know these reasons. Some of the reasons include:

1. Hunger

Learning the signs of hunger will help you address this problem before the baby starts to get into the phase of weeping.

2. Spoiled diaper

Some infants allow you to know immediately when they must be changed while it takes some time for others to let you know that their diaper must be changed. Either way, this one is not difficult to assess and easy to manage.

3. Wants to sleep
Unlike adults, infants cry to express their exhaustion and need for sleep. 

4. Colic 

In case your infant cries and frequently fusses after being fed, he/she might be feeling some kind of tummy pain.

5. Need for burping

If a baby cries after feeding, a burp is a all he/she needs to stop crying.

Infants swallow air when they suck from a bottle. In the event that the air is not released, it can cause some distress. Having air inside their tummy bothers these infants intensely that if it is not addressed, they can end up crying endlessly. 

6. Feeling cold

The baby can protest by weeping when he/she feels chilly, like when you remove his/her clothing to change a diaper or clean his/her bottom using a cold wipe. You can ease his/her crying by keeping him/her warm. However, you shouldn't overdo it as infants can also end up crying when they feel too warm. 

7. Teething
As each new tooth pushes through sore young gums, teething can be distressing to infants. Some infants suffer a lot more than many others but all are inclined to be tearful and fussy sooner or later on the way.

Learning these reasons behind crying and new techniques for calming the babies can make it easier for you, the primary caregiver.