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Expert Q&A

	By Paul Coleman Psychologist Family Therapist

One of my 16-month-old twin boys constantly whines and cries. So far it is nothing physical. He has had several exams to rule out that possibility. He has had this behavior pretty much since he was born. He does have happy days as well, but I would say 60 percent of the time he is unhappy and either whining, crying and even has spells of screaming.?

Some babies, by nature, are a bit harder to soothe. Some are simply more sensitive to stimulation than others and get a bit overwhelmed. Babies have different temperaments that can be classified into three very broad categories: contented, slow to warm up and difficult to manage.

A slow-to-warm-up child can be more skittish around strangers and new environments but eventually adjusts. A difficult-to-manage child is just that – a bit of a handful. It does not mean that your child is difficult to manage, and it does not mean that your child is destined to have emotional problems.

I would not rule out some sort of physical irritation. Many children have unidentified allergies. Many children have stomach problems caused by an immature ileo-secal valve. A chiropractor who practices applied kinesiology can fix that problem quickly and painlessly. My daughter once seemed more irritable and had a frequent runny nose. We found out she was allergic to the laundry detergent. We now use a scent-free and dye-free brand, and her runny nose and crankiness went away.

I would give things more time. Try to determine if there are hidden allergies or some other problem, and be mindful that possibly your child is more sensitive to environmental stimuli (noises, bright lights) than others.

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