Abstract

Infantile excessive crying (IEC) (referred to as ‘colic’ or ‘infantile colic’) is a common condition affecting approximately 20% of newborn babies. However, there are no underlying medical reasons for the crying in approximately 95% of those infants, and there is a lack of evidence to suggest that the crying causes them harm. Rather, the intensity of the prolonged crying means that caregivers can sometimes struggle during these bouts, contributing to poor parental wellbeing, creating a strain on the parent-couple relationship, and may constitute a primary trigger for infant abuse. Therefore, this thesis investigates a potential role for the social care sector in supporting families affected by IEC.

The research adopted a two-stage process. Stage 1 involved five semi-structured interviews with social care professionals. These focused on addressing professional understanding and awareness of IEC, as well as exploring areas for practice development. This data was analysed by the researcher and shared during Stage 2. This stage consisted of three Participatory Action Research (PAR) groups, each with three parents who perceived their infant as having cried excessively at some point in the previous two years.

The findings from all five interviews suggested a need to increase professional awareness of IEC. Where professionals had personal experience of IEC, this was crucial in advancing their understanding of how the condition can impact the whole family. Similarly, parents simultaneously articulated a strong need for greater empathy, understanding, and practical support from professionals. Parents frequently felt unprepared and overwhelmed, which contributed to an ongoing search for explanations and a profound sense of emotional distress. They often internalised these challenges by attributing difficulties in bonding with their baby to personal failings.

The use of PAR facilitated the development of a pilot toolkit, co-created by parents and informed by the interview data. This toolkit currently serves as a preliminary framework in the early stages of development and would require further research before it could be disseminated for professional use. Therefore, a recommendation has been made for a wider-scale study to be undertaken to further investigate the potential link between IEC and the social care profession. This will help to develop the toolkit for wider dissemination and testing. It is predicted that this will further enhance the quality of support available to future families affected by IEC.