Colic, Crying, and the Period of PURPLE Crying

A baby’s first cry after birth is often a sound of relief to parents. This first cry, which clears fluid from the baby’s lungs, is the beginning of normal period of infant crying. Crying time increases around 2 weeks of age, and typically peaks at 6-8 weeks before it begins to taper off at 3-4 months. Most excessive crying stops around 3 months of age. It is important to understand that all babies cry, and infantile crying is to be expected in the first few months of life. The frequency of crying varies from baby to baby, however it is not uncommon for some babies to cry significantly more than others, which some pediatricians would describe using the term colic. Colic is traditionally defined using Wessel’s Rule of Threes, which diagnoses colic for infants who cry more than three hours a day, at least three days a week, for more than 3 consecutive weeks. Purple is an acronym that can be used as a guideline for normal patterns of infant crying, which describes common crying behaviors in infants. PURPLE stands for Peak, Unpredictability, Resistant, Pain, Long periods, and Evening.