The influence of feeding model on the age-related dynamics of crying in the first months of infant life

Orobinskaya Ya.V., Zakharova I.N., Sugyan N.G.

1) Russian Medical Academy of Continuous Professional Education, Moscow, Russia; 2) Khimki Clinical Hospital, Khimki, Russia

Background: Infant crying is one of the most common causes of parental anxiety and medical attention in the first months of life. Breast milk is considered the gold standard of feeding, as it contains immunologically and chronobiologically active components that can influence the development of behavioral self-regulation. However, the relationship between feeding type and the age-related dynamics of infant crying remains poorly understood.
Objective: Determination of the crying dynamics in infants during the first months of life, depending on feeding patterns.
Materials and methods: The analysis included 98 structured sleep diaries completed by the infants’ caregivers during three follow-up visits—on days 30, 60, and 120 of life. Three groups were identified based on feeding type: breastfed infants (n=34), formula-fed infants (n=40), and mixed-fed infants (n=24). The primary outcome measure was the relative proportion of time spent crying and screaming. Statistical analysis was performed in the R software environment using nonparametric methods and the Benjamini-Hochberg correction for multiple comparisons.
Results: A decrease in the proportion of time spent crying from Visit 1 to Visit 3 was observed in all study groups. No statistically significant between-group differences in absolute values were found, although the nature of the changes over time varied. Early in the observation period, the most pronounced decrease in this parameter was observed in formula-fed infants, while later, the greatest positive dynamics were recorded in the breastfed group. In infants receiving mixed feeding, the decrease in this parameter was least pronounced throughout the entire observation period. Based on these data, it can be concluded that the type of feeding likely influences not so much the absolute duration of crying as the trajectory of its changes in the first months of life. Later, the most pronounced decrease in this parameter in breastfed infants may reflect the cumulative effect of the chronobiologically active components of breast milk on the maturation of behavioral regulation mechanisms.
Conclusion: The obtained data also suggest that a stable feeding regimen is an important condition for the optimal development of infant self-regulation in early childhood. 

For citations: Orobinskaya Ya.V., Zakharova I.N., Sugyan N.G. The influence of feeding model on the age-related dynamics of crying in the first months of infant life. Pharmateca. 2026;33(3):78-84. (In Russ.). DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18565/pharmateca.2026.3.78-84

Authors’ contribution: All authors made an equivalent contribution to the preparation of the publication.
Conflicts of interest: The authors confirm that they have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Funding: The study was conducted without any sponsorship.
Ethical Approval: The study was approved by the Local Ethics Committee of the Russian Medical Academy of Continuous Professional Education of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, protocol No. 12 dated October 10, 2023.
Patient Consent for Publication: All patients provided informed consent for the publication of their data.
Authors’ Data Sharing Statement: The data supporting the findings of this study are available upon request from the corresponding author after approval from the principal investigator.

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About the Authors

Yana V. Orobinskaya, Teaching Assistant, Department of Pediatrics named after Academician G.N. Speransky, Russian Medical Academy of Continuous Professional Education, Moscow, Russia; yanashbook@mail.ru, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-2121-4010 (corresponding author)
Irina N. Zakharova, Dr. Sci. (Med.), Professor, Honored Doctor of the Russian Federation, Head of the Department of Pediatrics named after Academician G.N. Speransky, Russian Medical Academy of Continuous Professional Education, Moscow, Russia; zakharova-rmapo@yandex.ru, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4200-4598
Narine G. Sugyan, Cand. Sci. (Med.), Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics named after Academician G.N. Speransky, Russian Medical Academy of Continuous Professional Education, Moscow; Deputy Chief Physician, Khimki Clinical Hospital, Khimki, Russia; narine6969@mail.ru, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2861-5619

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