A child crying without any apparent reason, and that too for a long time, is a cause of concern for the mother, and the rest of the family.

Many frantic phone calls to the Paediatrician are for excessive crying.

Though there are many reasons why kids cry, and excessive crying in small children usually results from the following  reasons:

Stomach Pain or Colic

One common cause of crying in a child, irrespective of age is stomach pain. Infants under the age of three months are especially prone to colic, a form of stomach pain that affects them typically in the evening and night, and disappears by morning.

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Older infants and toddlers too can suffer from stomach pain for a variety of reasons. Stomach infections, gas, indigestion, worms, constipation, loose motion, urinary problems and acidity- all these can give rise to pain, leading to excessive crying.

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Rarely, more serious conditions of the stomach, like an internal hernia, an appendicitis, a twisting or enlargement of the intestines, or an intestinal obstruction may be the cause of pain and crying, and needs to be ruled out by a doctor.

Treatment for these pains involves treating the cause. In order to reduce pain, doctors often prescribe carminative mixtures, anti-spasmodic medicines, and pain killers.

At home, you can ease stomach pain caused by simple conditions by massaging the abdomen, giving hot fomentation, and by giving the child some home made carminative mixture, made from spices like fenugreek, cumin seeds or aniseed. (saunf, jeera, hing or ajwain).

However, if your child continues to cry, consult the doctor to rule out serious diseases.

Ear Infection and Pain

Ear pain, due to ear blocks or ear infections is also a cause for excessive crying. Typically, the problem starts with a cold and a cough.

After a day or two, especially when the child is asleep, the mucus from the nose trickles backwards and enters the ear, which connects the nose to the ear.

On entering the ear, the mucus exerts pressure and your child gets severe pain, and thus cries.

Remember, your baby may or may not point to the ear, or tug at the ear lobe, and often you might not have any clue as to why she is crying.

Treatment involves putting pain relieving drops in the ear, as well as pain killers and treatment of the original cough and cold.