Why Babies Cry: Recognizing Pain, Anger and Fear in Infants
Author: FECYT - Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology
Published: 2013/02/19 - Updated: 2026/02/13
Publication Type: Research, Study, Analysis
Category Topic: Pediatric Disabilities - Related Publications
Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main - Insights, Updates
Synopsis: This research, published in the Spanish Journal of Psychology by scientists from the University of Valencia, University of Murcia, and UNED, provides evidence-based findings on infant crying patterns and emotional communication. The study examined 20 babies aged 3 to 18 months, documenting distinct differences in eye activity and crying dynamics associated with pain, anger, and fear. Parents, pediatricians, childcare professionals, and caregivers of children with special needs will find this particularly valuable, as the research identifies specific visual cues - such as closed eyes during pain versus open eyes during anger or fear - that can help decode infant distress signals. Understanding these patterns proves especially helpful for caregivers of babies who may have difficulty communicating due to developmental delays or medical conditions requiring more responsive pain management - Disabled World (DW).
Introduction
Why Do Babies Cry - Explanation
Spanish researchers have studied adults' accuracy in the recognition of the emotion causing babies to cry. Eye movement and the dynamic of the cry play a key role in recognition.
It is not easy to know why a newborn cries, especially amongst first-time parents. Although the main reasons are hunger, pain, anger and fear, adults cannot easily recognize which emotion is the cause of the tears.
"Crying is a baby's principal means of communicating its negative emotions and in the majority of cases the only way they have to express them," as explained to SINC by Mariano Choliz, researcher at the University of Valencia.
Main Content
Choliz participates in a study along with experts from the University of Murcia and the National University of Distance Education (UNED) which describes the differences in the weeping pattern in a sample of 20 babies between 3 and 18 months caused by the three characteristic emotions: fear, anger and pain.
In addition, the team observed the accuracy of adults in recognizing the emotion that causes the babies to cry, analyzing the affective reaction of observers before the sobbing. According to the results published recently in the 'Spanish Journal of Psychology', the main differences manifest in eye activity and the dynamics of the cry.
"When babies cry because of anger or fear, they keep their eyes open but keep them closed when crying in pain," states the researcher.
As for the dynamic of the cry, both the gestures and the intensity of the cry gradually increase if the baby is angry. On the contrary, the cry is as intense as can be in the case of pain and fear. Adults do not properly identify which emotion is causing the cry, especially in the case of anger and fear.
"Although the observers cannot recognize the cause properly, when babies cry because they are in pain, this causes a more intense affective reaction than when they cry because of angry or fear," outlines Choliz.
For the experts, the fact that pain is the most easily recognizable emotion can have an adaptive explanation, since crying is a warning of a potentially serious threat to health or survival and thus requires the carer to respond urgently.
Anger, Fear and Pain
When a baby cries, facial muscle activity is characterized by lots of tension in the forehead, eyebrows or lips, opening of the mouth and raised cheeks. The researchers observed different patterns between the three negative emotions.
As Choliz notices, when angry the majority of babies keep their eyes half-closed, either looking in apparently no direction or in a fixed and prominent manner. Their mouth is either open or half-open and the intensity of their cry increases progressively.
In the case of fear, the eyes remain open almost all the time. Furthermore, at times the infants have a penetrating look and move their head backwards. Their cry seems to be explosive after a gradual increase in tension.
Lastly, pain manifests as constantly closed eyes and when the eyes do open it is only for a few moments and a distant look is held. In addition, there is a high level of tension in the eye area and the forehead remains frowned. The cry begins at maximum intensity, starting suddenly and immediately after the stimulus.
Reference
Mariano Choliz, Enrique G. Fernandez-Abascal y Francisco Martinez-Sanchez. "Infant Crying: Pattern of Weeping, Recognition of Emotion and Affective Reactions in Observers". The Spanish Journal of Psychology 2012, Vol. 15, No. 3, 978-988 ISSN 1138-7416.
Insights, Analysis, and Developments
Editorial Note: The ability to accurately interpret infant crying remains one of parenting's most persistent challenges, yet this research offers concrete observational tools that move beyond guesswork. While adults struggle to distinguish between anger and fear-based crying, the study confirms that pain-related distress triggers stronger caregiver responses - a finding that underscores how evolutionary mechanisms prioritize urgent physical threats. For families raising children with disabilities or medical complexities where pain assessment proves difficult, these documented patterns of eye movement and cry intensity provide an accessible framework for better understanding their child's needs, potentially reducing the stress and uncertainty that comes with caring for a nonverbal infant who cannot articulate discomfort - Disabled World (DW).Attribution/Source(s): This quality-reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by FECYT - Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology and published on 2013/02/19, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.