British babies cry more than almost anywhere else in the world, study finds

Babies in the UK cry more than almost anywhere else in the industrialised world, according to a new study.

Scientists found the UK came top of an international "crying chart" for infants aged under three months.

Italy, the Netherlands and Canada also topped the survey.

Researchers analysed data on almost 8,700 babies in different countries taking part in previous studies to find out how much babies cry in their first 12 weeks.

Infants in Denmark, Germany and Japan were found to cry the least.

Researchers found that on average, babies cried for around two hours per day in the first two weeks after birth.

Crying peaked at about two hours, 15 minutes per day at six weeks before gradually reducing to an average of one hour, 10 minutes.

Lead researcher Professor Dieter Wolke, from the University of Warwick, said: "We may learn more from looking at cultures where there is less crying and whether this may be due to parenting or other factors relating to pregnancy experiences or genetics."

He said the chart would help health professionals determine whether a baby is crying within the normal expected range in the first three months, or excessively.

The highest levels of colic - defined as a baby crying more than three hours a day for at least three days a week - were found in the UK, then Canada and Italy. Denmark and Germany had the lowest rates.

The findings are to be published in the Journal of Pediatrics.