Do you know what your baby is saying when it coos, moves hands or cries?

Sudhathai Sirithepmontree, who has pioneered an innovative approach to studying the behaviour of babies, highlighted the challenges mothers face in deciphering their infant’s needs.

Mothers often reach out to medical professionals after leaving the hospital, because they grapple with uncertainty regarding their infant’s well-being.

Sudhathai noted that though many countries have delved into the study of infant behaviour, it remains relatively unexplored in Thailand.

Citing a study conducted among mothers at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok, Sudhathai said women who had watched instructional videos on infants’ behaviour responded better to their baby’s demands compared to those who did not.

Beyond fostering the mother-child relationship, foreign studies also suggest that this approach contributes positively to the child’s development, she said.

Mahidol University is poised to conduct further studies aiming to uncover distinctive behavioural traits among Thai infants. The university also plans to organise training courses and extend its principles to other healthcare institutions.

Decoding baby’s behaviour

Here are the basic behaviours exhibited by infants from birth to one-year-old:

• Hungry: The baby may suck its thumb or lip and turn towards the mother's breast

• Very Hungry: The baby will start crying

• Full: The baby may turn away or fall asleep on the mother’s breast

• Satisfied or desire to play: The baby may coo, open its eyes wide or move its arms and legs

• Sleepy: The baby will move slowly, distance itself from the mother and close its eyes

• Sick: The baby may clench its fists, furrow the brow, arch its back, start crying or be generally restless

However, Sudhathai noted that some unclear behaviours are unique to some babies, like moving legs when hungry, placing hands down when satisfied or spreading fingers when unwell.

“If mothers observe their child’s behaviour regularly, they can understand what the baby is saying,” she said.

“This practice not only strengthens the mother-child bond but also helps with the baby’s overall development and prepares mothers for times when their child falls ill.”

Call for more subsidies

Thailand is fast becoming an ageing society, as more and more people are choosing not to have children.

According to Sudhathai, there are many factors contributing to this reluctance to have babies, such as society, environment, economy and time commitment.

To address these challenges, she suggested that the government increase subsidies for newborns, as many mothers find the existing aid inadequate to cover expenses associated with child-rearing.

She said the government should set up centres where parents can entrust their children to professional babysitters, potentially reducing their expenditure on nurseries and creches by up to 10,000 baht a month.