Identifying a baby’s cry of pain is not an innate ability, study suggests

Identifying a baby’s cry of pain is not an innate ability, a study suggests (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Interpreting a baby’s cry of pain is not a natural ability and parents must learn to tell this sound apart from other cries, new research suggests.

Before children learn to speak, crying is their only means of vocal communication, and it is up to adults to decipher whether a baby is in pain as opposed to being mildly uncomfortable.