My cousin's 2-month-old will only stay quiet for a few minutes after she puts her down - then she starts crying. She tries everything to settle her baby down, but she won't stop crying until someone picks her up again. What can she do?

One of the reasons why infants cry is because they are still incapable of regulating their emotional states (especially in the first few months after they are born). Infants usually cry or fuss for reasons such as hunger, pain or other discomforts or, at times, a desire for physical contact. Crying acts as their means of communicating their needs and desires to their caregiver. While it is difficult to determine the cause of their crying, sensory input from caregivers, such as touch, soothing voice, smell, eye gaze, breastfeeding, can provide comfort to the baby. Hence, it is important to soothe the infant by carrying him/her first (rather than letting him/her cry it out), and try to ascertain the reason for the crying. Also, developing good sleep habits for the infant may help the baby learn to calm himself/herself. Here are some methods you can consider to help soothe the baby: http://sg.theasianparent.com/help-my-baby-wants-to-be-held-all-the-time/ http://sg.theasianparent.com/how-to-calm-a-fussy-baby/