Education

No Tears…Just Yet!

A baby’s cry is typically the first sound we search for when he or she is born, and it’s a sound we become accustomed to when our little one is hungry, needs to be changed, or wants to be held. Although, for the first few weeks of our little one’s life, a sound is all crying really is. Why? Their tear ducts aren’t fully developed yet. Dr. Sage Timberline, a pediatrician, explains that babies produce enough tears to coat the eye and keep it moist, however, they don’t produce enough to form tears that drop down their cheeks. “After three or four weeks, a baby’s tear ducts usually mature enough to form teardrops associated with strong emotions,” says Dr. Timberline.