# Why do human babies cry so much and so loud?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-human-babies-cry-so-much-and-so-loud/970435>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 27, 2022, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-human-babies-cry-so-much-and-so-loud/970435 "2022-08-27T15:28:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2022, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-human-babies-cry-so-much-and-so-loud/970435/21 "2022-08-29T16:00:35Z")

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> [@Pardel-Lux](#):
>
> As an aside: the crying baby also forces the mother to remain constantly close.

I think this answers the question. As mentioned, human babies are totally defenseless against anything from life-threatening predators to a swarm of mosquitoes. Any discomfort, real or perceived by the infant mind will cause it to start bleating. And also as mentioned, we are generally tuned to the cries of a baby, either out of pity or irritation, and the parent will always go see what the problem is (out of a desire to help or annoyance). Either way, the baby gets attention, which is really all they are geared to do at first.

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2022, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-human-babies-cry-so-much-and-so-loud/970435/22 "2022-08-29T22:05:20Z")

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> [@StarvingButStrong](#):
>
> If the humans in a village came home from the fields and finds that a lion has killed/carried off a child or two… It’s on. We will not just track that lion down and end up wearing its skin, we will kill ALL its infants and pride mates, and any other lions we come across in the process, and heck, those leopards look dangerous, too, might as well make the neighborhood as safe as possible.

I’ve heard that elephants exhibit similar behaviors: In the rare event that a lioness takes an elephant calf, the adult elephants will track down and kill the lioness and all of her cubs.

Though baby elephants aren’t anywhere near as helpless as baby humans: Not much short of a lion would even have a chance at killing a baby elephant.

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**Author:** ![mmmiiikkkeee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/edb3f5/32.png) [@mmmiiikkkeee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mmmiiikkkeee)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2022, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-human-babies-cry-so-much-and-so-loud/970435/23 "2022-08-29T22:44:09Z")

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I worked on a pig farm for a short time; the piglets squeal almost incessantly and just as loud an sharp as my own kids did. Also, just being heard doesn’t = death by predator. Robin parents give away their own presence, and hence the fact that they have a nest with young or eggs as a rule when you wander too close.

Yet my cat, and excellent stalker/hunter, doesn’t seem smart enough to clue in on that pattern.

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