For new parents, a baby’s cry can feel like an unsolvable riddle. Is it hunger, fatigue, discomfort, or something more complex?

While the sound of a crying baby can stir panic and helplessness, researchers say that it’s actually the first language a newborn uses to communicate. Learning to interpret these cries can build trust, reduce frustration, and strengthen the parent-child bond.

The Language of Cries

According to research by Priscilla Dunstan, babies across the world, regardless of culture or language, produce nine distinct sounds in their cries, each indicating a specific need. These are not random wails but physiological reflexes.

For example, when a baby is hungry, the tongue touches the roof of the mouth, creating a “Nèh” sound. Identifying these subtle cues early can prevent discomfort from escalating into distress.

The Nine Cries and What They Mean

Nèh – “I’m hungry”

This sound mimics a sucking motion. It’s usually the first cry parents hear, especially in the early weeks when feeding is frequent.

Èh – “I need to burp”

A short, jerky sound created when air is trapped. If you hear this after feeding, hold the baby upright and pat gently on the back.

Aoh – “I’m sleepy”

This cry often comes with yawns and a wide-open mouth. It signals that your baby needs rest soon.

Éérh – “I have a stomach ache”

Hoarse, prolonged, and strained, this cry is linked to gas or colic. Gentle massage or movement may help soothe your baby.

Héh – “I’m uncomfortable”

A soft 'h' sound may point to issues like a dirty diaper, awkward position, or rash. A quick check can resolve it.

Guèn – “I’m teething”

Often accompanied by drooling and gum rubbing, this sound means your baby may need a teething ring or gentle gum massage.

Lelaol – “I need company”

A softer, almost meowing sound—your baby simply wants interaction. Responding to this helps foster emotional security.

Nah – “I’m thirsty”

A gentler version of the hunger cry, often heard in warmer weather or when breastfeeding intervals increase.

Ouin – “Everything feels wrong”

A full-body cry when a baby is overwhelmed. Cuddling, rocking, or just holding them can bring comfort.

Beyond Sounds: Emotions And Connection

While deciphering these cues helps meet basic needs, it also supports a baby’s emotional growth. Babies experience emotions intensely, and crying is their only outlet. Your calm presence helps regulate their emotional storms, almost like serving as their temporary “prefrontal cortex”, the part of the brain responsible for emotional regulation, which develops later.

Should You Always Respond?

Some parents wonder if responding to every cry will spoil the baby. Experts say that in the early months, every cry deserves attention. It isn’t about temperament, it’s communication. As the baby matures, short self-soothing intervals can be introduced. Still, your consistent presence helps develop secure attachment and emotional resilience.

Men are beginning to discuss fertility preservation, but the concept of freezing sperm before the age of 35 should not be promoted as something that all young men should undergo. There is no consensus on when men should freeze their sperm; rather, it will depend on their 'personal choice for future childbearing, medical risk, the quality of their sperm and whether, and when, they would be willing to pursue medical assistance or face new circumstances that may limit their options'.

Age still plays a role because male fertility is not entirely age-independent either. Although spermatogenesis persists with age, a prolongation of paternal age is associated with a gradual deterioration in semen parameters and sperm DNA.

How Age Affects Sperm Quality And DNA

A recent 2024 study of 200 turgescent samples from normozoospermic males aged 35 years or less demonstrated DNA fragmentation of 15.

4% in patients of 35 years or less versus 21.7% in patients of 42 years or more. In the older group, host freezing was linked with an increased DNA fragmentation index to 26.7%. This is the reason why sperm freezing upon retrieval at a younger age may have biological benefits.

But the biggest reason for sperm banking is still fertility preservation related medical issues. Men who are diagnosed with testicular cancer, lymphoma, leukaemia or other cancers should ideally freeze sperm before the commencement of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or possibly fertility-damaging operations and surgery. The 2025 ASCO guideline explicitly urges that fertility preservation be taken into consideration and sperm banking made accessible before cancer therapy.

Also read: Experimental Male Contraceptive Pill May Immobilise Sperm, Work Within 30 Minutes & Give Protection For 8 Hours

Medical Conditions And Treatments That Can Affect Male Fertility

Men diagnosed with health conditions, receiving medical treatment, or taking drugs that could affect sperm production could also be eligible. Autoimmune diseases, certain systemic diseases, and certain medicines have been reported to interfere with normal sperm production. If testosterone treatment is on a man's agenda, then he should also talk about sperm preservation as a possible option since externally applied testosterone therapy can suppress the body's naturally occurring testosterone levels and, because of this, impair the production of sperm.

Sperm freezing may also be particularly relevant for men with persistently low sperm count or poor sperm motility, especially when these findings are accompanied by elevated follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels. High FSH can indicate impaired testicular function and reduced sperm-producing capacity.

In some men, sperm production may decline further over time, and in severe cases, sperm may become very few or even difficult to retrieve from the ejaculate. Banking sperm when viable sperm are available can therefore provide an additional option for future fertility treatment. The decision should be individualised based on semen parameters, FSH levels, the underlying cause and the advice of a reproductive urologist or fertility specialist.

Also read: The Fertility Side of Metabolic Health: Why Your Waistline May Not Tell the Whole Story

Elective Sperm Freezing For Men Delaying Parenthood

Men who expect to delay parenthood are also showing interest in so-called "elective" or "social" sperm freezing, which is done when it's not related to any medical condition or infertility. It would be the right choice mostly for those men who would not be able or are not sure to get married or to have kids soon, who are exposed to occupational factors endangering fertility, or who want to have a medical treatment that might negatively affect their fertility.

A major 2025 registry analyzing 7,044 men undergoing sperm bank over 30 years indicated an average age at cryopreservation of around 33.1 years, whereas those between 3540 were among the ones most often coming back to take their samples from the freezer.

Importantly, freezing sperm is not the same as guaranteeing a future baby. A 2023 study of 7,969 donor-oocyte cycles found broadly comparable outcomes using fresh and cryopreserved sperm, although fertilisation was marginally lower with frozen sperm after adjustment, 73.66% versus 74.65%.

So, before 35, sperm freezing is best viewed as an option for selected men, not a compulsory fertility insurance policy. Anyone considering it should first undergo a semen analysis and counselling with a reproductive urologist or fertility specialist, particularly if there is a medical, genetic or reproductive risk.

With infertility affecting an estimated one in six couples, experts at the Times Network India Health Summit 2026 spoke about the importance of seeking timely reproductive health advice and acquiring awareness about treatment options.

They discussed how advancements in fertility treatment have improved the chances of conception, but in vitro fertilisation (IVF) cannot guarantee a pregnancy.

During a panel discussion titled “The Fertility Revolution: Reimagining Parenthood in Modern India,” experts also examined how technology is shaping fertility care, while focusing on the limits of treatment, the cost of repeated IVF cycles and the dire need to address stigma around infertility.

IVF Is A Ray Of Hope For Many Couples But Not A Guarantee

Dr. Hrishikesh Pai, Founder and Managing Director of Bloom IVF India, spoke about the improvement in IVF outcomes over the past three decades. “When I started my own area in 1990, the success rate was 5%. Now it has gone to 30%,” he said.

Pai also spoke about the expansion of India's fertility treatment sector, saying the country had moved from an emerging field to one with centres capable of matching international units in performance.

Technology is also fueling more possibilities in reproductive treatment. Pai discussed the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to assist with embryo selection, egg assessment and sperm identification, alongside emerging techniques like robotic-assisted microinjection.

However, Dr. Abha Majumdar, Emeritus Consultant in IVF and Human Reproduction at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, cautioned against allowing these advances and spoke about the importance of maintaining unrealistic expectations.

“IVF is not a miracle,” she said, emphasising that patients should receive accurate information about likely outcomes and the limitations of treatment.

Majumdar also raised concerns about AI-generated advertisements promising successful IVF cycles. She stressed that technological progress does not remove the responsibility to communicate treatment outcomes honestly and compassionately.

Age And Fertility Preservation

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For couples considering parenthood later in life, understanding age-related fertility decline is important. Dr. Ranjana Sharma, Senior Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, explained that women are born with a finite supply of eggs, which declines over time.

She highlighted the need for greater awareness of reproductive timing and the options available to people who plan to delay pregnancy.

Majumdar also discussed reproductive autonomy, noting that women increasingly have the freedom to decide when, or whether, to have children. However, she cautioned against viewing egg freezing as a guarantee of future pregnancy, describing it instead as a form of insurance.

Fertility preservation may also be relevant for people facing medical treatments that could affect their reproductive potential. Pai highlighted egg freezing before chemotherapy or radiation therapy as an option for some women who wish to preserve the possibility of having children later.

Sperm freezing can similarly help some men preserve fertility before cancer treatment or in circumstances where future fertility may be a concern.

Financial Burden Of IVF

Also read: Excessive Screen Time & Mental Health: Expert Urges Parents To Limit Children's Screen Time At Times Health Summit 2026

Even when treatment is available, its cost can be anobstacle. Some patients require more than one IVF cycle, making the overall expense staggering.

Majumdar warned that repeated treatment can become expensive for some families. Although access to fertility services and insurance coverage have improved, affordability remains an important concern.

She also emphasised that patients need realistic information before beginning treatment, including an understanding that one cycle may not result in pregnancy.

Dr. Vimal Grover, who spoke about rising infertility and changing reproductive patterns, identified delayed marriage and childbearing, along with work-related stress, among the factors she had observed. She also pointed to AI's potential role in transforming fertility care.

“One in six couples is infertile,” Grover said. The figure highlights the scale of the infertility crisis in the country.

Male Infertility Remains Overlooked

The panel also addressed the tendency to blame women when couples experience difficulty conceiving. Sharma said women are often held responsible for infertility, even though reproductive difficulties can involve either partner. She also said that fertility specialists increasingly make a point of consulting both partners to encourage shared responsibility for getting tested and treated.

Pai similarly emphasised the importance of evaluating male fertility. Alongside sperm freezing before chemotherapy or radiation therapy, he highlighted its relevance for men with low sperm counts and some patients who may need fertility treatment in the future.

The experts urged couples experiencing difficulties conceiving to seek medical advice rather than feel ashamed or assume that infertility is solely a woman's concern.

The panel was part of the Times Network India Health Summit 2026, held in New Delhi under the theme “The Blueprint for a Future-Ready Healthcare Ecosystem – Innovation. Access. Self-Reliance.” The summit brought together healthcare leaders, clinicians, researchers, policymakers and industry stakeholders to discuss the future of India's healthcare system.

At the Times Network India Health Summit 2026, Dr. Deepak Kumar, Professor and Head of the Department of Psychiatry at the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS) said that suicidal thoughts should be treated as a medical emergency requiring immediate professional help, just as in cardiac emergencies.

He said, “A death wish is usually a cry for help. Just as we provide immediate medical care during cardiac emergencies, suicide risk also requires urgent medical attention.”

Speaking during a session titled “The Next Frontier in Indian Psychiatry: Specialization, Geriatric Mental Health, and De-addiction Strategies”, Dr. Kumar discussed the importance of recognising early warning signs and monitoring screen time in children to prevent serious mental health disorders.

Dr. Kumar stressed that suicidal thoughts or a wish to die should never be treated casually as they could be silent cries for help.

"It is a very good thing to give space to mind and mental health in a health conclave. If we look at the numbers in our country, the total proportion is alarming. For example, the national mental health survey shows a lifetime prevalence of 13.7%. One in every 5 people has some psychological issue. Suicide statistics show 12 per lakh. Top 3 causes of death in young adults - one of them is suicide."

Excessive Screen Time Can Affect Children's Mental Health

While discussing smartphones and social media, Dr. Kumar said excessive screen use can interfere with daily functioning as one could be hooked on instant dopamine hit.

He spoke about gaming addiction disorders and said that such problematic smartphone use and excessive screen exposure are forms of behavioural addiction.

He said, “I will not advocate a blanket ban on smartphones like in Australia as they can also support education and learning.”

He advocated for judicious use among children and more awareness among parents to prevent excessive screen exposure.

Also read: Children’s Mental Health In The Digital Age: Can Governments Protect Them Without Restricting Internet Access? | Interview

Why Parents Should Set Screen-Time Limits

Dr. Kumar expressed concern about parents giving smartphones to very young children. He also recommended avoiding screen time for children under two and limiting use among older children.

He also said that Parents should pay attention to changes in children's sleep, mood, social interactions and everyday activities. He said looking out for signs like social withdrawal, distress or other behavioural changes should be priority.

Behavioural Changes Can Be Mental Health Concerns

According to Dr. Kumar, psychiatric conditions are often identified through symptoms and changes in a person's thoughts, emotions and behaviour, rather than through blood tests or imaging alone.

Diagnosis depends on the nature, duration and severity of symptoms, as well as their effect on everyday functioning, relationships and family or social life.

A sudden change in behaviour can be a warning sign. Someone who is usually cheerful, for instance, may become withdrawn, gloomy or reluctant to leave their room. Constant mood changes, behavioural outbursts and changes associated with substance use may also warrant attention.

Physical conditions can affect mental well-being, too. Dr. Kumar cited thyroid disorders and diabetes as examples of conditions that may be associated with depression or anxiety.