Caregivers must be educated on the increased crying all babies can experience
Abusive head trauma (AHT) to infants is preventable. It's critical to understand what it is, how it's caused, and how to foster a culture of support to ensure that no child suffers from preventable harm. This is a call to action for more awareness and education around normal infant crying following the tragic death of a Lee County infant who was allegedly shaken by their mother.
Abusive head trauma, also called shaken baby syndrome (AHT/SBS), is defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as "a preventable, severe form of physical child abuse resulting from violently shaking an infant by the shoulders, arms, or legs. SBS/AHT may result from both shaking alone or from shaking with impact."
There are an estimated 1,300 clinically reported cases of AHT each year in the United States, according to the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome. Due to symptoms being misdiagnosed and unreported, the actual number of cases is unknown. Victims who survive these shaking incidents often experience learning disabilities, physical disabilities, visual disabilities or blindness, hearing loss, speech disabilities, Cerebral Palsy, chronic seizures, and behavior disorders.
Since crying is the No. 1 trigger for AHT and infant abuse, parents and caregivers must be educated on the increased crying all babies can experience. The phase of increased infant crying that begins at 2 weeks of age, intensifies to a peak at 2 months, and then tapers off by 5 months of age is known as the Period of PURPLE Crying®. This period can be incredibly stressful for parents and caregivers, especially those with limited support and protective factors.
PURPLE is an acronym that describes the phase of heightened, long-lasting crying that comes and goes without reason, with the baby looking pained and crying more in the late afternoon/early evening.
To prepare parents for this period of increased crying and thus prevent injuries and tragedies, the Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida and Prevent Child Abuse Florida, in partnership with the Florida Department of Health, are recruiting hospitals and community partners to participate in the Period of PURPLE Crying program. Developed by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome, the program provides parents with an educational booklet, free app access, and other resources. These supports remind parents of this phase of their baby's development, offer coping strategies, and strengthen parents' knowledge of their child's development.
Community support is crucial to the success of parents and caregivers. The next time you speak with a new parent, offer reassurance that the Period of PURPLE Crying is just that: a period. This normalization of increased infant crying can remove the shame associated with seeking support, allow parents and caregivers to know there is nothing wrong them or the baby, and allow Florida's infants to reach their milestones in safe and nurturing environments.
To learn about the PURPLE program, visit preventchildabusefl.org/purple or email me at sgarner@ounce.org.Shelby Garner is the Period of PURPLE Crying® project coordinator for Prevent Child Abuse Florida at the Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida. Prevent Child Abuse Florida is a program of the Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida and serves as the state chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America.