Over the next few weeks, Campbell River family centres, gathering places and agencies will spread the news about the period of purple crying.
Purple crying is a normal yet difficult developmental stage when infants between two weeks and four months can cry inconsolably for up to five hours a day. Following up on the successful knitted caps campaign, which distributed hats to new parents in birthing hospitals across B.C., the PURPLE Tears initiative aims to increase awareness of this difficult stage among parents of newborns, caregivers and the general public.
“Crying is a known trigger for shaking and child abuse,” said Claire Yambao, provincial program co-ordinator of Prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome BC. “People need to know it’s normal, and that if they get frustrated, it’s okay to put the baby in a safe place and walk away.”
In June, posters, large decals and wall and floor displays will appear in local child and family centres in order to inform and educate the public on the period of PURPLE Crying. The highly visible tear displays ask questions such as: “Can all this crying be normal?” and “Did you know your baby would cry like this?” or “Will this crying ever end?”
The Period of PURPLE Crying program explains normal infant crying, and how to cope with it. It is the largest evidence-based initiative to create a cultural change in how society understands normal infant crying. It also helps prevent abuse and death, which can result from shaken baby syndrome.
To learn more, visit: www.PURPLEcrying.info or: www.dontshake.ca
Centres involved are: Laichwiltach Family Life Society, Sunrise Resources for Early Childhood Development, Campbell River Family Resources, Forest Circle Child Care, Hemlock Family Place, Community Centre Family Place, Willow Point Children’s Centre, Robron Centre Family Place, The Gathering Place, Hemlock Early Learning and Care Centre and Leishman Early Learning and Care Centre.