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Photo Gallery Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune is participating in a new state program to help keep babies safe.
The hospital has always given parents information about newborn care upon discharge. This has typically included a video presentation, a talk by a nurse and the opportunity to ask questions. Parents, grandparents and other potential caregivers are invited to take part.
“If grandparents are here, we like for them to hear the information because some things may have changed over the years since they were raising children,” said Lt. Amanda Lashbrook, division officer for the Mother Baby Unit.
Now the hospital is participating in a North Carolina initiative dubbed “The Period of PURPLE Crying” to educate parents and caregivers about prolonged crying spells which may result in shaken baby syndrome.
As part of the program, NHCL nursing staffers now show a new 10-minute video provided by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome, which is available in nine languages. They also give the family a copy of the video to take home with them. An instructional booklet accompanies the video and parents are also given at refresher card at the first well-baby visit.
PURPLE Crying is an acronym which details the characteristics of a type of crying many babies experience from approximately two weeks through five months of life. It stands for: Peaks, Unexpected, Resists soothing, Pain-like face, Long lasting and clusters in the Evening.
“They are finding there is no purpose to this type of crying,” said Lashbrook. “You have fed the baby, diapered the baby, and you have met every need the baby usually cries for. That is what the ‘r’ is for in the acronym, it resists soothing and that’s why parents usually get frustrated.”
The video and the education campaign which accompanies it, teaches parents the characteristics of PURPLE crying and safe ways to deal with it.
“No one thinks they are going to shake their baby, but research shows that babies’ crying is the No. 1 reason caregivers violently shake and injure babies,” said Lashbrook. “This program allows us to educate parents that the crying is normal and to give them some tools to cope with the crying.”
Shaken baby syndrome can cause brain damage and even death, and it can happen to anyone who does not have a plan to prevent it. North Carolina officials hope to reduce shaken baby syndrome in the state by 50 percent through this education campaign.
Lashbrook said prevention is possible. If the crying persists after parents employ the usual soothing techniques, it may be time to step back and take a break.
“If your frustration is escalating, set the baby down in a safe place and excuse yourself,” said Lashbrook. “You don’t want to get to that breaking point where you hurt your baby.”
Editor’s note: For more information about PURPLE crying and shaken baby syndrome, go to dontshake.com. Military medical beneficiaries may call the NHCL advice line at 450-HELP (4357) at any time to speak with a nurse about theirs or their babies’ medical concerns.
