Ask the expert
Is my baby crying too much?
While prenatal classes and parenting books discuss feeding, sleeping and bathing, few address excessive crying in infants. Often dismissed as “just a colicky baby,” parents are left to deal with it on their own, wondering if it will ever end.
The National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome (NCSBS) has developed a new educational program aimed at ending the vague diagnosis of colic. The term can send mixed messages to parents, implying the baby has an illness or abnormal condition, when in reality crying is a very normal developmental phase. “The Period of PURPLE Crying®” program aims to educate parents and caregivers on the crying in infants, as frustration from not being able to soothe a crying infant is the number one cause of Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS).
Denise Easley, RN, has seen first hand the effects of Shaken Baby Syndrome during her 28 years at St. Luke’s, and has become a passionate advocate for the new PURPLE Crying program. “The short-term goal is to educate families that crying is normal and a part of development. The long-term goal is to prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome,” said Easley. “It is a big job because we need to change the way we think about babies crying in our culture. And crying is the number one trigger for Shaken Baby Syndrome.”
The PURPLE Crying program is based on research that shows there is a period of time in a healthy infant’s life when he or she will cry more, with no known cause or reason. It begins at about two weeks of age and continues until the baby is about three to four months old.
There are additional characteristics of this period, and by using the acronym PURPLE, they are relayed in an easy-to-understand visual for parents: P (Peak of Crying), U (Unexpected), R (Resists Soothing), P (Pain-Like Face), L (Long Lasting) and E (Evening). Research has shown that all babies go through this phase; however the amount of crying will vary greatly from one infant to the next.
The program is designed to change the way we understand infant crying, so parents and caregivers can have realistic expectations of both the infant and of themselves when caring for the infant. purple crying “We must change the perception across society that infant crying – even excessive crying – is normal. It will help ease the stress parents are feeling when dealing daily with a crying infant,” said Easley. “And easing the stress can help to control the frustration that triggers an episode of shaking. Shaken Baby 
Syndrome is 100 percent preventable with education.”
To learn more about the Purple Crying program contact Denise Easley, St. Luke’s Center for Women’s and Children’s Health at 319/861-6800.
