Everyone said the first few months with a newborn baby would be the hardest; filled with sleep deprivation, diaper changes, and midnight feedings. And while the constant scrambling to meet his every need was a challenge, the hardest part of caring for my baby boy was the crying. Before having my son 11 months ago, I could never have imagined the panic, anxiety, and frustration I would feel on a daily basis from his crying.

Fortunately, two years ago, I attended a presentation about the Period of PURLE Crying. The program teaches parents about infant crying and sleep patterns as a way of helping reduce Shaken Baby Syndrome. Shaking is more common than you might think. A recent North Carolina survey shows that almost one in 100 parents of children under 2 years of age reported that they or their partner had shaken a child. At least 50 cases of Shaken Baby Syndrome are diagnosed each year in North Carolina but experts believe that a significantly higher number of additional Shaken Baby Syndrome cases go undiagnosed every year.

The initiative is a five-year test of the program that teaches parents and other caregivers that a baby’s crying will, essentially, get worse before it gets better and that this is normal development. Knowing that it was normal for my son’s crying to peak at 2 months rather than just get progressively better, was a comfort. They also offer tips for how to stay calm, such as putting the baby in a safe place, like the crib, and stepping away within earshot to breathe and de-stress. (Screaming into a pillow helps, too. So I’ve heard.)

Gov. Bev Perdue has proclaimed January the Period of PURPLE Crying: Keeping Babies Safe in North Carolina.The Carolina Hurricances have also joined the cause and will honor the PURPLE project at a Hurricanes hockey game on Jan. 30. They recorded a Period of PURPLE crying PSA as well.
To date, more than 5,000 workers at 86 hospitals and birthing centers in North Carolina have been trained to teach parents about The Period of PURPLE Crying. By the end of the five-year initiative, more than a half-million parents of newborns will have received training about the PURPLE program.

– Written by Vivian Muzyk, mother of an 11-month-old boy, Communications and Marketing Coordinator,  
The North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc.