Castlegar Public Health Nurses have put out a call for volunteer knitters and crocheters as part of a campaign to prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome.
The Click for Babies campaign is a program that supports the “Period of Purple Crying” message and seeks to increase awareness and education on how to respond to prolonged crying, and the importance of never shaking your child.
Volunteer knitters and crocheters across the province “click” their needles together to create purple baby caps that will be delivered to families with newborns. Denise Talarico, PHN at the Castlegar Health Centre explained, “As public health nurses we give those out when we do the new baby visits. It is a way of promoting the whole knowledge piece around prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome; increasing awareness for parents to know that a certain amount of crying can be quite normal and how to deal with it.”
The program provides educational information about normal infant crying using the word “purple” as an acronym. Inconsolable infant crying is the number one cause of infant shaking and abuse.
Volunteers are asked to create caps using any newborn cap pattern in a shade of soft, baby friendly purple yarn. The caps can be delivered to the Public Health Nursing office on the second floor of the Castlegar Health Centre. If you are interested in creating some caps, but have questions, you can call 250-365-4310.
The acronym Purple stands for:
P for Peak of Crying — Crying peaks at around two months, then decreases at around three to five months;
U for Unexpected — Crying can come and go and you don't know why;
R for Resists Soothing — Your baby may not stop crying, no matter what you try;
P for Pain-like Face — A crying baby may look like they are in pain, even when they are not;
L for Long Lasting — Crying can last as long as two to five hours a day, or more;
E for Evening — Your baby may cry more in the late afternoon and evening.