About Purple Crying
"The main message of Purple Crying is not to give a solution to treating or curing colic, it merely addresses the fact that colic is the main reason for Shaken Baby Syndrome"
Purple Crying is a new foundation promoting a video arguing that out of the 25% of babies who cry inconsolably, many of them have colic. They aren't positive why all babies cry but their belief seems to be that many babies and families are affected by constant crying, which can lead to Shaken Baby Syndrome. It is their belief that thousands of babies are being killed every year by their parents, friends or daycare providers because the continued crying and screaming becomes intolerable for some adults. Because babies require constant care, sleep deprivation is common among adults, who sometimes reach a breaking point where they end up shaking or suffocating the baby in order to stop the awful noise. It is also being discovered that many cases, which were previously diagnosed as SIDS, were later proven to be suffocation. Family, friends, significant others, or daycare providers are killing these babies because they can no longer handle the uncontrollable crying. The main message of Purple Crying is not to give a solution to treating colic, it merely addresses the fact that colic is the main reason for Shaken Baby Syndrome. Their main piece of advice is to put the baby in another room, shut the door, and walk away. They urge parents to go do something for fifteen minutes while they give themselves a little time to regain their composure, ensuring that they will not harm their baby.
I don't think anyone believes that parents intentionally harm or kill their babies, but there seems to be a breaking point, at which people can no longer listen to constant crying. I applaud anyone who is trying to help prevent the harm and death of these babies, however, addressing the cause of colic and giving suggestions on how to treat it should be of utmost importance.
I don't think anyone believes that parents intentionally harm or kill their babies, but there seems to be a breaking point, at which people can no longer listen to constant crying. I applaud anyone who is trying to help prevent the harm and death of these babies, however, addressing the cause of colic and giving suggestions on how to treat it should be of utmost importance.
Shaken Baby Syndrome and Colic
"Don't minimize colic, it is a very serious condition. Babies die or are permanently injured every year from the effects of what colic can do to all members of the family."
What is this and how could this happen?
I do not believe that any parent would want to shake their baby with the intent of hurting them. I truly believe that the reason the baby is shaken is simply because he/she was crying for an extended period of time and the parent could not find a way to help. When a baby cries, a huge emotional burden is bestowed upon the parent. At first, they can't stand to see and hear their baby cry. As time goes on and the crying gets louder and louder for longer durations of time, the parent becomes more and more sleep deprived. The parent has no time for him/herself, they begin missing work, they are unable to go out in public and life becomes tiresome and strenuous. As the colic gets worse, the volume and pitch of the baby's cry increases. Sometimes these babies scream so loud you just can't stand the sound.
You keep trying to soothe your baby. You read books and you keep taking the baby to the doctor and discussing the problem with friends. There must be something else wrong with my baby. You do everything you can to help your baby and stop the crying. Usually the mother's hormones are also re-adjusting after just having had the baby. The mother finally can't do it anymore and has the father take the baby. The father has often times not spent much time with the baby and therefore hasn't learned how to hold or position the baby to get any relief and quiet, so after about ten minutes of this crying and screaming, he gives the baby back to the mother. Finally the mother becomes so exhausted, she becomes angry with the father. Things are said and done that are hurtful, and in many cases undoable to where the father becomes angry as well. Now you have a situation where the mother is crying, tired and angry. You can't leave the baby with anyone else because the baby just cries all the time. Finally one of the parents may lose control, yell at the baby and shake the baby hoping that this will stop the crying but it doesn't. In the moment of all this stress, the baby has been shaken and the chances of head injury or even death skyrocket. You can see how easily and often this could happen.
I have had many parents tell me that they would never shake their baby but they can easily understand how this could happen. Once again, I do not believe any parent ever intends to harm their baby, however, when parents are fatigued, fearful, anxious and feel helpless, its hard to say how any situation would play out. Is colic a deadly disease? Yes it is! Babies die or are permanently injured every year from the effects of what colic can do to all members of the family. Colic has the ability to permanently destroy families and many lives because the tiny baby could not stop crying. Don't minimize colic, it is a very serious condition. As a side note, some causes of Shaken Baby Syndrome have been mistaken and diagnosed as SIDS. Colic can be a life and death situation.
I do not believe that any parent would want to shake their baby with the intent of hurting them. I truly believe that the reason the baby is shaken is simply because he/she was crying for an extended period of time and the parent could not find a way to help. When a baby cries, a huge emotional burden is bestowed upon the parent. At first, they can't stand to see and hear their baby cry. As time goes on and the crying gets louder and louder for longer durations of time, the parent becomes more and more sleep deprived. The parent has no time for him/herself, they begin missing work, they are unable to go out in public and life becomes tiresome and strenuous. As the colic gets worse, the volume and pitch of the baby's cry increases. Sometimes these babies scream so loud you just can't stand the sound.
You keep trying to soothe your baby. You read books and you keep taking the baby to the doctor and discussing the problem with friends. There must be something else wrong with my baby. You do everything you can to help your baby and stop the crying. Usually the mother's hormones are also re-adjusting after just having had the baby. The mother finally can't do it anymore and has the father take the baby. The father has often times not spent much time with the baby and therefore hasn't learned how to hold or position the baby to get any relief and quiet, so after about ten minutes of this crying and screaming, he gives the baby back to the mother. Finally the mother becomes so exhausted, she becomes angry with the father. Things are said and done that are hurtful, and in many cases undoable to where the father becomes angry as well. Now you have a situation where the mother is crying, tired and angry. You can't leave the baby with anyone else because the baby just cries all the time. Finally one of the parents may lose control, yell at the baby and shake the baby hoping that this will stop the crying but it doesn't. In the moment of all this stress, the baby has been shaken and the chances of head injury or even death skyrocket. You can see how easily and often this could happen.
I have had many parents tell me that they would never shake their baby but they can easily understand how this could happen. Once again, I do not believe any parent ever intends to harm their baby, however, when parents are fatigued, fearful, anxious and feel helpless, its hard to say how any situation would play out. Is colic a deadly disease? Yes it is! Babies die or are permanently injured every year from the effects of what colic can do to all members of the family. Colic has the ability to permanently destroy families and many lives because the tiny baby could not stop crying. Don't minimize colic, it is a very serious condition. As a side note, some causes of Shaken Baby Syndrome have been mistaken and diagnosed as SIDS. Colic can be a life and death situation.
