Awareness week in Gloucestershire to promote lifesaving messages to new parents

“Babies cry, you can cope!” is the message from the county council, NHS, police and partner organisations across Gloucestershire who have come together this September to promote lifesaving messages to parents.

Research shows that some parents and caregivers can lose control when a baby’s crying becomes too much. Some go on to shake a baby with devastating consequences.

Abusive Head Trauma (AHT) causes catastrophic brain injuries, which can lead to death, or significant long-term health and learning disabilities.

ICON is a programme adopted by health and social care organisations across the UK to provide information about infant crying, including how to cope, support parents/carers, reduce stress and prevent abusive head trauma in babies.

The third annual ICON week, spanning from 25 September – 29 September 2023, aims to raise awareness of infant crying and how to cope in a bid to support parents/carers and prevent serious injury, illness and even death of young babies as a result of these incidents.

The evidence-based programme consists of a series of brief interventions that reinforce the simple message making up the ICON acronym:

I       Infant crying is normal and it will stop

C      Comfort methods can sometimes soothe the baby and the crying will stop

O     It’s OK to walk away for a few minutes if you have checked the baby is safe and the crying is getting to you

N      Never ever shake or hurt a baby

Most babies start to cry more frequently from two weeks of age, with a peak usually being seen around 6-8 weeks. ICON aims to help normalise infant crying and share coping techniques to help parents to deal with the stress it can cause.

Nurse, health visitor and founder of ICON, Dr Suzanne Smith, said: “Abusive head trauma can occur in any environment when a parent or carer is on the edge due to infant crying.

“The pressure that families are under is only being exacerbated by added pressures of the cost-of-living increase and the impact can be far-reaching and have devastating consequences.

“ICON is about sharing messages of support and advice to parents and carers who might be struggling to cope. We want to normalise the fact that babies do cry, and some aren’t easily soothed, and we want to share information far and wide about what to do in these situations and how to stay calm.

“By sharing these vitally important messages and coping techniques to carers, we are working towards reducing the risk of harm to babies and protecting them from AHT which is utterly preventable.

“Anyone who needs help and is struggling to cope, don’t continue to struggle. Help is available from your midwife, health visitor, GP or go online and there are more resources on our ICON website.”

Cllr Mark Hawthorne, leader of Gloucestershire County Council said: “We are proud to support ICON week again this year and will continue to work together with partners to share these simple, but lifesaving messages with families and prevent serious harm to babies.

“It’s normal for babies to cry, particularly in the first couple of months and this can be an extremely tiring and stressful time, as families adjust to the changes a baby brings.

“ICON gives parents techniques to help them soothe babies and cope with crying. Most importantly, if they ever feel like it’s getting too much, ICON reassures families that there is support available if they need it.”

Detective Inspector Nick Wheeler, from Gloucestershire Constabulary’s Child Abuse Investigation Team, said: “We fully support ICON week as anything which can be done to help safeguard children from preventable harm is paramount.

“The pressure parents face with young infants can be overwhelming, and we need everyone to know that advice and support is available.

“What’s really important to remember is that you’re not alone – babies crying is normal, but it can be stressful. There are useful tips and coping techniques available on the ICON website and these can be used in order to help reduce the risk to children.”

For more information visit https://iconcope.org/news/20230904-icon-week-2023/.

Gloucester News Centre – http://gloucesternewscentre.co.uk