ICON Week aims to raise awareness of infant crying and how parents and carers can cope with it to help prevent serious injury, illness and even death which can result from adults not knowing how to soothe or otherwise safely attend to crying babies.
Research indicates that some parents and carers may lose control when faced with persistent infant crying, potentially leading to severe outcomes such as shaking a baby. This can cause abusive head trauma, which may result catastrophic brain injuries and lead to death or long term health and learning disabilities.
ICON consists of a series of key messages:
I – Infant crying is normal and will eventually stop.
C – Comfort methods can sometimes soothe the baby, and the crying will cease.
O – It’s OK to walk away for a few minutes if you have ensured the baby’s safety and the crying is overwhelming.
N – Never shake or hurt a baby.
Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Adults and Wellbeing, said: "Most babies start to cry more frequently from 2 weeks of age, with a peak usually being seen around 6 to 8 weeks.
“The ICON Week campaign 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, most importantly, how to stay calm.
“Anyone who needs support, please don’t continue to struggle. Help is available from your midwife, health visitor or GP, or you can go online and find resources on the ICON website.”
Dr Suzanne Smith, nurse, health visitor, and founder of ICON, added: “Abusive head trauma can occur in any setting when a parent or carer is overwhelmed by persistent crying. The additional pressures from the rising cost of living further strain families, leading to potentially devastating consequences.
“ICON’s mission is to offer support and advice to parents and carers who may be struggling. We aim to normalise the experience of infant crying, share practical information on managing stress, and ultimately reduce the risk of abusive head trauma."
For more information about ICON week, which runs until Sunday (29 September), please visit ICON.
