An article describing Colic was posted on this blog in September. But today I learned of a website designed to help parents better understand and survive this difficult period of early-infant crying: The Period of Purple Crying.
“Purple” is an acronym developed by Dr. Ronald G Barr and Marilyn Barr of the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome:
- Peak of Crying — worse each week, most in month 2, then less in months 3-5.
- Unexpected — crying can come and go and you don’t know why.
- Resists Soothing — nothing you do may stop your baby’s crying.
- Pain-Like Face — a crying baby may look like they are in pain, even when they are not.
- Long-Lasting — crying can last as much as 5 hours a day or more.
- Evening — your baby may cry more in the late afternoon and evening.
If your young child or grandchild is currently in the throws of daily intense crying, I urge you to visit www.purplecrying.info. This website, developed by experts in the field, has great insights into infant crying, as well as tips on soothing crying babies. I strongly encourage you to check it out.
And if your are really frustrated by your baby’s crying, I urge you to call:
and then tap "Add to homescreen".
Salem Pediatric Clinic
