PURPLE Crying: a normal part of child development Published June 24, 2016 By Kimberly Woodruff Staff Writer TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Babies cry. It's what they do. Sometimes in the first few months up to the first year, babies go through a phase known as the Period of PURPLE Crying. This is a time when a baby cries for no apparent reason for what seems like an eternity. But, it's not. It's called a period because there is an end. "This is a time when most cases of shaken baby syndrome occur," said Brandy Povec, a New Parent Support Program Nurse with the 72nd Medical Group. PURPLE stands for: Peak of crying: The baby may cry more each week with the most coming at 2 months old and crying less at 3 to 5 months old. Unexpected: The crying can come and go and you won't know why Resists soothing: The baby may not stop crying, despite being held and soothed by her parents. Pain like face: A crying baby may look like he is in pain, though he isn't. Long lasting: The baby could cry for five hours or more in a day. Evening: The baby may cry more in the late afternoon or early evening. Purple crying is part of normal child development. The baby will grow out of it and eventually crying will decrease. Ms. Povec said that babies have always cried and it is important to their survival. After all, they are more likely to get fed, changed, held and carried when they cry. Some action steps to take include increasing the holding, carrying and comforting the baby. Walk with them and talk to them, also. Some ways of comforting a baby may work part of the time, but nothing will work all of the time. "At times like these, it is important to remind yourself that your baby is fine and the crying will come to an end," said Ms. Povec. Put the baby in a safe place and walk away and calm down. Never shake the baby. Shaking a baby is dangerous and can cause blindness, seizures, physical and learning disabilities, and even death. According to Ms. Povec, the New Parent Support Program nurses are mandated to discuss the Period of PURPLE Crying with their enrolled families prior to birth and again at 2 months and 4 months of age. The briefing is also presented at the Pregnancy Resource Briefing and all Family Advocacy staff are trained to discuss it with families. The National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome has information on PURPLE crying on its website, dontshake.org. The site has a lot of information for new parents to learn about purple crying and some coping techniques to get them through the tough period. One coping strategy, according to the website, is to walk away and take a responsible break from a crying baby. After rocking, walking and other soothing methods have been attempted and failed, it is better for the baby if the parent can take a break and calm down. It won't hurt the baby to let her cry, even if for a very long time. The website notes that when taking a break, parents should still check on the baby every 10 to 15 minutes. Ms. Povec agrees, saying it's important for parents to take care of themselves. "The calmer you are, the better equipped you will be to take care of your baby," she said. For more information about Shaken Baby Syndrome or PURPLE crying, call the New Parent Support Program at 582-6604 or contact your family physician.