New Hampshire recognized by national organization for shaken baby syndrome/abusive head trauma prevention efforts

CONCORD, NH - March 31, 2014 - The National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome (NCSBS) recognized New Hampshire on Monday at the Third Annual Strengthening Families Summit as a "PURPLE Statewide Program" for its efforts to prevent shaken baby syndrome/abusive head trauma (SBS/AHT). Several organizations and teams of professionals played key roles in the successful implementation of the evidence-based prevention program called the Period of PURPLE Crying®, which offers new information on normal infant crying.

Thanks to their efforts in reaching out to hospitals and community-based agencies to train staff about key program messages, soon every family of a new baby in New Hampshire will learn about the increased crying periods all babies experience as part of standard parent education.

Maria Doyle of the New Hampshire Children's Trust has been working with organizations across the state to make the implementation of the PURPLE program possible by providing funding, training, and resources for hospitals and other community organizations.

"It has been inspiring to see the enthusiasm that hospitals and other health care providers, family strengthening and support programs, home visitors and others who support children and families have demonstrated for bringing this important information to parents of infants." Doyle said.

Debra Samaha, Program Director of the Injury Prevention Center at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, New Hampshire's only level one trauma center, explained that the PURPLE program was introduced in the state in 2010 as part of their injury prevention programming.

"This effort in New Hampshire was started after reviewing trauma registry data Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center" Samaha said. "We identified the need after looking at disturbing data involving young children, especially infants that were being admitted for catastrophic injuries, and chose PURPLE. At the time there was no consistent evidence based prevention initiative to address SBS/AHT in New Hampshire...the rest is history."

Julie Price is the International Program Director for the PURPLE programat the NCSBS and has been collaborating with organizations in New Hampshire to implement the program across the state since 2010.

"It is such a privilege and pleasure to work with these organizations and professionals in New Hampshire," Price said. "The NCSBS recognizes how much collaboration it takes to implement this program in hospitals, to reinforce key messages in the community, and also to create a cultural change with public education campaigns. It takes a lot to sustain a statewide prevention program, and we greatly appreciate everything they do."

Among the organizations recognized at the summit were the New Hampshire Abusive Head Trauma Coalition, New Hampshire Children's Trust, Brain Injury Association of New Hampshire, Injury Prevention Center Center, Children's Hospital Dartmouth-Hitchcock and New Hampshire's Hospital for Children at Elliot, along with sixteen birthing hospitals across the state.

"I look forward to continuing to work toward the day when all the birthing hospitals in New Hampshire are participating in the program.  This will be a huge leap toward our vision of a generation of children in New Hampshire growing up free from harm." Doyle said.

For more information about the Period of PURPLE Crying program, please visit PURPLEcrying.info or NHChildrensTrust.org

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SBS/AHT is a form of child abuse caused by the violent shaking of a baby or small child, usually by an adult frustrated by the baby's crying. The Period of PURPLE Crying aims to educate parents about the normality of early increased crying during the first months of a baby's life, and the associated frustration. The program also seeks to teach parents techniques to soothe a baby, and healthy ways to cope with the crying when cry bouts cannot be soothed.

Executive Director of NH Children's Trust Keryn Bernard-Kriegl, left, accepts an award with Maria Doyle, NH Children's Trust's Training Director, right, from Julie Price of the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome, center.