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The Period of PURPLE Crying was developed by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome (NCSBS) with the purpose of educating parents about the normalcy of infant crying and the dangers of shaking an infant.

Research shows that frustration with an infant's crying is the number one reason a child is shaken, primarily because people don't understand the that it is completely normal for infants to cry without cause, and that it is a phase most healthy infants go through.

The Period of PURPLE crying is an acronym for:

P--Peak of crying. The worst crying tends of occur around 2 months of age and decline from 3-5 months

U--Unexpected. The crying often come on and stops for no apparent reason.

R--Resists soothing. The baby is often difficult to soothe.

P--Pain-like face. The baby may appear to be in pain even if they are not.

L--Long-lasting. The crying may go on for several hours a day.

E--Evening. The baby often cries more in the late afternoon or evening.

In an effort to raise awareness of the Period of PURPLE Crying to Kansas, the Kansas Children's Service League decided to launch a state-wide program, the Purple Hat Project, taking donations of purple infant hats that would be distributed to 55 birthing hospitals throughout Kansas, including Pratt Regional Medical Center's own family birthing department. The program itself teaches new parents about the Period of PURPLE Crying using a DVD. The beautifully handmade hats stand as a longer lasting reminder to parents that this phase in their baby's life is temporary.

Locally, the Pilot Club of Pratt decided to get involved by raising money for yarn, allowing the Pratt Regional Medical Center's Auxiliary to donate their time to make more purple hats to donate to the cause. Together, they are making it possible for more new parents to be educated about the Period of PURPLE Crying program, giving them a reminder that could very well save a child's life.

For more information on the Period of Purple Crying, please visit www.purplecrying.info. For more information about Shaken Baby Syndrome, please visit www.dontshake.org.