SBS: Wyoming: Matthew Hankins charged felony murder

 CAROL SEAVEY

PURPLE crying is a term used instead of colic to describe the period in babies' lives when they cry more often than other times.

Matthew Hankins was recently charged with felony murder in connection with a baby's death in April.

Detective Bryan McLimore, with the Mills Police Department, said in a Casper Star-Tribune article that Hankins grew frustrated with the baby's cries and placed his hands on each side of the baby's head and squeezed and shook the child for about five minutes.

Coincidentally, Cheyenne Regional Medical Center recently started a new program aimed to prevent shaken baby syndrome, which affects an estimated 1,200 to 1,400 children in the U.S. each year.

Through the program, parents of newborns at CRMC will receive educational DVDs and booklets on why babies cry and how to soothe crying babies.

The program is called the "The Period of PURPLE Crying" and is  by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome.

PURPLE crying is a term used in place of colic. It refers to a time in a baby's life when he or she cries more often than any other time.

The program helps parents and caregivers understand the frustrating features of crying in normal infants and learn the characteristics of crying
But will parents actually read the booklet and watch the video? The National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome's research says, "Yes." Their research shows that many parents watch the video voluntarily and that it can significantly alter knowledge and change behavior that is considered key to preventing shaking.
The PURPLE program has been implemented in 800 hospitals and organizations in 49 states, eight Canadian provinces and one Territory.
CRMC appears to be the first hospital in Wyoming to offer the program.
http://trib.com/search/?l=50&sd=desc&s=start_time&f=html&byline=By CAROL SEAVEYLive Well editor