SBS: Ontario: High Shaken Baby Syndrome for Cornwall Ontario Area

 May 24th, 2011 

The Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) catchment area has disproportionately higher numbers of Abusive Head Injury (formerly known as Shaken Baby Syndrome) in children. That’s why the EOHU has teamed up with local partners, including the three local birthing hospitals, to support a community-wide prevention program.
The Period of PURPLE Crying® is a new program that is given to all parents in hospital after the birth of their baby. The program features a free 10-minute DVD and an 11-page booklet. “I am very aware that babies often cry, and at times to the point where parents become worried and upset. The Period of Purple Crying® was developed to explain that crying during the first 5 months of life is common, even in perfectly healthy babies. Sadly, out of frustration or desperation, a parent or other caregiver may shake the baby causing serious brain damage or even death. Our hope is that this program will help avoid any further preventable tragedies”, explains Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, Medical Officer of Health.
Because this program is new, the Health Unit encourages parents of babies 5 months of age and younger to contact Health Line at  613-933-1375 or at 1 800 267-7120 to find out how they  can obtain a free copy of this program.
If you or someone you know has a newborn baby who cries a lot, it is important to understand that in most cases, it is normal. To find out more about The Period of PURPLE Crying®, visit www.purplecrying.info.
http://cornwallfreenews.com/2011/05/high-shaken-baby-syndrome-for-cornwall-ontario-area-according-to-dr-paul-roumeliotis-of-the-eohu/

SBS: Ontario statistics

REG PEERENBOOM

CORNWALL — Eastern Ontario has a higher rate of "shaken baby syndrome" (SBS) incidents, Dr. Paul Roumeliotis told the Eastern Ontario Health Unit board Thursday.

Roumeliotis told the board the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario and the local Children's Aid Society has data indicating the extensiveness of SBS.
It's not clear why the region has more cases of SBS, Roumeliotis said, but underlying socio-economic and drug/alcohol addiction factors are likely causes.
"As we get into a period of deeper recession, there is higher cases of child abuse, resulting from frustration," he said.
It's a long-known fact that eastern Ontario's poverty level — particularly in Cornwall — and alcohol abuse is greater than most other parts of the province.
Recent national research indicates the median age of SBS is 4.6 months, ranging from seven days to almost five years of age. Of 364 cases, 45% suffered from seizures, 43% from decreased level of consciousness, 34% in respiratory difficulty and 46% from bruising.
Also, 60% of SBT cases involved a previous history and/or clinical evidence of abuse, while 22% of families had previous involvement with a child welfare agency.
To combat SBS, Roumeliotis told the board his staff is preparing to introduce the PURPLE Program.
The PURPLE program is a full-colour 11-page booklet and 10-minute DVD which helps parents of newborns to understand crying in normal infants. PURPLE stands for P, peak of crying; E, unexpected; R, resists soothing; P, pain; L, long-lasting; E, evening.
Excessive crying or colic from babies sometimes can overwhelm parents emotionally who, in turn, shake their baby.
The program, based on 25 years of scientific research, indicates that almost all infants have a 3-4 month period of colic, starting after the second week after birth — the period of PURPLE.

Of course, the severity of PURPLE is greater and lesser depending on the child.

Researchers note that even purely healthy babies can be colic, which mystifies parents, who resort to frequent and subsequently unnecessary trips to a health-care professional.
The program is divided into five categories: sleeping, soothing, crying, protecting your infant and information for fathers.
Roumeliotis explained the program will be offered to expecting parents, much in the same way pre-natal classes are available.
He said the three birthing hospitals within the health unit (Cornwall, Winchester and Hawkesbury) will be involved in the program.
One challenge he hopes to overcome to ensure the program will be available in French, as well as English.
• Roumeliotis told the board he is concerned with the lack of consultation from the Ontario government on changes to public health legislation.
Bill 141 proposes, among other objectives, to allow the Ontario chief medical officer of health to order a local medical officer of health to undertake actions if there is a risk of a pandemic, or emergency that will impact health, also for the chief medical officer to take possession of public buildings if there is health risk from communicable disease or other event.
"They just sprung it on us," Roumeliotis said of the government's notification to the Council of Ontario Medical Officers of Health, which he chairs, before Bill 141 was tabled.
Roumeliotis said his council get have provided considerable input as the legislation was developed.
"I'm still hoping," he said, of another chance the government could hear out the council, even though its nearly approved by Queen's Park.
• The health unit is finalizing plans to relocate its current Winchester office at 457 Main St., E.
The office will be housed in a new addition next to the Winchester District Memorial Hospital. Roumeliotis noted the current office is need of repairs, whereas the hospital connection will not only greatly improve the environment for staff and clients, but also ideally situated next to hospital services.
http://www.standard-freeholder.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3043155

SBS: Puple period explained

BY KRISTIN SYLVESTER •  October 6, 2010

It's no secret that babies cry. They cry when they're hungry, when they're tired, when they need a diaper change, and sometimes for what seems to be no reason at all.

New parents are offered a barrage of tips, tricks and sworn methods to soothe their fussy infant, from car rides to lavender baths.

Sometimes, these techniques seem to work like a charm. Other times, it appears that no amount of soothing can help stop the crying.

Unfortunately, the frustration caused by an infant who continues to cry can cause some parents and other caretakers to lose patience. The results can sometimes be tragic. From 1995 to 2007, more than 50 Iowa infants died from a condition known as shaken baby syndrome, making it the leading cause of death in child homicides.

Shaken baby syndrome is a form of abusive head trauma resulting from shaking an infant or small child. Help is available through the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH).

The Period of PURPLE Crying program promotes awareness about normal infant crying. The program helps people understand the meaning of increased crying in infants and the connection between frustration associated with infant crying and the danger of shaking as a response.

The letters in PURPLE stand for:

Peak of Crying: Your baby may cry more each week. The most at 2 months, then less at 3-5 months

Unexpected: Crying can come and go and you don't know why.

Resists Soothing: Your baby may not stop crying no matter what you try.

Painlike Face: Crying babies may look like they are in pain even when they are not.

Long Lasting: Crying can last as much as five hours a day, or more.

Evening: Your baby may cry more in the late afternoon and evening.
The Period of PURPLE Crying concept was developed by Dr. Ronald Barr, a pediatrician and researcher of normal infant crying for 25 years. He found that while the amount of crying varies from infant to infant, there is a common crying pattern all infants share. This pattern shows crying increasing at around 2 weeks of age, peaking at around two months, and eventually decreasing around 3 to 5 months.

Using materials from the national Period of PURPLE Crying campaign, IDPH is working with Iowa hospitals to distribute an educational DVD and booklet to every new birthing family. In addition, IDPH is promoting the national campaign's website, http://www.purplecrying.info/. There, parents and caretakers will find information on sleeping, crying, soothing techniques and other practical tips. For example, the site teaches parents that if they become too frustrated, it's OK to put the baby down in a safe place and take a few minutes to calm themselves before attempting to calm their infant.
The Period of PURPLE Crying campaign has helped parents and caretakers manage this stressful time more easily, protect the wellbeing of the infant and understand that all that crying won't last forever. While this knowledge is helpful, parents should never hesitate to take their baby to a doctor when they have concerns about the baby's health.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20101006/LIFE02/10060330/1039/LIFE/Helping-parents-calm-crying-infants-safely