When Babies Cry…We C.O.P.E.
As crying is the #1 trigger for Shaken Baby Syndrome and other forms of child physical abuse, we use an evidence-informed curriculum that provides tools to C.O.P.E. with crying. C.O.P.E. is an acronym that stands for:
C – Crying
O – Overwhelmed
P – Pause
E – Exit
Research by Dr. Mark Dias has shown that providing SBS prevention education and teaching current and future caregivers how to COPE with a crying baby, reduces the incidence of SBS by up to 47%.
In this course, participants define Shaken Baby Syndrome, identify its causes and long-term effects, learn the skills necessary to C.O.P.E. with a crying baby and create a Coping Plan/My Promise to use when emotionally overwhelmed by a child’s crying.
Participants are led through the development of their own personalized coping strategies and sign a Letter of Promise to protect the infant/child they are caring for. This Letter of Promise has been found to be a key component in the prevention of child physical abuse through Dr. Dias’ research.
When Babies Cry…We C.O.P.E. program is designed for delivery in school systems, the community, and hospital/medical care systems for new parents.
The goal of the program is to provide teachers, community educators, and medical practitioners who provide services to new parents, newborns, and young children with a quality, evidence-informed resource to educate students about Coping with Crying, that can incorporate into existing curriculum/teaching units.