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For Kim Raap, it was a relief to learn "your kid can cry for hours on end for no apparent reason and it's OK. You'll survive and he'll turn out to be completely normal."
The 36-year-old Cottonwood Heights mom was hired to help with the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome's "PURPLE" crying campaign last year. The effort aims to educate caregivers about a normal developmental stage when infants, between 2 weeks and 4 months, can cry inconsolably for five hours a day.
Raap became involved after realizing, "Holy smokes, I had one of those babies."
She said of her son, Ethan, "It didn't matter how much you rocked him or bounced him. I wished I had known about the period of PURPLE crying back then. I thought something was wrong with me and my parenting."
Two years ago, the center began educating moms, typically getting the message to new mothers at doctors' offices and hospital maternity wards. But starting in August, the National Center began targeting secondary caregivers, said spokesman Ryan Steinbeigle.
The center's new tactic: sending a rain of purple tears to fall on scores of Utah businesses — including Papa Murphy's and the Fashion Place Mall in Murray and Harmon's in Midvale — in August, as posters, large decals and other displays aimed to fight child abuse.
"We wanted to reach out to grandparents, aunts, uncles and babysitters who wouldn't normally encounter information about PURPLE crying," Steinbeigle said.
Crying is a known trigger for shaking and child abuse, Steinbeigle explained. "People need to know it's normal, and that if they get frustrated, it's OK to put the baby in a safe place like a crib and walk away."
Libraries, restaurants, food pantries, movie theaters and banks across the state displayed large purple tear decals in lobbies and on doors. The tears ask, "Can all this crying be normal?" Passers-by are directed to a Web site to learn more.
"Studies show men are more likely to shake a child. And we've certainly seen instances of abuse among secondary caregivers," said Steinbeigle.
Many businesses have agreed to continue to display the purple tears past the initial commitment for August, said Steinbeigle, who considers the effort a success.
"We've gotten a lot of feedback from consumers saying, 'Hey. I saw your purple tears at the gym or mall,'" he said.
What's more, web traffic at the National Center jumped 70 percent in August.
"We assume that's due to people seeing the messages and seeking more information about the period of purple crying," he said.
In the coming months, the center will launch a TV and radio ad blitz. And they may repeat the purple tears campaign next year.
It's too early to say whether the campaign is hitting its mark. But Steinbeigle said last year there were 29 cases of shaken babies at Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake City, down from 41 in 2008.
Explaining PURPLE
PURPLE is an acronym for the time when an infant will cry inconsolably:
Peak • A baby may cry more each week, peaking at 2 months, and then less at 3 to 5 months.
Unexpected • Crying can come and go, with no explanation.
Resists soothing • No matter what you try.
Painlike face • It may look as if a baby is in pain, even when he or she is not.
Long lasting • A baby might cry five hours or more.
Evening • A baby might cry more in the late afternoon or evening, just when parents are getting home from work and are tired from a long day.