Caregivers Find Benefit from Calm Baby Gently Book

Published March 2019 | Child Abuse & Neglect

Sending an easy-to-read book of infant-calming tips home with parents was better received by families than in-hospital videos and appears more effective at reaching fathers, according to an evaluation of the Calm Baby Gently program conducted by Kathi Makoroff, MD, for the Mayerson Center for Safe and Healthy Children.

Abusive head trauma from violent shaking is the leading cause of traumatic mortality in infants. Children who survive this form of child abuse often face long-term neurologic consequences.

While many prevention programs exist, this one differs in its timing and delivery. In this project, the 14-page Calm Baby Gently book, written by John Hutton, MD, was given to more than 1,000 caregivers who visited one of three participating practices for their infant’s 1-month well-child visit.

The book conveys safe parenting practices through gentle rhymes, simple language, and culturally sensitive illustrations. The timing of the gift was intended to coincide with a traditional peak in crying-related abuse. Family responses were assessed at a two-month well-child visit.

Nearly all (92%) who received the book reported reading it. That exceeds prior studies that found 23% to 52% of parents remembering videos delivered by nurses in birth hospitals. Caregivers who read the book said they used the coping tips and reported more confidence in their ability to remain calm when caring for a crying infant.

“Overall caregivers considered the book approachable, understandable, validating, and helpful for improving knowledge and skills related to infant crying,” Makoroff and colleagues wrote.

This study did not measure impact of the rate of violent shaking in the community because the intervention was not widely distributed. However, the co-authors say an important strength of the book was that it was shared within households—including among fathers, the most frequent perpetrators of traumatic abuse.