Sometimes nothing works. It is not your fault as long as you have tried to
calm your baby and made sure your baby is clean, fed and not sick. Gently
put your baby in his/her crib and leave the room. Check on your baby every
15 minutes. If you are concerned about your baby, call your baby’s doctor.
Never shake your baby.
The main reason that babies are shaken is because of crying. If you feel you
are losing control, gently place your baby in a crib and try one of the
following ideas.
• Let your anger out in a safe way. Scrub a floor, do dishes or laundry,
shake a rug, or just sit down and have a good cry.
• Calm down. Sit or lie down, close your eyes, take some deep breaths,
think of something pleasant for several minutes or count to 100 until you
are calm.
• Do something for yourself. Listen to music, exercise, take a shower or
bath.
• Stop and think about why you feel so angry. It is okay to feel frustrated,
as long as you do not take it out on your baby.
• Call a friend, relative or neighbor to talk about your frustration or see if
someone can take over for awhile.
• Contact the 24-hour Parent Connection Line at 614-224-2273, a service
of Children’s Hospital, to talk to someone who can help you through this
time. Remember—crying does not hurt a baby—shaking does.
Talk to your baby’s doctor or nurse if you have any questions or
concerns about your baby’s crying.
9/2005. Developed through a partnership of The Ohio State University Medical Center, Mount Carmel
Health and OhioHealth, Columbus, Ohio. Available for use as a public service without copyright
restrictions at www.healthinfotranslations.com.