The Period of PURPLE Crying was implemented in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Nurseries (UAMS) and in the Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) Nursery in Little Rock Arkansas in early 2013. Since then the program has been made accessible in the Emergency Department, and in the Infant/Toddler Unit of the Arkansas Children’s Hospital. It also has been made available to all the Pediatric Residents and Resident Physicians from other services via the ACH Intranet. The program has been evaluated by surveys completed by the parents of newborns admitted to the nurseries and by the nursing staff.

The Period of PURPLE Crying program is introduced in the pre-partum and post-partum units of the Obstetrics Units at UAMS, and as part of follow-up, the information is reviewed with the parents again as part of the discharge education. The UAMS nursery Education Team is working on creating an information packet about safety (Period of PURPLE Crying will definitely be included).

In the prenatal classes that are taught by 4 educators on the UAMS campus, the Period of PURPLE Crying is being mentioned in each one of the classes. The topics that are being taught include: preparing for birth, infant CPR and safety, breastfeeding, and newborn care. In the newborn care class, parents watch the Period of PURPLE Crying video! Prenatal classes are taught as well at the 12th Street Community Clinic. The Period of PURPLE Crying program is mentioned in those classes as well.

The Injury Prevention Center at Arkansas Children’s Hospital has been promoting the Period of PURPLE Crying as part of their Out-Reach Programs throughout the State of Arkansas.

In 2013, the Arkansas State Legislature assigned the Arkansas Department of Health with the task of creating brochures and other literature about Shaken Baby Syndrome that will be distributed in more than 100 hospital maternity wards, birthing centers and child-care centers across Arkansas. The Arkansas Department of Health makes information on the Shaken Baby Syndrome available on its website.

Our goal is to eventually have the Period of PURPLE Crying program in all the hospital maternity wards, birthing centers, and child care center across the state of Arkansas.

Contacts

• Maria Teresa Esquivel, M.D.:  
• Pamela Tabor:  
• Rebecca P. Sartini, MSN, RNC-NIC, Clinical Services Manager, NICU:  

Implementation Locations