Cutting-Edge Practice

Using Barbershops to teach Period of PURPLE Crying/Infant Development


State/Jurisdiction: Oklahoma
Setting: Community
Population: Infant
Topic Area: Safe and Connected Communities Health Promotion & Communication Injury Prevention & Hospitalization
NPMs: NPM 7.1: Injury Hospitalization – Ages 0 to 9

The Using Barbershops to teach Period of PURPLE Crying/Infant Development pilot project adapted Period of PURPLE Crying (POPC) materials from the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome (NCSBS) to appeal to men in Tulsa-area barbershops. The goal of the practice was to increase the number of African American men in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area who recognize infant crying as normal development, have reasonable expectations for crying episodes, and could share this knowledge with others. Several high-profile cases arose in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area, where young African American fathers were found responsible for injuring their infants after a bout of excessive crying. After researching possible interventions and meeting with a local barber who had a passion for the development of responsible fathers, a partnership was established between his barbershop and a nurse educator with The Parent Child Center of Tulsa (PCCT). Barbershops serve a diverse population in the Tulsa area, most with a high population of African American fathers and grandfathers, many of whom had not previously received education on crying patterns for young infants. PCCT staff and the local barber worked to take existing Period of PURPLE Crying (POPC) materials from the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome and develop talking points and education to appeal to men in Tulsa-area barbershops during the month of April 2018. Through this education, PCCT staff hoped that more young men would be able to recognize their triggers when their infants cry excessively, normalize the experience, and have a plan to cope when it arises.


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Implementation Handout



CONTACT INFORMATION
Parent Child Center of Tulsa
Mildred Ramsey
mramsey@parentchildcenter.org
918-599-7999
Practice Website