When Your Baby Cries offers parents effective ways to soothe their crying babies in an effort to prevent child abuse. Parents of every baby born in Pennsylvania’s Allegheny County hospitals over the next year will be eligible to receive this free DVD.  

The DVD is part of “The Infant Crying Project" and was developed in partnership with “A Child’s Place at Mercy” headed by Dr. Mary Carrasco, a noted public health pediatrician in Western Pennsylvania. Funding was provided through the generosity of the Staunton Farm Foundation.  

Dr. Carrasco wanted parents to know about calming techniques to avoid shaken baby syndrome and approached Family Communications because of our history of effective communication with parents through video. “Incessant infant crying can make even the most experienced, competent parent feel frustrated, helpless, and angry…” said Dr. Carrasco. “Crying is the most frequently cited trigger for abuse that leads to infant death and serious disability.  Understanding that a certain percentage of babies cry, no matter what a parent does, can help parents deal with their feelings.”  

Hosted by Dr. Mike Forbes, Pediatric Intensivist at Akron's Children's Hospital, “When Your Baby Cries” features real-life stories from families, demonstrations of effective techniques and helpful strategies. The key message is that all babies cry and that, as parents get to know their babies, it will get easier. The DVD assures parents that they can make it through this tough time -- the crying won’t last forever. 

“Over the years, we have learned a great deal from Fred Rogers about how to use media to provide information to parents in ways that are sensitive to their needs,” said Margy Whitmer, the DVD producer and former producer of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” “While historically our focus has been on preschoolers, we were excited to have this opportunity to work with Dr. Carrasco, and reach out to parents of infants at a vulnerable time in their family’s life. This project is very much connected to our mission of supporting children and families and those who care for them.”

Visit our Crying Babies website at www.babycries.org.

Below is a video segment from When Your Baby Cries on creating White Noise. To order a copy, visit our shop.