Parents and carers are invited to find out more about Abusive Head Trauma (AHT) in a new campaign to keep babies safe from harm.
Child safeguarding experts will be at Bury Market on Wednesday 25 September to raise awareness of this potentially fatal issue.
Bury Town Hall will also be lit up during a week of action promoted by ICON, a national charity dedicated to stopping Abusive Head Trauma which can happen when a baby is shaken. Crying is a known trigger of AHT.
The campaign is aimed at all parents and anyone who is looking after a baby, with a particular focus on dads, as research shows that men are more likely to shake their baby.
Bury’s Safeguarding Children Partnership includes representatives from health services, the council, the police, voluntary sector and other agencies.
What do we know about Abusive Head Trauma (AHT)?
- AHT is abuse and is preventable
- Crying is a known trigger
- 70% of babies who are shaken, are shaken by men
- AHT is the most common cause of death or long-term disability in babies
- 24 out of 100,000 hospital admissions for babies are due to abusive head trauma
- 200 children are killed or hurt annually in the UK
Councillor Lucy Smith, cabinet member for children and young people, said: “We want to raise awareness that it’s OK when babies cry, and advice is available on how to comfort a crying baby – especially when the crying goes on for a long time, as this can be stressful for parents, carers or anyone looking after a baby.
“We’ve had cases in Bury where babies have sadly been injured or died because of abusive head trauma, which can happen when someone shakes a baby.
“We want to raise awareness of how to keep babies safe. We also want to remind parents that crying is normal. Babies will cry a lot from the ages of 2 weeks to 3-4 months, but this can vary from baby to baby, and babies are not doing this on purpose.”
ICON stands for:
C – comforting methods can help
O – it’s OK to walk away
N – never ever shake a baby
More details at https://iconcope.org/
Press release issued: 20 September 2024.
