ICON information
‘ICON – Babies Cry, You can Cope’ (ICON) is an innovative new programme launched to support parents in managing normal infant crying and to prevent abusive head trauma injuries to babies caused by shaking - also referred to as ‘shaken baby syndrome’.
The evidenced-based programme has been designed to help parents and carers understand the normal crying pattern of young infants and to help them develop successful coping mechanisms to deal with this.
The ICON programme delivers four simple messages before the birth and in the first few months of a baby’s life:
I – Infant crying is normal;
C– Comforting methods can help;
O– It’s OK to walk away;
N– Never, ever shake a baby.
Midwives, Health Visitors and other professionals across the region have developed ICON expertise and are using these messages to help give parents and carers the tools they need to help keep their babies safe.