Health and safeguarding professionals have been working together to support new parents as part of Mental Health Awareness Week.

Being a new parent can be a very stressful time and ICON is an evidenced-based programme designed to help parents and carers understand the normal crying pattern of young infants and help them develop successful coping mechanisms to manage the stresses which can be caused by normal infant crying. 

Research suggests that some parents lose control when a baby’s crying becomes too much.  Some go on to shake a baby with devastating consequences.  Research suggests that the simple ICON message can support parents/carers to cope with infant crying.   

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   

Sefton is the first local partnership in the country to use Fire Engines to help raise awareness of the ICON campaign. The campaign is being supported by the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board, Southport and Ormskirk Hospital and Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, and North West Boroughs Healthcare.

You can find out more information on the national ICON website which can be visited here - https://iconcope.org/