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This week, Monday 21 – Friday 25 September 2026, is ICON Week, which is dedicated to raising awareness about infant crying and how to manage it, supporting parents and carers, and preventing serious injuries, illnesses, and even fatalities caused by abusive head trauma, often resulting from shaking a baby.
ICON is an acronym for:
Today, we are focusing on the third letter in the ICON acronym:
 It’s OK to walk away if you have checked the baby is safe and the crying is getting to you. After a few minutes when you are feeling calm, go back and check on the baby.
Not being able to stop a baby crying does not mean you are doing anything wrong, or that you have a ‘bad’ or ‘naughty’ baby.
Think about how you might take your mind off the crying. Make sure that the baby is safe before walking away. Then you must go back to check on the baby after a few minutes, when you feel yourself calming down. It is important as parents to find time for yourselves to help you cope through, what can be, a stressful time.
A copy of the 'crying plan' can be downloaded from ICON website: It’s OK to walk away - ICON Cope.
Information and image provided from ICON website. For more information on it's OK to walk away, please visit their website: ICON Week | It's OK to walk away
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The ICON website provides extensive material to promote that infant crying is normal. This includes information about how to create a Crying Plan to cope with crying and a video about relaxation techniques. These are available in the following link: It’s OK to walk away - ICON Cope
The CSCP website also includes a number of resources, which can be used to promote ICON Week: CSCP ICON Page.
The CSCP have a Safer Sleep Guidance - the guidance is applicable to the multi-agency workforce across Pan-Cumbria who have contact with caregivers of
babies and children and have opportunities to discuss safe sleeping arrangements. The guidance supports caregivers to make informed choices regarding safer sleep practices and raises awareness of the factors associated with SIDS.
Lullaby Trust - safe sleep advice explains the steps you can take to keep your baby safer, reducing the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Follow this advice for every sleep, day and night, until your baby is 12 months old (or 12 months after their due date for premature or low birth weight babies).
Professionals should print copies of resources, where possible, to share with families during contact sessions/family time, and to display in public areas, to raise awareness of the ICON message.
If you know a family who needs support with Infant Crying, please signpost them to their midwife, GP or Health Visitor.
Please look out for tomorrow’s 5 Minute Briefing, where we will be focusing on the final letter in the ICON acronym; Never, ever shake a baby.
 Above paragraph provided by ICON
Babies cry. You can cope. Never, ever shake a baby.
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