Fussy Baby celebrates 10th anniversary of serving Valley families
One in five babies is fussy. Fussy babies may cry excessively, be difficult to comfort and have trouble feeding or sleeping. While there may be no quick fix to these challenges, there is help. Programs like Southwest Human Development’s Fussy Baby Program are dedicated to helping parents become confident and successful in their parenting.
The Fussy Baby Program is celebrating its 10th anniversary of providing support to Valley parents who have concerns about their baby’s temperament or behavior during their first year of life.
Part of the Fussy Baby Network at Chicago’s prestigious Erikson Institute, Southwest Human Development’s Fussy Baby Program strives to prevent negative outcomes by enhancing the competence and confidence of parents and caregivers who experience the stress of excessive infant crying.
In addition to excessive crying, the Fussy Baby Program helps parents cope with a wide range of common challenges that they may encounter. Clinicians work with parents and caregivers to find more ways to soothe, care for and enjoy their baby. Seasoned parents and new parents alike can rest assured that they will find support while working with the program.
Building healthy routines during the first year of life prevents risk factors for child abuse. Excessive crying, for example, is enormously stressful for parents or caregivers and may set up a cycle of infant-parent distress and dissatisfaction. Young children who enjoy safe, stable and nurturing relationships with their parents or caregivers are more likely to have better health outcomes and greater resiliency throughout their lives.
Fussy Baby Program FAN Model
The Fussy Baby Program is a fundamental component of Southwest Human Development’s Birth to Five Helpline, a free service open to all families with young children looking for the latest child development information from experts in the field, where Helpline specialists are trained and certified in the Fussy Baby FAN approach to ensure smooth and proactive communication. The specialized support that Helpline specialists provide helps reduces stress while supporting parents in their role.
In Maricopa Country, parents with children under 12 months of age are eligible for free home visitation through the program. In-home visitations are offered to parents residing within Maricopa County to help receive support within their home environment.
Parents surveyed by Fussy Baby say they now have increased confidence as a parent, understand their baby better, are more skilled at managing the specific problem they had, feel less worried and are able to enjoy parenting more after their experience with the Fussy Baby Program.
To learn more about the Fussy Baby Program, visit swhd.org/FussyBaby