Babies cry—you can cope. ICON Week is here to help.
From 22–26 September 2025, Somerset SCP joins the national ICON campaign to raise awareness about infant crying and support parents and carers in coping safely.
What is ICON?
ICON is a national programme designed to prevent abusive head trauma in babies. It provides simple, memorable messages and practical tools to help caregivers manage stress when babies cry.
What does ICON stand for?
I – Infant crying is normal and it will stop. Babies cry for a variety of reasons (and at times for no reason). When you are tired and/or feeling under pressure, the sound of a baby cry can be difficult to cope with – this is a normal feeling. Getting support is a positive step for yourself and your baby.
C – Comforting methods can help to soothe your baby and the crying will stop. Calming techniques can provide comfort to your baby and ease their crying. It is important to remember that it is a normal reaction for some techniques to not be effective or not work each time you try them.
O – It’s OK to walk away if you have checked the baby is safe and the crying is difficult to cope with. This short space of a few minutes, can enable you to calm and then return to your baby.
N – Never, ever shake a baby this can cause life-long injuries or be fatal. Crying is a normal part of development and support is available to help you cope.
Why It Matters
Caring for a baby can be overwhelming. ICON helps normalise crying and equips families with strategies to stay calm and seek support. The campaign also supports professionals working with families to embed ICON principles in practice.
How can ICON help?
ICON encourages any parent that is struggling to reach out to family, friends, Midwives, GPs or Health Visitors to gain support.
ICON offers a range of Resources, including a Crying plan which parents can use to help them remember comforting techniques and who they can call upon if they are experiencing a difficult time.
Get involved!
Read our articles:
- Somerset Interactive ICON tool – Coping with crying – Somerset Safeguarding Children Partnership
- The P Pod: Helping Parents Cope with Crying – ICON – Somerset Safeguarding Children Partnership
- ICON pathway tool – Somerset Safeguarding Children Partnership
- Pre-Birth & Early Years Resources – Somerset Safeguarding Children Partnership
Join the conversation:
Follow us on social media and share your stories.
ICON Training:
The SSCP provide e-learning to help equip professionals with the knowledge, information and skills required to discuss ICON with prospective parents. Access free ICON e-learning modules via the SSCP website at eLearning : ICON-Babies-cry-you-can-cope (event-booking.org.uk).
ICON Resources
Download posters, briefings, and leaflets to share in your organisation:
ICON pathway tool – Somerset Safeguarding Children Partnership
Find out more about ICON by visiting the Professionals page of the ICON website HERE
ICON Coping with Crying – Healthy Somerset
SSCP Pre-Birth & Under 2’s Resources
