Take a breath, count to 10, make a better choice

- Experts offer tips to help prevent child abuse

Gresham grandfather Jim Kaufer is a man on a mission.

His YouTube video — “Want to stop your baby from crying?” — posted three months ago has more than 11,500 views and puts a powerful personal perspective on shaken baby syndrome, a brain injury resulting from violently shaking or slamming a baby’s head against something.

Five years ago, his daughter’s husband shook their baby, Rockell DiNucci. As a result, she can’t sit or stand on her own, and for all intents and purposes she can’t move. She’s also blind.

Her grandfather knows too much about child abuse, brain damage and how it can derail lives to not do the utmost to prevent it.

He understands that parents and caregivers get frustrated and overwhelmed.

And he has a simple remedy.

Earplugs.

“This right here will take the edge off,” he says, holding up a $1 pair of earplugs.

Experts have many suggestions for calming parents and babies. Here are a few.

How to calm a frazzled parent

• Take a deep breath and count to 10.

• Leave the baby in a safe place, like a crib, and walk away. Leave the room and take a break.

• Call a trusted friend or relative to take over for a while. Then get away, get some rest; in short, take care of your needs, too.

• Contact a local parenting support group, mom’s club or dad’s club.

How to calm a crying baby

• Make sure basic needs are met. Feed, burp, change the diaper. Is the baby wearing comfortable clothes? Is she or he too warm or too cold?

• Take baby for a walk outside in a stroller or for a car ride.

• Hold baby against your chest and gently massage. Also, breathe slowly and calmly. Some babies respond to a parent’s calmness and quiet down.

• Rock, walk or dance with baby.

• Offer a pacifier, rattle or toy.

• Lower any surrounding noise or lights. Or turn on some white noise, like a vacuum, hair dryer or a similar recording. Singing or talking in soothing tones also might help.

• If all else fails, make sure the baby is in a safe place, like a crib, and walk away. Take a break.

Sources: The Shaken Baby Alliance, aboutshakenbaby.com