Survey 2003...

Shaken Baby Syndrome: two out three Québécois cannot stand listening to a baby cry for more than 30 minutes

For two out of three Québécois (61%), the tolerance threshold for listening to a baby cry without letting-up is approximately 30 minutes. Beyond this time limit, two thirds (62%) believe they need help. These are the shocking results of this year’s CROP/FMV survey which aims to make parents aware of the increased risks of shaking a baby. While Québécois readily admit that shaking a baby is a very serious matter, 27% of them do not know that shaking a baby can cause brain lesions, and 17% go so far as to say that it is alright to shake babies when playing with them.
 
The most common reason why parents lose control is because the baby cries incessantly. When researchers only questioned parents with children under six years of age, 48% said they could tolerate crying babies for over 30 minutes and 46% believed they did not need help to settle them down. But among those who cannot stand to hear a baby cry for more than 35 minutes and seek help, 51% call upon their partner, 22% contact a CLSC or a hospital, and 17% call upon a friend or relative. Even if 88% of Québécois generally state they could tolerate a baby’s cries in public, 39% of them admit they cannot deal with it when faced with the real situation. Then they believe the mother should leave the area with her baby. This percentage increases to 51% in the Québec City area.

When discussing the main stress factor behind the increase in child abuse in Montréal, 24% of Québécois state that single parent families are its main cause, while 23% believe it is more likely a repetition of the abuse to which the parents themselves were subjected as children, and 17% consider that the violence is attributable to financial hardship. Finally, when asked whether they are confident that a happy future awaits children born today, one third of Québécois said no.