Clarian Health has implemented a new program to reach out to expecting and existing fathers — Dads 101. The introduction of this curriculum has been utilized to equip fathers with the necessary skills to raise their infant while addressing concerns and tackling the issue of shaken baby syndrome.
According to Clarian Health, Indianapolis Zip Code 46205 has the highest infant mortality rate in the city. To help curb this epidemic, Dads 101 tackles the importance of fatherhood while teaching proper parenting techniques to soothe a child while crying.
Various sources indicate that every year more than 1,300 children in the U.S. experience severe or fatal brain damage due to shaken baby syndrome.
Lisa Crane, childbirth education coordinator for Clarian Health, says this program developed through the National Center for Shaken Baby Syndrome is designed to help reduce these incidences in the city.
“There is a high infant mortality rate in the Black community, and though we know no one wants to harm their baby, typically fathers may get angry, frustrated or stressed because the baby is crying,” Crane said. “Sometimes they don’t see any other way but to shake the child. So, we are teaching parents how to cope with crying among other things.”
Crying has been found to be the No. 1 reason for shaking a child.
This syndrome typically occurs when someone jars a baby causing the brain to bounce against the skull. That contact leads to bleeding creating a lack of oxygen and resulting in death to that portion of the brain.
Dads 101, a program designed to be taught by fathers for fathers, is currently led by instructor Brian Robinson, who has dedicated his time and efforts for the past two years.
He and others were trained in November 2006 by the National Center for Shaken Baby Syndrome to receive certification to teach the curriculum.
“I decided to participate in this program because I felt fathers needed to understand how important it is to deal with a child without them losing their tempers,” Robinson said. “Thus far all those who have attended have been very receptive, and the information that we provide has been an eye opener for many of them.”
The courses take place at Tabernacle Presbyterian Church, 418 E. 34th St., six times a year for two- hour increments from 6-8 p.m.
Crane says Dads 101 is offered in conjunction with Clarian’s teen prenatal class, which lasts for five weeks, and on the fourth week Dads 101 meets at the Raphael Health Center.
“Though there are numerous curriculums that teach fathers different things, we choose Dads 101 because we are highlighting young fathers primarily from the neighborhood by the Raphael Center,” Crane said. “We want to catch these young fathers that don’t really have a lot of experience fathering or to help them understand how important the role of fatherhood is.”
Crane says Clarian’s collaboration with the Raphael Health Center has been extensive in utilizing its outreach.
“My main focus is to provide all fathers with this information to prevent the incidents happening in our community and abroad,” Robinson said.
The next Dads 101 class is Nov. 5 at Raphael Health Center, 401 E. 34ths St.
Registration is required but the class is free.
For more information about Dads 101, call (317) 962-1478. Or to register online visit www.clarian.org/childbirth.
