WATERVILLE — Knitters and crocheters across Maine are being recruited to participate in a statewide knitting campaign, Click for Babies. Now and continuing through Oct. 10, knitters and crocheters are invited to knit any number of purple-colored baby caps and send them to Lanelle Freeman at Kennebec Valley Community Action Program, 97 Water St., Waterville.

The campaign is intended to help prevent infant abuse and raise awareness of a normal period in an infant’s development when they cry more than any other time.

The campaign, to encourage participation through the “clicking” of knitting needles, is a North American initiative sponsored by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome and organized across the state through a collaborative effort of Maine Children’s Trust, and Maine Association to Prevent Child Abuse Councils, of which the Family Enrichment Council is a member, according to a news release.

Knitted and crocheted purple caps will be distributed with the Period of Purple Crying program materials to families at MaineGeneral Medical Center, Redington Fairview General, in Skowhegan, and Inland Hospitals. The goal of the November cap distribution is to help create awareness and reinforce the information contained in the Purple program to families.

The Period of Purple Crying is an evidence-based educational program distributed to parents in participating Maine birthing hospitals which provides life-saving information about normal infant crying and the dangers of reacting to the crying in frustration by shaking or abusing an infant, according to the release.

Volunteers interested in knitting or crocheting caps for the campaign, or would like more information, can visit www.clickforbabies.org, call 859-1577 or email lanellef@kvcap.org.