A 100% Preventable Syndrome

Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) is a form of child abuse affecting between 1,200 and 1,600 children every year.  SBS is a collection of signs and symptoms resulting from violently shaking an infant or child.1  SBS is not an accident, it is a form of child abuse that occurs when a parent or caregiver loses control and shakes a baby.  Most Americans have never heard of SBS, and are unaware of the harmful effects of shaking a baby.

The primary trigger for this action is inconsolable crying of an infant or the challenging attitude of a toddler.

The purpose of the act of shaking is to silence the crying baby/toddler

As little as 2-3 seconds of violent shaking causes the baby’s head to “whip” back and forth and can cause irreversible brain damage or can kill a baby.  The act of shaking is quick and violent: 2-3 seconds of violent shaking can cause severe brain damage.  What occurs is that if a baby is shaken hard enough, the shaking may cause the baby’s brain to rebound, or bounce, against the inside of his or her skull.  The movement of the baby’s brain may cause bruising, bleeding, and swelling of the brain.  The result can be brain damage or death.

Twenty-five percent (1 in 4) of all babies with SBS die.²  The other three will survive, one-third will suffer minimal effects from being shaken, one-third will suffer moderate neurological effects from being shaken, and one-third will suffer severe long-term consequences from being shaken.

The cost of SBS

In the United States, it costs the medical profession an average 1.2-16 BILLION dollars a year to care for SBS victims and their families.  The average cost of an Emergency Room visit can cost up to $30,000.  For survivors of SBS with severe long-term consequences (paralysis, seizure disorders, learning/vision/hearing deficits), the cost can be as much as $3,000,000 the first five years of a child’s life.

Again this is a totally 100 percent preventable syndrome!!  No child deserves to be shaken.

Your baby is going to cry…what is your plan?

Until they learn the power of speaking, babies cry to communicate their needs.  For newborns, parents and caregivers should anticipate an increase in their baby’s crying between the first two weeks of life and continuing through the second month of life.  Knowing this fact, parents/caregivers should establish a “Coping Plan” to handle this increase in crying spells.  This Plan should be written down and shared with everyone who will care for your baby.  The Coping Plan should also be modified/updated as the baby gets older and crying spells decrease (typically around four months of age).  If your baby’s crying spells become predictable i.e., occur every day at the same time like early evening, last for 3-4 hours non-stop, and there is nothing that you can do to console your baby, then you need to discuss these findings with your Pediatrician or Nurse Practitioner.

The State of Maryland’s Injury Prevention website hosts a downloadable list of “Ten Things to do When Your Baby is Crying,” and there is also a copy of the State of Maryland’s brochure “What to do When Your Baby Won’t Stop Crying.”  This brochure is downloadable in English and Spanish.

In any case, when you have done everything on your “Coping Plan” to help your baby and nothing seems to be working, TAKE A BREAK, but NEVER EVER SHAKE YOUR BABY OR TODDLER!

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

There are various signs and symptoms of shaken baby syndrome. If you suspect a child has been shaken, seek medical attention immediately.

The injuries that can result from shaking a baby include:

Death Vegetative State Brain Damage Seizures Cerebral Palsy Paralysis Speech Difficulties

Mental Retardation Developmental Delays Behavioral Problems Learning Problems Blindness Hearing Loss

These signs and symptoms may be present if a child is suffering from SBS

Shaken Baby Syndrome in the United States
Top 10 things to try if your baby will not stop crying
SBS Risk Factors
SBS Facts and Tips
SBS Local Maryland Resources
SBS Internet Resources