Prevent Your Child From Shaken Baby Syndrome

Shaken Baby Syndrome is a form of traumatic injury to head resulting from injuries caused by someone vigorously shaking an infant. Approximately one shaken baby in four dies from the injuries. Those who survive may suffer blindness caused by bleeding around the brain and eyes, or disabling brain damage, including mental retardation (mild to severe), paralysis, seizure disorder, speech and learning disabilities, neck and back damage, and dislocated bones.

Shaking a baby makes the fragile brain bounce back and forth inside the skull and causes bruising, swelling, and bleeding, which can lead to permanent, severe brain damage or death.

Crying is the only way a baby can express its feelings and needs. If the parents or caregivers cannot find the cause of the inconsolable crying of the infant, they might react sharply and shake the baby. The violent shake of the infant’s head causes brain damage and, as a result, the infant stops crying.

What Are The Symptoms Of Shaken Baby Syndrome
In any SBS case, the duration and force of the shaking, the number of episodes, and whether impact is involved all affect the severity of the infant’s injuries. In the most violent cases, children may arrive at the emergency room unconscious, suffering seizures, or in shock. But, in many cases, infants may never be brought to medical attention if they don’t exhibit such severe symptoms.

In less severe cases, a baby who has been shaken may experience:

Preventing Shaken Baby Syndrome

A key aspect of prevention of the syndrome is increasing awareness of the potential dangers of shaking. Some hospital-based programs have helped new parents identify and prevent shaking injuries and understand how to respond when infants cry.
One method that may help is author Dr. Harvey Karp’s “five S’s”:
Shushing (using “white noise,” or rhythmic sounds that mimic the constant whir of noise in the womb, with things like vacuum cleaners, hair dryers, clothes dryers, a running tub, or a white noise CD)
Side/stomach positioning (placing the baby on the left side to help digestion or on the belly while holding him or her, then putting the sleeping baby in the crib or bassinet on his or her back)
Sucking (letting the baby breastfeed or bottle-feed, or giving the baby a pacifier or finger to suck on)
Swaddling (wrapping the baby up snugly in a blanket to help him or her feel more secure)
Swinging gently (rocking in a chair, using an infant swing, or taking a car ride to help duplicate the constant motion the baby felt in the womb) .