title: Shaken Baby Syndrome

For those who do not know what it is, Shaken Baby Syndrome is usually when a parent, guardian, or anyone who has a baby in their care get frustated with the baby and begin to shake them to get them to be quiet. It can also happen if they throw the child up against something hard. They get frustrated because maybe the baby is crying and won’t stop.
It is not just parents that do this. It could be that baby sitter, the big sister or brother, or anyone else who is caring for the child. You should make sure you tell everyone that cares for your child the dangers of shaking him or her.

If you shake a child you can cause so much damage including death. A baby’s neck is to weak to support it while being shaken. The baby’s organs are not fully developed and can not handle the shaking. Also the baby’s brain and blood vessels that connect it to the skull are not developed yet and are still immature.

Dangers of SBS
When you shake a baby you can rupture his or her blood vessels and nerves in the brain. It can also tear the brain tissues. It can cause bruising and bleeding to the brain.
Children who survive may have, partial or total blindness, hearing loss, seizures, developmental delays, impaired intellect, speech and learning difficulties, problems with memory and attention, severe mental retardation, paralysis (some particularly traumatic episodes leave children in a coma), and in half the cases DEATH!

Signs of SBS
•Head turned to one side.
•Unable to lift or turn head.
•Pinpointed, dilated, or unequal size pupils.
•Blood pooling in the eyes.
•Pupils unresponsive to light.
•Bulging or spongy forehead.
•No smiling or vocalization.
•Poor sucking or swallowing.
•Rigidity.
•Semi-consciousness, lethargy, or decreased muscle tone.
•Difficulty breathing.
•Seizures or spasms.
•Swollen head, which may appear later.

SBS FACTS!!
*One shaken baby in four dies
*Of the thousands that survive, serious injuries usually occur
*More than 60% of the babies that are victims of SBS are males
*Almost 80% of the people who do the shaking are males

What can you do to calm the baby?
*Make sure all the basic needs are met
-diaper clean
-fed
-burped
-make sure the baby is not too hot or cold
-make sure the clothes are loosly fitted and not to tight
*take the baby for a walk
*hold the baby close to you and massage the baby’s back
*walk around holding the baby or dance around with the baby
* call a friend or someone that can come take care of the baby so you can take a break or a nap.
*sing or talk to the baby in a gentle voice
Some Useful links!
http://aboutshakenbaby.com/default.htm
http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/medical/brain/shaken.html
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/shakenbaby/shakenbaby.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby-shaking

Guest Author: Amira O