Shaking Baby Syndrome

Shaking a baby causes a sudden whiplash motion that “can cause bleeding inside the head and increased pressure on the brain, causing it to pull apart,” says the Toronto Star newspaper. The effect can be very serious, since a baby’s muscles are not fully developed and brain tissue is exceptionally fragile, shaking a baby for only a few seconds can injure for life. Injuries can include brain swelling and damage, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, blindness, developmental delays, hearing loss, paralysis and even death. Shaken baby syndrome is also known as abusive head trauma. It doesn’t take more than four or five seconds to injure a tiny brain, and it is estimated that 1,000-3,000 children in the United States suffer from shaking baby syndrome each year. The symptoms and signs of shaken baby syndrome may include the following:

1.      Extreme irritability and high pitching crying      

2.      Difficulty staying awake

3.      Poor eating

4.      Vomiting

5.      Breathing problems

6.      Loss of social engagement

7.      Pale or blush skin

8.      Paralysis

Dr. James King, a pediatrician at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, has researched the effects of shaking babies. He says that the public needs to be educated, as in many cases the injuries are not readily apparent and the baby may be diagnosed as having a flu or a viral illness. “The message that you should never shake a baby has to go out and be loud and clear,” says Dr. King. It is important to educate parents and caregivers about the dangers of “Shaken baby syndrome”. New parents have to know this.

By: Justin Bost