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shaken baby syndrome
- Oct 14, 2009 at 6:41 PM
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Why Is Shaking a Baby A Danger?
A baby's neck is too weak to support their heavy head. Consequently, when shaken, their head flops back and forth, causing serious brain injury. A baby's brain and the blood vessels connecting the skull to the brain are fragile and immature. Therefore, when a baby is shaken, the brain ricochets about their skull, causing the blood vessels to tear away and blood to pool inside their skull causing irreparable damage to the brain.
Shaken Baby Syndrome Statistics
* One shaken baby in four dies.
* Some studies estimate that 15% of children's deaths are due to battering or shaking, and an additional 15% are possible cases of shaking.
* Of the 37 children that died in Florida in 1995-96, 13 died from a combination of Shaken Baby Syndrome/ Head Trauma.
* Of the thousands that survive death, serious injury usually occurs.
* "SBS" victims range in age from a few days to a few years old; the average is six months.
* More than 60% of the victims of Shaken Baby Syndrome are male.
* Almost 80% of the perpetrators of Shaken Baby Syndrome are male.
These Shaken Baby Syndrome Statistics are truly scary, at best. Please help spread the word about Shaken Baby Syndrome.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms?
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:
lethargy
irritability
vomiting
poor sucking or swallowing
decreased appetite
lack of smiling or vocalizing
rigidity
seizures
difficulty breathing
altered consciousness
unequal pupil size
an inability to lift the head
an inability to focus the eyes or track movement
How Is It Diagnosed?
Many cases of SBS are brought in for medical care as "silent injuries." In other words, parents or caregivers don't often provide a history that the child has had abusive head trauma or a shaking injury, so doctors don't know to look for subtle or physical signs. This "silent epidemic" can result in children having injuries that aren't identified in the medical system.
And again, in many cases, babies who don't have severe symptoms may never be brought to a doctor.
Unfortunately, unless a doctor has reason to suspect SBS, mild cases (in which the infant seems lethargic, fussy, or perhaps isn't feeding well) are often misdiagnosed as a viral illness or colic. Without a diagnosis of shaken baby syndrome and any resulting intervention with the parents or caregivers, these children may be shaken again, worsening any brain injury or damage.
If shaken baby syndrome is suspected, doctors may look for:
hemorrhages in the retinas of the eyes (which are extremely rare in any accidental injuries, such as falls)
skull fractures
swelling of the brain
subdural hematomas (blood collections pressing on the surface of the brain)
rib and long bone (bones in the arms and legs) fractures
bruises around the head, neck, or chest
The Child's Development and Education
What makes SBS so devastating is that it usually involves a total brain injury. Because the infant's immature brain has little stored information and few developed capacities to make up for the deficit, the brain's adaptive abilities are substantially impaired. For example, a child whose vision is severely impaired won't be able to learn through observation, which decreases the child's overall ability to learn.
The development of language, vision, balance, and motor coordination, all of which occur to varying degrees after birth, are particularly likely to be affected in any child who has SBS.
Such impairment can require rigorous physical and occupational therapy to help the child acquire skills that would have developed on their own had the brain injury not occurred. Therapists do this by providing a sensory-rich environment, which forces the child to be attentive.
Therapists often work one on one with a child, concentrating on building the child's ability to pay attention. They use sound and other stimuli to increase the child's interest in objects, such as repeatedly squeaking a toy near the child's ear. As they get older, kids who were shaken as babies may require special education and continued therapy to help with language development and daily living skills, such as dressing themselves.
Before age 3, a child can receive speech or physical therapy through the Department of Public Health. Federal law requires that each state provide these services for children who have developmental disabilities as a result of being shaken as babies.
Some schools are also increasingly providing information and developmental assessments for children under the age of 3. Parents can turn to a variety of rehabilitation and other therapists for early intervention services for children after abusive head trauma. Developmental assessments can assist in improving education outcomes as well as the overall well being of the child.
After a child who's been diagnosed with SBS turns 3, it's your school district's responsibility to provide additional special educational services.
Coping with a Crying Baby / Preventing Shaken Baby Syndrome
* An infant may spend 2 to 3 hours a day crying
* 20%-30% of infants exceed that amount of time.
* SBS usually occurs when a caregiver momentarily succumbs to the frustration of responding to a crying baby by losing control and shaking him (or her). Caregivers may be inadequately prepared for children. They may be under stress and cannot deal with the frustrations of parenting. The caregiver personalizes the infants crying as inadequate care-giving.
Ways To Soothe A Crying Baby
*Take the baby for a walk outside in a stroller or for a ride in the car seat.
*Hold the baby against your chest and gently massage the baby.
*Rock, walk, or dance with the baby.
*Be patient; take a deep breath and count to ten.
*Call a friend or relative that you can trust to take over for a while, then get away, get some rest, take care of yourself.
*Offer a pacifier.
*Lower any surrounding noise and lights.
*Offer the baby a noisy toy; shake or rattle it.
*Hold the baby and breathe slowly and calmly; the baby may feel your calmness and become quiet.
*Sing or talk to the baby using soothing tones.
*Record a sound, like a vacuum cleaner, or hair dryer.
Meet Basic Needs
* Feed the baby
* Burp the Baby
* Change the diaper
* Make sure clothing isn't too tight
* Make sure baby isn't too hot, or too cold.
If All Else Fails...
If you suspect the baby is ill, has a fever, swollen gums, etc. CALL A DOCTOR!.
If possible, call someone to help you with the baby for a while - get away for some alone time. If that's not possible or if you have no one to call, put the baby down in a safe place and take a few minutes to yourself. Calm down and breathe before returning to the baby. Remember, no baby has ever died from crying but too many have died from being shaken!
Together We Can Fight Shaken Baby Syndrome!
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sorry guys it is actually really information - not just gossiping
- jrp0606
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