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Shaken Baby Syndrome - Signs and Symptoms

 Shaken Baby Syndrome is a very serious issue related to child abuse. The most frequent victims of Shaken Baby Syndromes are infants - 3 to 6 months of age, but it can affect children of any age.

Shaken Baby Syndrome occurs when a parent or caregiver shakes a baby vigorously. When the baby is shaken, their brain bounces around in their skull, which causes bruising, bleeding, and swelling of the brain. 1 out of 4 babies who have experienced Shaken Baby Syndrome have died while the ones who survived suffer from a variety of problems. Problems that arise from a baby being shaken are brain damage that can lead to mental retardation, spinal injuries, cerebral palsy, hearing loss, full or partial blindness, speech disabilities, learning disabilities, and seizures.

One of the reasons that lead to Shaken Baby Syndrome is frustration. Many parents or caregivers can get very frustrated while caring for a baby, especially a crying baby. There are tools that would help parents and caregivers figure out why the baby is crying and how to stop it in a healthy way. Some reasons that a baby might cry are that they may need to be burped, they may need to be changed, it may be sick, it may be hungry, it might be overtired or have too much stimulation, or it could just want you to hold it. By figuring out what the baby needs would lead to less frustration and less crying.

When you do feel frustrated and angered by the crying, there are other ways you can deal with it in a positive way. First, gently place the baby down in a safe place. Next, you can remove yourself from the room and try to take your mind off the crying by doing another activity. Another healthy way of dealing with stress and frustration is too call a friend or relative and just vent or see if they can come over and watch the baby for a while so you can relax. You can sit down and relax, enjoy some soft music or read a book. Think about why you were angry with your child and then think about what you love about your child.

Another way to make sure your child isn't a victim of Shaken Baby Syndrome is to look at who is watching your child. More often than not, the perpetrator of this crime is usually a paramour (boyfriend, girlfriend, step parent) who doesn't have experience with babies. Make sure that the person watching your child is someone you can trust so that this kind of abuse can be prevented.
By: Ms. Medina
Published: 06/01/08


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