Shaken Baby Syndrome –What You Need to Know

SBS can happen when an adult or older child violently shakes an infant or young child

The baby’s brain moves back and forth inside the skull, tearing blood vessels and causing blood to pool inside the skull

Shaking can cause brain injury, cerebral palsy, blindness, hearing loss, learning and behavior problems, seizures, paralysis, and death

What is Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS)?

One out of every four children who is shaken dies from their injuries

80% of survivors suffer permanent damage

An estimated 1,000-3,000 children in the United States suffer from SBS each year

How serious is SBS?

In the United States, costs of hospitalizations and continuing care for SBS victims can total between $1.2 and $16 billion each year

Lost wages and productivity of victims who can’t work, and the costs of prosecuting the abuser and putting him or her in jail

What are the economic results of SBS?

An average of 33 children under the age of 4 years old are hospitalized each year because of SBS

The average charge for each hospitalization is $65,000

In New York State…

In most cases the person who shakes a baby is male, usually either the mother’s boyfriend or the baby’s father

In a smaller number of cases, a paid caregiver or babysitter is responsible for shaking a baby

In some cases, the baby’s mother is the perpetrator

Who are the perpetrators of SBS?

Most adults who admit to shaking a baby say they became frustrated and upset when the baby would not stop crying

Personal issues such as money or problems at work or in relationships can also make a caregiver frustrated enough to shake a child

Most perpetrators of SBS didn’t mean to hurt the child, and did not realize that their actions could have this effect

Why would someone shake a baby?

Make sure all of your baby’s basic needs are met. Is she…

Hungry?

Too hot or too cold?

Sick or feverish?

Needing a diaper change?

What if your baby will not stop crying?

Gently rock your baby Touch your baby – skin to skin contact will help

to soothe and relax both of you Run a vacuum cleaner, hairdryer, or make some

other white noise While sitting, lay your baby face down across

your knees and gently pat or rub their back Play soft music, sing, or hum to your baby Take your baby for a ride in the stroller

If your baby is still crying…

If you have tried to soothe your baby but she is still crying, it is okay to put the baby down in a safe place and take a short break

Spend 5-10 minutes reading, listening to music, exercising, or talking to a friend

Check on the baby after a few minutes – once you feel relaxed you can try again to stop your baby’s crying

If you become frustrated with your baby’s behavior…

Baby can’t lift head Pupils different sizes Baby is very stiff

or like a rag doll Vomiting

Immediate symptoms of SBS include:

Baby seems very tired or cannot stay awake

Baby is very irritable or fussy

Poor appetite No smiling or talking Difficulty swallowing,

sucking, or breathing

Call 911 right away! Emergency medical care could prevent permanent brain damage, or even save the baby’s life.

If you think a baby may have been shaken…

Make sure to share the information from this presentation with anyone who spends time with your child, even if it is only for a short while

Everyone who is responsible for a young child should know to never, ever shake a baby

Shaken Baby Syndrome is preventable!

New York State Department of Health – Bureau of Injury Prevention www.nyhealth.gov/nysdoh/consumer/sbs 1-518-473-1143 New York State Office of Children & Family Services www.ocfs.state.ny.us/main/prevention 1-518-473-7793 Hotline to Report Child Abuse and Neglect: 1-800-342-3720 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/childmaltreatment/index.html 1-800-232-4636 (1-800-CDC-INFO) Shaken Baby Alliance www.shakenbaby.org 1-877-636-3727 (1-877-6-END-SBS)

For more information on SBS…