Shaken baby syndrome
Shaken baby syndrome can have extremely serious and permanent consequences. This is the deadliest form of physical abuse and causing the most serious legacy.
What is shaken baby syndrome?
Shaken baby syndrome (SBS) occurs when an adult violently shakes a child by holding him by the trunk, shoulders or ends. When a baby is shaken, his head is projected in every way. Indeed, a baby’s head is proportionally much heavier than an adult’s, while the neck muscles are weaker.
Baby’s brain is soft and fragile. So shaking is dangerous because they can swell and bleed. Babies who have been shaken have brain damage such as bleeding inside the skull and eyes. These lesions are sometimes accompanied by bruising and fractures of the skull, ribs and long bone end.
These injuries always result from very violent gestures or shaking movements, sometimes repeatedly. They can’t be attributed to a fall or caused by a simple game.
Recognize the symptoms
A baby who has been shaken doesn’t necessarily carry marks of injury, and the symptoms of internal damage are not necessarily apparent. However, babies who have been shaken may have one or more of the following symptoms:
irritability;
sleepiness;
vomiting;
tremors or seizures;
difficulty breathing or stopping breathing;
loss of consciousness;
lethargy.
If you suspect a baby has been shaken, ask for emergency medical assistance (9-1-1) without delay.
What are the consequences?
In the most serious cases, shaken baby syndrome can lead to the death of the child. It is estimated that 1 out of 5 baby shaken will die and, among the surviving babies, 2 out of 3 will have permanent sequelae. Some shaking babies may remain disabled or paralysed.
Shaken baby syndrome can also have a significant impact on the child’s future development. Children who have been shaken are at risk of learning difficulties, cognitive problems, diction or behavior problems, eating or sleeping problems, loss of sight (blindness), deafness and epilepsy …
The victims of shaken baby syndrome are mostly children under 12 months old, with the average age between 2 and 5 months old. However, toddlers can fall victim to it until they are 4 years old.
What can cause violent actions?
Persistent crying is usually what leads a person to shake the child they care for. Persistent crying can lead to a range of emotions ranging from irritation to impatience, to frustration. The person then feels anger, but does not recognize the symptoms. In some cases, the parent or guardian is therefore unable to control his emotions and actions. This is what can lead him to make a violent gesture like shaking his child.
All families can experience such a situation. In addition, some factors may increase the risk of shaking a baby. Among them:
lack of sleep,
living family conflicts,
having financial difficulties,
be a single parent and lack support,
have mental health problems,
be impulsive,
consume medication, alcohol or drugs.
Shaken baby syndrome is considered a serious and well-defined form of child abuse. When a child is suspected of being the victim of such an act, the Director of Youth Protection (DPJ) and the police authorities should be notified. This is a criminal act.
This should not stop quickly surrendering to the emergency if the child has been shaken. This is very important to limit possible brain damage.
How to prevent?
It can happen to everyone to feel overwhelmed by a baby’s crying, but a person who knows that persistent crying is a normal phase of baby development will be less likely to shake it off.
For this reason, in Quebec, a prevention program aimed at all new parents is in place to provide them with information on infant crying and shaken baby syndrome. This way, it is possible to prevent shaken baby syndrome by helping parents better understand baby crying, but above all to recognize the emotions that can invade them when their baby is crying.
It’s important to know that crying is the only way a baby has to communicate. All babies cry more from birth to 3 months old. After 3 or 4 months, crying gradually decreases. We must also understand that crying is not always a sign of a disease. To learn more about how to react or if you’re worried, check out our sheets on baby crying and colic.
If you can’t calm your baby’s crying:
Drop him carefully in his crib, leave his room and go back to see him every 15 minutes to make sure everything is ok.
Wait till you calm down before you take him back.
Call someone to talk about your emotions.
Use different strategies to regain your calm: taking deep breaths, drinking a glass of water, listening to music, counting to 10, going outside for a few minutes, squeezing a soft object, crying, etc.
Ask for help from your spouse or someone you trust.
If your baby really cries a lot, make arrangements to keep him regularly and rest. But never leave it with someone you don’t trust or have violent reactions.