Important things to know about Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS)
Important things to know about Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) or Battered Baby Syndrome.
It is a form of child abuse wherein the baby is shaken and it will have severe damage to their brain. SBS is often fatal and causes brain damage to the child. It is a leading cause of death classified under child abuse. If the baby will not die, it may cause him varying degrees of blindness, cerebral-palsy and mild cognitive impairment.
SBS may occur sometimes when a parent or a caregiver is so tired of taking care of a baby and then and there are times that they become frustrated and even angry when their baby starts to cry and they cant stop the baby. Sometimes, they just shake the baby so badly because of frustration. It is hard at times when the caregiver is feeling sleepy and the baby wont stop crying.
The rule is NEVER SHAKE A BABY NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS. They are precious and dont ever do things you might regret later on.
The movement of the baby’s head through and fro may cause severe damage to his/her brain and baby’s her neck is also fragile. The baby’s neck muscles cant take the “whiplash” and this may cause severe damage to the neck. This may cause paralysis, disorders and death too.
What are you going to do when you feel frustrated and you cant stop the baby when he/she cries, even after you fed, clean, put the appropriate clothes to them, you need to do the following steps:
- Put down the baby in the crib slowly
- Sit don and count up to ten or twenty
- Take a walk back and forth
- Try to calm down and close your eyes
- Call somebody in the household, or your partner
- Or call a neighbor to look for the baby for five minutes
- Take a walk again an continue to calm down
- Don’t carry the baby if you are still frustrated
- If the baby is sick, call a health provider immediately
Signs/symptoms that a baby has been shaken:
- Irregular breathing
- Stopped breathing
- Vomiting
- Seizures
- Always sleeping
- Experience trembling
- It seems the baby cant hear or becomes deaf
- The baby seems lifeless
Signs/symptoms that a baby has been shaken:
- Irregular breathing
- Stopped breathing
- Vomiting
- Seizures
- Always sleeping
- Experience trembling
- It seems the baby cant hear or becomes deaf
- The baby seems lifeless
Please call immediately the following number if you suspect the baby is having SBS
The National Coalition on Shaken Baby Syndrome
mail@dontshake.com
www.dontshake.com
1-888-273-0071 (toll free)
National Institute on Child Health and Human Development
NICHDClearninghouse@mail.nih.gov
www.nichd.nih.gov
1-800-370-2943
The Shaken Baby Alliance
info@shakenbaby.com
www.shakenbaby.com
1-877-6ENDSBS (toll free)
THE ARC
info@thearc.org
www.thearc.org
1-301-565-3842
Prevent Child Abuse America
mailbox@preventchildabuse.org
www.preventchildabuse.org
1-312-663-3520
Think First Foundation
thinkfirst@thinkfirst.org
www.thinkfirst.org
1-800-THINK-56
