THE EPILEPSY ASSOCIATION is one of the nation’s leading educators of Shaken Baby Impact Syndrome (SBIS)
We maintain AboutShakenBaby.com as a free online educational resource that is a place to learn about the risk and consequences of shaking a baby and ways to avoid a tense situation in which the abuse normally occurs.
WHAT IS SHAKEN BABY IMPACT SYNDROME?
In the last few years, a newly recognized injury to children has been identified and described as Shaken Baby Impact Syndrome. These injuries are serious and life-threatening.
SBIS is the medical term used to describe the results of a child receiving numerous rapid shakes when a caregiver momentarily succumbs to the frustration of responding to a crying baby. The sudden shaking motion causes the baby’s fragile brain to slam against the skull wall often resulting in cerebral hemorrhage (bleeding), contusion (bruising), and edema (swelling) within the brain or tears in the brain tissue itself. (The baby’s head may not actually make impact, but it does frequently occur.)
A baby’s neck simply does not have the strength to support its heavy head. Blood vessels connecting the skull to the brain are very fragile. Shaking causes these delicate blood vessels to tear and blood pools inside the skull.
1 in 4 Babies, DIE
1 in 4 babies are seriously injured, resulting in:
- Paralysis
- Blindness
- Seizures
1 in 4 babies receive minor injuries, resulting in:
- Broken Bones
- Vision Impairment
- Seizures
1 in 4 babies are not reported or diagnosed, resulting in:
- Latent Learning Disabilities
- Behavior problems
- Seizures
HOW TO PREVENT SHAKEN BABY IMPACT SYNDROME
WHEN A BABY CRIES….
- Check baby for any signs of illness, fever, etc…
- Check for the baby’s basic needs and make comfortable
- Try feeding or burping the baby
- Swaddle the baby and rock gently
- Offer the baby a pacifier
- Lie the baby on their tummy and gently rub his or her back
- Rock the baby
- Walk with the baby
- Sing or talk to the baby with soothing tones
- Call a friend or relative for support
- If you become angry and frustrated put the baby in a safe place…crib or playpen…
- Close the door and go into another room to calm down. Check the baby every few minutes.
COUNT TO 10, IF NECESSARY COUNT AGAIN
NEVER leave your baby with someone you don’t trust, and:
NEVER,
NEVER,
NEVER SHAKE A BABY!!!
For more information, resources or to share your story, please visit AboutShakenBaby.com
