SHAKEN BABY SYNDROME

Why would someone shake a child?
Frustration and stress are the reasons some one shakes a child. A crying child is reported to be the number one reason why people have shaken a child.

What is it?
Shaken Baby Syndrome is the term used to describe the injuries babies and very young children sustain from being violently shaken. Children who sustain life threatening injuries from this syndrome are held by the arms and shaken back and forth in a quick, jerking motion.

Effects of Shaken Baby Syndrome
Children can suffer the following injuries:

• The collecting of blood between the brain and the skull. - Subdural Hematoma
• A tearing of the child’s brain tissues. - Axonal Shearing
• The child’s brain swells. - Cerebral Edema
• Bleeding along the back inside layer of the child’s eye. - Retinal Hemorrhage
• The inner most layer of the eye detaches from the rest of the eyeball. - Retinal Detachment
• Bone fractures of the skull and ribs, due to the way the child was held during shaking.
• Other physical damages may occur.
• Mental Retardation
• Coma
• Death

• Appears to be glassy eyed

• Convulsions
• Irritability
• Fixed pupils
• Seizures
• Sleepiness or inactivity
• Breathing problems
• Vomiting
• Choking
• Head is turned completely to one side
• Swelling of the head
• Pooling of blood in the eyes

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