Shaken Baby Syndrome
What is the cause of shaken baby syndrome?
by the Babble Staff
November 30, 2006
Shaken Baby Syndrome
THE BABBLE TAKE
Babies have large heads, weak neck muscles and soft, fragile brains. Shaken Baby Syndrome is a collective name for a number of injuries caused by an adult losing control and violently shaking a baby. The shaking, which can happen for as little as 5 seconds, causes the baby's brain to bounce around inside the skull and bruise, bleed and swell. Related injuries include damage to the spinal cord and retinal bleeding. Shaken Baby Syndrome is basically a type of whiplash, and more likely to happen if the baby's head is also hitting an object, even something as soft as a pillow. Signs of Shaken Baby Syndrome include vomiting, extreme irritability, loss of consciousness, blue skin and breathing difficulties. Doctors say that about a fifth of all Shaken Baby Syndrome cases lead to death within days. A majority of children with Shaken Baby Syndrome end up with permanent damage and disabilities such as blindness, paralysis or mental retardation. Experts say gentle bouncing, swinging or other play does not cause the type of damage seen in Shaken Baby Syndrome. That degree of damage is also very unlikely to be caused by accidental falls off furniture, or even down stairs.
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National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome
"Shaken baby syndrome is a term used to describe the constellation of signs and symptoms resulting from violent shaking or shaking and impacting of the head of an infant or small child. The degree of brain damage depends on the amount and duration of the shaking and the forces involved in impact of the head."
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National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
"Shaken baby syndrome is a type of inflicted traumatic brain injury that happens when a baby is violently shaken. A baby has weak neck muscles and a large, heavy head. Shaking makes the fragile brain bounce back and forth inside the skull and causes bruising, swelling, and bleeding, which can lead to permanent, severe brain damage or death."
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Medline Plus — National Institute of Health
"This is a severe form of head injury caused by violently shaking an infant or child, usually when the infant is crying inconsolably and the frustrated caregiver loses control. The violent shaking may result in severe injuries to the infant, permanent brain damage, or death."
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Mayo Clinic
"Shaken baby syndrome is a group of signs and symptoms caused by severe brain injury due to violent shaking of an infant. Since an infant's neck muscles aren't strong enough to limit motion of the head, shaking causes the baby's brain to bounce back and forth within the skull."
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Dayton Daily News
"Doctors often [have a] difficult task of determining whether a child's injuries are accidental or intentional. Some medical conditions — meningitis is just one — can mimic the symptoms of violent shaking."
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