shknbaby

Shaken Baby Syndrome

Shaken Baby Syndrome usually occurs because moms are tired and stressed and overwhelmed and babies cry...sometimes a lot. When you are very tired, especially after having a baby who keeps you up at night, you can do some things that you would never do...shake a baby. When you are a single mom, you don't always have the resources to take time for yourself, to share the time up at night with a partner, etc.

Below is some information about the results of this. If you have tried everything you can to get the baby to stop crying--s/he isn't hungry, needing a diaper change, needs to burp, not too hot or too cold, hurt, etc., and s/he is still screaming, call someone to give you a break. Put the child in a crib or bassinet or carseat (seatbelt fastened), close the door and go to another room. Turn on some calming music for both of you.

You can visit this website for more information: http://aboutshakenbaby.com. There are many more tips for avoiding SBS and lots of other information.

Shaken Baby Syndrome Statistics

One shaken baby in four dies.
Some studies estimate that 15% of children's deaths are due to battering or shaking, and an additional 15% are possible cases of shaking.
Of the 37 children that died in Florida in 1995-96 13 died from a combination of Shaken Baby Syndrome/ Head Trauma.
Of the thousands that survive death, serious injury usually occurs.
"SBS" victims range in age from a few days to a few months old; the average is six months.
More than 60% of the victims of Shaken Baby Syndrome are male.

Almost 80% of the perpetrators of Shaken Baby Syndrome are male

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