Why You Should NEVER Shake A Baby

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I'm sure you've heard it said that you should never shake a baby. I'm not mentioning this to say that you would ever do this on purpose, although there are parents who have. Unfortunately, it's not uncommon for a new parent to get frustrated and momentarily lose control, especially considering that many live on very little sleep! Also, you are probably not the only person who ever handles your baby; if you ever leave her with a sitter or you have other children in the home, there is a chance that your baby might be handled too roughly. The injuries that are usually called Shaken Baby Syndrome are more likely to be caused by someone violently shaking an infant to try to get him to stop crying than from normal rough play. It's important to know what can happen to a baby if s/he is shaken, if only so that you can tell if you're leaving her with the wrong person.

Shaken Baby Syndrome is a 'blanket' term to describe the type of head injuries that happen to babies who are violently shaken. It was first coined in 1972 when a Pittsburg, PA pediatrician began writing about the cases he'd seen of babies being shaken. Since then, it's been estimated that about 300 infant and young-child deaths occur per year as a result of shaking-related injuries.

The reason babies are hurt severely when shaken is because the neck muscles aren't well-developed enough to absorb any of the shock. This causes their heads to wobble back and forth too quickly, tearing blood vessels and causing the extremely-delicate brain tissue to bump up against the skull. A baby's brain bruises much more easily, leaving it open to more damage than an adult or older child might have. While it would make sense to think that more injuries come from more shakes, it only takes one to do lasting harm.

Injuries that can occur when a baby is shaken include:

• death
• permanent paralysis
• behavioral problems
• blindness or other visual impairment
• seizures
• damage to the neck and spine
• hearing impairments
• mental retardation
• coma

Babies that have been shaken tend to have problems focusing their eyes, uneven pupils, difficulty breathing, lethargy and a swollen 'soft spot', among other things. If you know or suspect that your baby has been shaken, get emergency medical help immediately. Some parents are afraid to tell the doctor what they know because they are afraid of what the doctor may think of them; please do not worry about that! Be sure to tell the doctor what you know, because otherwise they may waste precious time trying to find other causes for the baby's symptoms.

If you feel as though you have reached the end of your rope, take a step back to calm down and get some help. You are not alone! As for caregivers, be sure you know exactly what kind of person you are leaving your child with. Get a 'nanny cam' if you have any suspicion that your baby may be being mistreated while in someone else's care. It could literally save your baby's life.