Shaken Baby Syndrome – Everything You Need To Know

There are a lot of people who are in the habit of pampering a baby whenever they have a baby in sight. They take the baby in their arms and shake it holding its shoulders.

But, if this shaking of baby is done violently, then it can result in Shaken Baby Syndrome and this can turn out to be very dangerous. It can result into severe brain damage causing lifelong disability, and sometimes even death.

Shaken Baby Syndrome is generally an outcome of child abuse. Generally, infants and young children who are of age less than 5 years are the victims of this syndrome.

This syndrome is usually known by the names Non Accidental Head Injury in UK and Abusive Head Trauma in USA.

The Causes of Shaken Baby Syndrome

The Shaken Baby condition is generally caused because of the damage that is done by shaking the baby by its shoulders, arms or legs.

The brain and the blood vessels of an infant are very weak and therefore they do not have the capacity of taking sudden motions and shakes resulting in permanent damage.

This condition might also cause irreversible blindness, brain damage, hearing loss, cerebral palsy, seizures, injury of the spinal cord and learning. There are circumstances when the condition can even lead to the death of the baby.

Symptoms of Shaken Baby Syndrome

Babies suffering from the condition will exhibit various symptoms and signs like:

• Increased irritability and behavioral change
• Unconsciousness, falling asleep and excessive tiredness
• Refusal to drink or eat
• Pale skin tone with bluish tint
• Uncontrolled vomiting
• Seizures
• Erratic breathing patterns and stopped breathing
• Eye hemorrhages

How To Prevent The Condition?

There are a number of advice and tips for preventing shaken baby syndrome but there are three important points which should always be kept in mind. They are:

Educate Yourself

There are many parents who are not aware of this syndrome at all and of the problems that it can result in. It is important for parents to have a very clear understanding of this situation by taking the help of a baby sitter or a doctor.

The other two points that parents should have in mind include understanding themselves understanding their baby.

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