MMA : Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS)

What is Shaken Baby Syndrome?

Signs and symptoms resulting from violent shaking or shaking and impacting of the head of an infant or small child. This can occur from as little as 5 seconds of shaking.

Which age is most vulnerable?

Shaken baby injuries usually occur in children younger than 2 years old but may be seen in children up to the age of 5.

What happened during shaking?

When an infant or toddler is shaken, the child's head rotates about the neck uncontrollably because infants' neck muscles aren't well developed and provide little support for their heads. The brain bounces back and forth against the skull. This can cause bruising of the brain (cerebral contusion), swelling, pressure, and bleeding in the brain. The large veins along the outside of the brain may tear, leading to further bleeding, swelling, and increased pressure. This can easily cause permanent brain damage or death.

Shaking an infant or small child may cause other injuries, such as damage to the neck, spine, and eyes.

Signs and symptoms of SBS?

• Convulsions (seizures)
• Decreased alertness
• Extreme irritability or other changes in behavior
• Lethargy, sleepiness, not smiling
• Loss of consciousness
• Loss of vision
• No breathing
• Pale or bluish skin
• Poor feeding, lack of appetite
• Vomiting

How can SBS be prevented?

• NEVER shake a baby or child in play or in anger. Even gentle shaking can become violent shaking when you are angry.
• Do not hold your baby during an argument.
• If you find yourself becoming annoyed or angry with your baby, put him in the crib and leave the room. Try to calm down. Call someone for support.
• Call a friend or relative to come and stay with the child if you feel out of control.
• Contact a local crisis hotline or child abuse hotline for help and guidance.
• Seek the help of a counselor and attend parenting classes.
• Do not ignore the signs if you suspect child abuse in your home or in the home of someone you know.

Try these "five S's" if you can’t stop your baby from crying:

1. Shushing (using "white noise" or rhythmic sounds that mimic the constant whir of noise in the womb, with things like vacuum cleaners, hair dryers, clothes dryers, a running tub, or a white noise CD)

2. Side/stomach positioning (placing the baby on the left side — to help digestion — or on the belly while holding him or her, then putting the sleeping baby in the crib or bassinet on his or her back)

3. Sucking (letting the baby breastfeed or bottle-feed, or giving the baby a pacifier or finger to suck on)

4. Swaddling (wrapping the baby up snugly in a blanket to help him or her feel more secure)

5. Swinging gently (rocking in a chair, using an infant swing, or taking a car ride to help duplicate the constant motion the baby felt in the womb)

By :

Theory of Medical Unit MMA 2011/2012

PERUBATAN Cawangan Mansurah

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