What causes shaken baby syndrome?

If a baby is forcefully shaken, their fragile brain moves back and forth inside the skull. This causes bruising, swelling and bleeding. Shaken baby syndrome usually occurs when a parent or caregiver severely shakes a baby or toddler due to frustration or anger — often because the child won't stop crying.


How easily can a baby get shaken baby syndrome?

Considerations. Shaken baby syndrome can occur from as little as 5 seconds of shaking. Shaken baby injuries most often occur in children younger than 2 years old, but may be seen in children up to 5 years old. When an infant or toddler is shaken, the brain bounces back and forth against the skull.

Can jiggling a baby cause shaken baby syndrome?

No. Young infants should have their head supported at all times and caregivers should avoid jostling them or throwing them in the air, but gentle bouncing, swinging or rocking won't cause shaken baby syndrome.


How do I know if my baby has shaken baby syndrome?

Severe immediate signs of shaken baby syndrome may include unconsciousness, seizures and shock. Other shaken baby syndrome symptoms may include: Not smiling, babbling or talking. Extreme irritability.

What is the most common trigger for shaken a baby?

Shaking most often occurs in response to a baby crying, or other factors that can lead the person caring for a baby to become frustrated or angry. All babies cry and do things that can frustrate caregivers; however, not all caregivers are prepared to care for a baby.


Take 5 and Prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome



What are 3 immediate consequences of shaking a baby?

When a baby is shaken hard by the shoulders, arms, or legs, it can cause learning disabilities, behavior disorders, vision problems or blindness, hearing and speech issues, seizures, cerebral palsy, serious brain injury, and permanent disability. In some cases, it can be fatal.

Can you accidentally shake a baby too hard?

Babies have very weak neck muscles that cannot fully support their proportionately large heads. Severe shaking causes the baby's head to move violently back and forth, resulting in serious and sometimes fatal brain injury. These forces are exaggerated if the shaking is interrupted by the baby's head hitting a surface.

What happens if I accidentally shook my baby?

When a child's head is shaken back and forth, the brain bumps against the skull, causing bruising, swelling, pressure, and bleeding in and around the brain. Shaken baby syndrome can also damage brain cells and deprive the brain of oxygen.


Can shaken baby go unnoticed?

International studies show that one in three cases of abusive brain injury go undetected for days, or are never identified by hospital staff, because the symptoms - such as lethargy, seizures and breathing problems - mimic a range of possible conditions.

Who is most likely to commit shaken baby syndrome?

Canadian research has shown that the babies who are shaken are most often male and under six months of age. The research also identified biological fathers, stepfathers and male partners of biological mothers as more likely to shake an infant. Female babysitters and biological mothers are also known to shake babies.

How much shaking does it take for shaken baby syndrome?

Considerations. Shaken baby syndrome can occur from as little as 5 seconds of shaking. Shaken baby injuries most often occur in children younger than 2 years old, but may be seen in children up to 5 years old. When an infant or toddler is shaken, the brain bounces back and forth against the skull.


At what age does shaken baby syndrome stop?

Most cases of abusive head trauma (also called shaken baby syndrome) happen to babies and toddlers younger than 2 years old. Rarely, it can happen in children up to 5 years old.

Can hard bouncing cause shaken baby syndrome?

Shaken baby syndrome usually occurs when a parent or caregiver severely shakes a baby or toddler due to frustration or anger — often because the child won't stop crying. Shaken baby syndrome isn't usually caused by bouncing a child on your knee or minor falls.

Can bouncing a baby hurt them?

What is Shaken Baby Impact Syndrome (SBIS)? SBIS previously referred to as "Shaken Baby Syndrome" (SBS) is an injury to the brain resulting from intentional head trauma which can occur when a baby is thrown, jogged, jerked, or shaken.


What are the five S's of Shaken Baby Syndrome?

A new system that involves the five S's — swaddling, side/stomach positioning in the parents' arms, shushing, swinging, and sucking — can calm most crying infants, Dr. Karp said.

What are 3 of the most common injuries that can happen from Shaken Baby Syndrome?

The characteristic injuries of shaken baby syndrome are subdural hemorrhages (bleeding in the brain), retinal hemorrhages (bleeding in the retina), damage to the spinal cord and neck, and fractures of the ribs and bones. These injuries may not be immediately noticeable.

How do you avoid shaken baby syndrome?

Tips to Prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome
  1. Call the Family Help Line 1.800. 932. ...
  2. Remember the 10-foot rule. ...
  3. I-am-a-good-parent list. ...
  4. Babies do cry. ...
  5. Sing away the stress. ...
  6. I-love-my-baby list. ...
  7. Grab the phone, not the baby. ...
  8. Move and breathe.


What happens if a newborn's head falls back?

The worry here is that your baby may have a skull fracture or internal injury, like bleeding on the brain (intracranial hemorrhage). Without immediate treatment, bleeding can worsen and put pressure on the brain, causing a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Other warning signs include things like: vomiting.

What is purple crying in babies?

PURPLE crying is a stage that some babies go through when they seem to cry for long periods of time and resist soothing. Your baby may find it hard to settle or calm down no matter what you do for them. The phrase PURPLE crying was coined by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome.

How fragile is baby's neck?

Your baby's neck muscles are fairly weak when they're born. If you pull them up gently by their hands into a sitting position their head will flop back because their neck muscles can't support it . For the first few months, they'll rely on you using your hands to support their head and neck when you hold them.


Can a baby have shaken baby syndrome and not know it?

While sometimes there's bruising on the face, you may not see signs of physical injury to the child's outer body. Injuries that might not be immediately seen include bleeding in the brain and eyes, spinal cord damage, and fractures of the ribs, skull, legs and other bones.

What is the best way to diagnose shaken baby syndrome?

Doctors may use brain scans, such as MRI and CT, to make a more definite diagnosis. In comparison with accidental traumatic brain injury in infants, shaken baby injuries have a much worse prognosis. Damage to the retina of the eye can cause blindness.

Can shaken baby go unnoticed?

International studies show that one in three cases of abusive brain injury go undetected for days, or are never identified by hospital staff, because the symptoms - such as lethargy, seizures and breathing problems - mimic a range of possible conditions.


How much do you have to shake a baby to cause shaken baby syndrome?

What Causes Shaken Baby Syndrome? The #1 trigger and most common cause of shaken baby syndrome is a crying baby (and the violent motion that a frustrated parent uses to shake the baby's head, usually whipping it roughly 1-2 feet back and forth).

Can you accidentally shake a baby too hard?

Babies have very weak neck muscles that cannot fully support their proportionately large heads. Severe shaking causes the baby's head to move violently back and forth, resulting in serious and sometimes fatal brain injury. These forces are exaggerated if the shaking is interrupted by the baby's head hitting a surface.